Demand Generation is a numbers game. Marketing uses blog posts, webinars, and gated guides to pull in a crowd. The goal is to get the brand in front of as many people as possible.

When a lead comes from a Demand Gen campaign, they probably just downloaded a generic resource, like a "2024 Industry Trends Report." They might not even know what your software does yet.

How to handle "Net" leads

Speed and filtering are your priorities. Because the net catches everyone—from serious buyers to competitors and students—you can’t afford to spend an hour researching every name.

• Filter fast: Check immediately if they actually fit your target profile. If they don't, move on.
• Lead with education: Since they came for content, keep the conversation on that topic. Don't jump straight into a hard sales pitch or a demo.
• Use automation: Put these leads into an email sequence to see who actually engages before you put in heavy manual effort.

ABM flips the script. Instead of waiting for bites, marketing picks a specific list of "whale" accounts and goes after them with personalized ads and direct mail.

If a lead pops up from an ABM campaign, it isn't an accident. Marketing spent real money to get that specific person's attention.

How to handle "Spear" leads

Precision matters more than speed here. If you send a generic "just circling back" email to a VP who has been seeing custom messaging from your team for a month, you look out of the loop.

• Do the homework: Read their recent company news, check their 10-K, and find their specific pain points.
• Get personal: Mention the specific campaign or resource they engaged with. Connect their business goals directly to your solution.
• Talk to everyone: ABM deals are rarely won through one person. You need to build a relationship with the whole buying committee.

There is one signal that consistently beats both Demand Gen and ABM: the past relationship.

The strongest lead in your pipeline isn't a cold contact picked by an algorithm; it’s a former champion who just started a job at a new company. They already know your value. They don't need the basic education of a Demand Gen lead, and they don't need the slow warming-up process of a cold ABM target.

This is where Flux.report comes in. By tracking when your best users and champions change jobs, you create a self-sustaining pipeline of high-intent leads. A former power user moving to a target account is the perfect alignment of marketing and sales. They have the budget, the authority, and the history to buy from you again.

Next time you look at your pipeline, look at the origin story. Did they stumble into the net, or were they hunted with a spear?

• For Net leads: Be helpful, be fast, and filter ruthlessly.
• For Spear leads: Slow down, do your research, and treat the account like a VIP.

Matching your intensity to the lead source prevents burnout and helps you stop chasing ghosts. You’ll spend less time on dead ends and more time closing the deals that actually move the needle.