Recently, I learned that the second Friday in January is officially called  “Quitters Day,”—a day dedicated to anyone who’s ditched their New Year’s health resolutions within the first two weeks.

Since it seems like there’s a theme for every day (and “Quitters Day” feels a bit… heavy), I thought, why not add another day to the mix? But this one’s for all the Demand Gen and BDR Leaders out there who are feeling the pressure by mid-to-late January because they’re already significantly behind on their meeting and pipeline targets.

I’m calling it... Pipeline Panic Day! 

And the best part? We can celebrate it anytime toward the end of January. Why? That’s when Demand Gen, Growth, and BDR leaders come to the gut-wrenching realization: they’re already way off track. And all the same problems from 2024? Surprise! They didn’t just magically disappear with the previous year.

It turns out that blaming the sluggish start on holiday hangovers was just a way to delay the inevitable. Now, after only three weeks, you are playing pipeline catch-up again. The worst part is that the gap just keeps getting bigger by the day.

“Pipeline Panic Day” is the worst; I know this from personal experience. However, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you can start making up the pipeline gap with these seven proven tips:

1. Tier your accounts: If your organization is still trying to launch an ABM motion, start by tiering your accounts based on their level of engagement. An ABM platform can assist with prioritization, but there are other great, lower-cost alternatives as well.
   • Tier 1: would be your 1:1 plays going after only your top accounts
   • Tier 2: 1:few for accounts with slightly less engagement 
   • Tier 3: 1:many for accounts showing low to no intent. I would consider robust AI Agents like Gem-E from UserGems to help you prioritize and personalize at scale for all three tiers.
     ‍
2. Stop over-investing time and budget in channels that produce lukewarm inbound leads that rarely convert (Content Syndication, AdWords, etc…) and are of little help when trying to penetrate your target accounts. These channels may be semi-decent for awareness, aircover, and/or to build your database for long-term nurture, but they rarely produce immediately actionable leads that convert to pipeline.
   ‍
3. Start focusing on bringing in contacts with actionable signals. Signals that allow your BDR team to have immediate conversations with your prospects.
   Past champions who have changed jobs, ‘closed lost’ contacts who’ve moved on, new hires, promotions, and even lateral moves give you an excellent opportunity to engage your prospects on a more human level and get your foot in the door with your most important accounts
   ‍
   💡 Pro tip: Sending small gifts like coffee gift cards when reaching out will significantly boost your conversion rates.
   ‍
4. Eliminate lead handoff terminology. Campaign teams that wash their hands of leads as soon as they pass them to BDRs are doomed to fail. Work closely with your BDR team to ensure they are armed with everything they need to set meetings and push them to hit all agreed-upon SLAs. Remarketing and retargeting campaigns are a great way to provide air cover for your BDRs.
   ‍
5. The BDR team can’t take their foot off the gas either. Their job isn’t done once sales accept a meeting. Hold your sales team accountable to SLAs and ensure that honest feedback flows both ways.
   ‍
6. Demand Gen should continue to provide support and pipeline progression campaigns throughout the buyer's journey. The days of exclusively running top-funnel campaigns and nurturing leads are a thing of the past.
   ‍
7. This one will be the most controversial, but you’re putting too much effort into your content strategy. Particularly your written content.
   When was the last time you sat down and read an eBook or White Paper end to end? Instead, focus on more digestible short-form content, such as case studies, blogs, and quick “Wow” moment videos. Then, further down the funnel, run live events that show your product or service in action.
   While in-person events are ideal, they aren’t always feasible. Use online executive roundtables and invite-only webinars to accomplish the same thing. These mid-funnel events, where you can demonstrate and discuss your offerings, are crucial for fostering an evangelistic sale and are more impactful than long-form content.

So there you have it. My tips to ensuring this is the last year you worry about “Pipeline Panic Day”. What a relief, I was having panic attacks just writing about it. 

Learn how to select accounts that convert and build an ABM program that drives pipeline, here.