Avoid the Naughty List: 5 Q4 deal killers

From: Selling Signals Newsletter

Date: December 23, 2025

Dec 23, 2025

The ‘Naughty or Nice’ test for Q4 lead gen

Most B2B teams think December is a slow month for pipeline, but the data tells a different story. TrustRadius reports that the top go-to-market (GTM) challenge for organizations today is sales and marketing effectiveness, not lack of demand.

Buyers are still researching, still comparing vendors, and still shaping their short lists even when inboxes feel quiet.

Bar chart showing sales and marketing effectiveness as the top GTM challenge at 24%.

Sales and marketing effectiveness is the top GTM challenge of organizations. (Source: TrustRadius)

At the same time, 82% of marketers say they struggle with lead generation and nurturing, according to Demand Gen Report. That means buyers are active, but the handoffs, follow-ups, and content that should move them forward aren’t always landing.

This week, we're putting together a Naughty or Nice checklist for sustaining B2B lead generation through Q4. Remember, buyers who quietly research now are the ones who turn into Q1 pipeline later. Takeaway: Consistent, thoughtful outreach now directly builds future results.

Sales Action

Slide into Q1 already ahead

Q4 often feels like a year-end sprint. Deals stall. Budgets freeze. Sellers try to close anything with a pulse. But buyers are still researching and building short lists. They are active even if they are not replying as quickly.

ResponsePoint reports that 71% of companies plan to maintain or increase investment in pay-per-performance lead programs. This means buyers are getting consistent outreach across channels.

At the same time, TrustRadius finds that 86% of buying groups already know at least one preferred vendor before they even begin evaluating. Your touches now are what determine whether you make that short list.

Here’s your Naughty List for Q4:

😈 Sending generic, one-size-fits-all follow-ups.

😈 Treating every lead like a “close now or never” situation.

😈 Ignoring slow deals until January.

😈 Overloading prospects with long pitches during holiday mode.

😈 Failing to share deal stalls with marketing.

Here’s your Nice List to end Q4 strong and maintain momentum until Q1:

😇 Segment by intent. Focus energy on accounts that show real buying signals.

😇 Send micro moments. A quick Loom or thoughtful insight cuts through holiday noise.

😇 Warm up early. December nurturing becomes the January pipeline.

😇 Speak in buyer language. Use real phrases and needs voiced on calls.

😇 Loop in marketing. Your stall points become their fuel for better messaging.

Buyers are choosing favorites quietly. Your job is not to overwhelm them but to make choosing you feel easy.

Sales Signals

📈 ‘A perfect storm’: Exploring B2B’s ‘lead gen crisis’ - Many B2B brands struggle to balance quality and quantity in lead generation, so sales teams should push for higher-quality contacts that convert rather than a high volume of unvetted names.

🎯 Redefining sales enablement with a shift to a proactive hunting mindset - Sales enablement is evolving from reactive support to proactive lead pursuit, so reps should adopt hunting strategies that actively identify and engage high-potential prospects rather than waiting for inbound interest.

🤝 In a sales slump? A Celonis sales director shares his top tips for generating qualified leads - A structured, customer-first approach that combines research, multi-touch outreach, and real understanding of pain points helps reps build pipelines with higher-quality opportunities that are more likely to close.

Marketing Movement

Be nice in the noise

Marketing in Q4 can feel like trying to decorate the tree while it’s falling over.

Sales wants quick support. Leadership wants next year’s strategy. Campaigns want more content. But buyers aren’t done watching, researching, and making decisions that influence the Q1 pipeline.

The long-term impact is real: One company found that its marketing efforts drove more than 31% in incremental sales over time, proving that Q4 work pays off far beyond December.

And according to the Content Marketing Institute, 65% of B2B marketers say improving content relevance and quality had the biggest impact on performance. Relevance is the real gift buyers want right now.

Here’s your Naughty List for Q4:

😈 Publishing content because “something needs to go out.”

😈 Producing assets that do not match buyer questions.

😈 Ignoring social channels during the holidays.

😈 Using jargon instead of real human language.

😈 Waiting for sales to request content instead of anticipating needs.

Here’s your Nice List for a high-impact finish:

😇 Create content buyers actually search for. Answer in journey questions, not hypothetical ones.

😇 Use buyer signals to guide priorities. Let intent data and sales feedback shape what you make.

😇 Be consistently visible on social. Holiday weeks are quieter, which makes your posts stand out.

😇 Write like a human. Use language pulled from real conversations and common sales objections.

😇 Build Q1 now. Case studies, nurture flows, and messaging frameworks let January start strong.

Marketing’s power in Q4 is not volume. It’s the ability to guide buyers who are already halfway through their decision process.

Marketing Signals

📊 ‘Brand gravity’: B2B marketers on shifting lead gen from ‘conversion to influence’ - To improve conversion rates, B2B marketers can optimize nurture paths and engage high-intent prospects with tailored content and timely follow-ups that move them closer to buying decisions.

📣 How advertisers maximize lead generation during Q5 - B2B teams can borrow seasonal automation and short-form video tactics from Q5 strategies to increase engagement and capture attention in crowded inboxes and feeds.

📈 Beyond leads: Why demand generation matters more than ever in B2B marketing - Demand generation activities feed higher-quality leads into the funnel and improve alignment with sales by creating early interest and awareness that later becomes conversion-ready prospects.

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Mixed Signals

Marketing: “We built a full Q4 nurture flow tailored to intent signals.”
Sales: “Intent signals? My prospects are telling me they won’t buy till next quarter.”

Sales: “We need more late-stage assets to close deals.”
Marketing: “We can build them, but half your deals don’t have updated notes.”

Marketing: “We’re still seeing strong engagement on social and email.”
Sales: “Cool, then why is my forecast sweating?”

→ Translation: Sales is optimizing for the conversations happening today. Marketing is optimizing for the buyers who have already started researching tomorrow. Both perspectives matter, and both fall apart without shared visibility.

When sales communicates what buyers are struggling with and marketing shares what buyers are actively responding to, Q4 shifts from a scramble to a coordinated push. The result is a guided pipeline that moves into Q1 with momentum.

Q4 alignment is not about doing more. It is about seeing the same buyer clearly. The more both teams coordinate around real buyer behavior, the easier it is to turn December uncertainty into January wins.

Meet Our Writer

Bianca Caballero

Senior Staff Writer

Bianca has spent the past four years helping businesses strengthen relationships and boost performance through strategic sales and customer engagement initiatives. Drawing on her experience in field sales and territory management, she transforms real-world expertise into actionable insights that drive growth and foster lasting client partnerships.