When Alec Baldwin’s character, Blake, stood in front of the failing sales department of Premiere Properties in David Mamet’s 1992 Glengarry Glen Ross and told them that all but the top two salespeople would be fired in a week, Jack Lemmon’s character, Shelley, said, “The leads are weak.” While I cannot condone how Blake reacts to that statement (or really anything at all about that infamous and abusive monologue), one message I think Blake touches on is vital to extrapolate: “The leads are weak? You’re weak!” And while this was a line designed to chastise poor Shelley and shame him into performing, the message that lead generation is an internal problem, not an external one, is worth our attention.

It is undoubtedly essential to have a database of opt-in leads (as opposed to unwilling ones), and it is equally important to work that database of leads to convert them into customers or clients. However, the best leads in the world will do you no good if you haven’t first done work on yourself.

Leads have the sum total of human knowledge at their fingertips. No matter what your product or service, they have countless competitors to compare you with. So your ability to reach them and deliver your message or sales pitch is completely inconsequential when compared to who you are and how you present yourself. With so many options available to them, your leads are looking to see if you are relevant to them and if you are the right fit.

Read more: Busting The Lead Generation Myth: Look Internally, Not Externally