Why Close Vs Highlevel is Dead (Do This Instead)

Last month, I found myself on a call with a frantic CEO whose team was burning through $100K a month on lead generation with Close. The numbers looked impressive on paper, but their pipeline was as dry as the Sahara. As he rattled off the features they were leveraging, I was struck by a realization: they were trapped in a cycle of chasing features, not solutions. This wasn't the first time I'd seen this. Over the past year, I've watched countless businesses get sucked into the vortex of feature-rich CRMs like Close and Highlevel, only to end up tangled in complexity and spiraling costs.

Three years ago, I was a fervent believer in high-powered CRMs myself. I thought more features meant better results. But after analyzing over 4,000 cold email campaigns, the truth hit me like a freight train: simplicity scales; complexity kills. The real kicker? When we stripped everything back and focused on just one critical element, response rates soared by 340%. It's a story I see repeated time and again, yet it's almost taboo to talk about in an industry obsessed with the latest tech bells and whistles.

In the next few sections, I'll share the journey of how we navigated this landscape at Apparate, the mistakes we learned from, and the surprisingly simple approach that turned the game on its head. If you're wrestling with similar challenges, keep reading. The solution might be far simpler than you think.

The $50K Per Month Sinkhole: What Most Get Wrong

Three months ago, I found myself on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who was visibly distressed. He had just burned through $50,000 in a single month on lead generation campaigns, and his pipeline was as dry as the Sahara. Despite deploying what seemed like a textbook multi-channel approach using both Close and Highlevel, his sales team was sitting idle, and the ROI was nonexistent. We dug into the details, reviewing the campaigns minute by minute, and what we unearthed was a classic case of misaligned strategy and execution.

The founder, let's call him Mark, was using Close for its streamlined CRM capabilities and Highlevel for its multi-channel communication stack. On paper, this combination should have been the perfect storm for building a robust lead generation engine. However, the reality was a tangled web of inefficiencies. Mark’s team was juggling between platforms, leading to fragmented customer profiles and inconsistent messaging. More crucially, their outreach lacked the personalization that turns cold leads into warm conversations. The culprit? A misguided belief that more tools equate to more leads.

The Multi-Tool Mirage

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is the belief that stacking multiple tools will automatically enhance lead generation. Here's what often goes wrong:

• Fragmented Data: When Mark’s team tried to match data between Close and Highlevel, they ended up with mismatched records and duplicate entries. The CRM showed one set of customer interactions, while the communication platform told another story.
• Split Focus: Juggling two platforms meant that the sales team spent more time managing tools than connecting with potential leads, leading to burnout and frustration.
• Inconsistent Messaging: Without a unified view, the outreach became generic. Leads were receiving conflicting messages because the communication wasn't synchronized.

⚠️ Warning: The allure of multiple platforms can lead to data silos and inefficiencies. Ensure seamless integration or risk losing the personalized touch that turns prospects into clients.

The Power of Focused Personalization

What turned the tide for Mark’s campaign wasn't adding more tools but simplifying the strategy. We set out to refine the messaging to make it personal and relevant. I remember one particular adjustment we made to the email templates. By changing a single line to reflect the recipient's recent achievements, the response rate skyrocketed from 8% to an astonishing 31% overnight.

• Hyper-Personalization: We drilled down into each prospect's profile, adding specific details that only a real conversation would include, such as referencing a recent product launch or a company milestone.
• Unified Platform: Instead of toggling between Close and Highlevel, we consolidated efforts onto a single platform that best aligned with the team’s workflow, drastically reducing operational complexity.
• Consistent Follow-ups: We established a clear follow-up sequence, ensuring leads felt valued and understood, not like entries in a database.

✅ Pro Tip: A single, well-integrated platform often delivers better results than multiple, disjointed tools. Prioritize personalization over platform proliferation.

Bridging to a Sustainable System

As we wrapped up the project with Mark’s team, the results were undeniable. Their lead conversion rate improved by 25%, and the sales team was more engaged, spending their time on meaningful interactions rather than wrestling with tech. The lesson here was clear: complexity often breeds confusion, while simplicity fosters success.

Looking ahead, in the next section, I'll dive into how we’ve replicated this streamlined approach across different industries and the key metrics we use to measure success. If you're ready to cut through the noise and focus on what truly drives results, stay with me. The journey is just beginning.

The Breakthrough: A Contrarian Approach That Delivered

Three months ago, I was on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who'd just burned through $150,000 on a lead generation strategy that had left him empty-handed. His frustration was palpable. He had invested heavily in both Close and Highlevel, hoping that one or both would be the magic bullet for their sales woes. Instead, they found themselves drowning in complexity and scattered data, with no coherent pipeline to speak of. He turned to us at Apparate, desperate for a solution that wouldn't just drain more resources.

In the early stages of our work with him, we decided to analyze everything—every email, every call, every campaign. We sifted through 2,400 cold emails from their failed campaign, looking for patterns, clues, anything that could shed light on what went wrong. As it turned out, the issue wasn't just with the tools themselves, but with the very approach they were taking. They had over-automated, lost the human touch, and ended up with a system that was more of a labyrinth than a funnel. It became clear that relying solely on technology without a clear strategy was like trying to steer a ship without a rudder.

The Importance of Human Touch

The first key point we realized was the importance of reintroducing the human element into the lead generation process. The tools were being used to automate everything, which sounds efficient, but in reality, it was alienating potential leads.

• Personalization was missing entirely. A simple tweak in the email's opening line, addressing the recipient's specific needs or mentioning their recent achievements, skyrocketed response rates from 8% to 31% overnight.
• Calls were robotic and scripted, lacking genuine engagement. We encouraged the team to spend an extra minute or two understanding each lead's unique challenges before diving into their pitch.
• Follow-ups were generic. By crafting follow-ups that referenced past conversations or specific points of interest, re-engagement improved by over 50%.

✅ Pro Tip: Never underestimate the power of a personalized approach. Even in a tech-driven world, people respond to people, not machines.

Simplifying the Tech Stack

Next, we focused on simplifying the tech stack. Both Close and Highlevel offer a plethora of features, but more isn't always better. We needed to streamline the process to focus on what truly matters.

• We stripped down the tech stack to its essentials, focusing on tools that complemented each other rather than overlapping in functionality.
• Integrated data seamlessly between systems to ensure a smooth flow of information, reducing administrative overhead and errors.
• Emphasized training and support, ensuring the sales team was comfortable and confident with the tools they were using.

With these changes, the team reported a 40% reduction in time spent on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on building relationships and closing deals.

graph TD;
    A[Lead Generation Strategy] --> B[Personalization]
    A --> C[Tech Stack Simplification]
    B --> D[Improved Engagement]
    C --> D

Building a Cohesive Strategy

Finally, we helped the client build a cohesive lead generation strategy that aligned with their long-term goals. This wasn't about choosing between Close and Highlevel, but about crafting a process that played to their strengths.

• Developed a clear, step-by-step process for handling leads from first contact to closing.
• Set measurable goals and KPIs to track progress and make data-driven decisions.
• Fostered a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging the team to regularly review and refine their approach.

💡 Key Takeaway: Simplification and personalization can transform your lead generation efforts. Focus on building relationships, not just pipelines.

As we closed out our engagement with the SaaS company, they not only recovered from their previous missteps but also created a sustainable, scalable system that increased their lead conversion by 70%. This experience taught me that sometimes, the best solutions aren't about choosing between tools like Close and Highlevel but about rethinking the entire approach.

With this newfound momentum, our next step was to delve deeper into optimizing their sales funnel, ensuring that the leads they were now generating could be effectively nurtured and converted.

Our Three-Step Blueprint: From Chaos to Clarity

Three months ago, I was on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who had just burned through nearly half a million dollars on a disjointed lead generation strategy. Every effort seemed to unravel at the seams—ads weren't converting, emails were going unanswered, and the sales team was drowning in unqualified leads. The founder, visibly stressed, confessed, "Our growth has stalled, and we can't afford to keep bleeding cash like this." It was a familiar scenario. I'd seen it before—a promising company, bogged down by complexity and inefficiency.

I remember another instance when our team at Apparate dove into analyzing 2,400 cold emails from a different client's failed campaign. We were knee-deep in data, trying to unearth why their response rate was a paltry 3%. Patterns emerged, and it was clear: they were trying to do everything at once—generic messaging, lack of targeting, and a scattergun approach to follow-ups. It was like trying to fill a leaky bucket; no matter how much effort they poured in, everything seemed to slip away.

These experiences led us to craft our Three-Step Blueprint to transform chaos into clarity, a framework that has since become our go-to strategy at Apparate. Let's break it down.

Step 1: Simplify Your Messaging

The first step in our blueprint involves cutting through the noise with clear and compelling messaging. Here's how we do it:

• Identify the Core Value Proposition: Strip away the fluff. Focus on the one thing that sets your solution apart. For example, with the Series B SaaS founder, we zeroed in on their unique AI capabilities that competitors lacked.
• Personalize at Scale: Use data to tailor your message. In the email analysis, we noticed that simply adding the recipient's company name and a relevant pain point increased open rates by 20%.
• Test and Iterate: Continuously refine your messaging. What works today might need tweaking tomorrow. We routinely A/B test subject lines and body content to keep engagement high.

✅ Pro Tip: Personalization doesn't mean writing a novel. A single line that shows you've done your homework can make all the difference.

Step 2: Target with Precision

Once your message is clear, it’s time to narrow down your audience. Here's our approach:

• Segment Your Audience: Break down your market into smaller, more manageable segments. We often start with simple distinctions like industry and company size, then refine further based on behavior.
• Leverage Data: Use insights from past campaigns to inform future efforts. For the Series B company, we discovered that their best leads came from mid-sized tech firms, which allowed us to focus our efforts.
• Create Buyer Personas: Develop detailed profiles for each segment. Understand their needs, pain points, and decision-making processes.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. Broad targeting dilutes your impact and wastes resources.

Step 3: Automate and Optimize

Finally, we streamline the process through automation and continuous optimization:

• Implement Automation Tools: Use platforms that allow you to automate repetitive tasks. This frees up your team to focus on strategy and high-value interactions.
• Monitor Performance Metrics: Keep a close eye on key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. For our clients, we set up dashboards that provide real-time insights.
• Optimize Based on Insights: Use the data collected to refine your approach. When we changed a single line in our client's follow-up sequence, the response rate jumped from 8% to 31% overnight.

graph TD;
    A[Start] --> B[Identify Core Value Proposition]
    B --> C[Segment Audience]
    C --> D[Create and Personalize Messaging]
    D --> E[Automate and Optimize]
    E --> F[Monitor and Refine]

These steps transformed our clients' lead generation efforts from chaotic to systematic, providing clarity and direction in what used to be an overwhelming process.

As we close this chapter, it's essential to remember that clarity isn't just a destination—it's a journey. In the next section, we'll explore how you can sustain and scale this newfound clarity within your organization.

When the Dust Settles: What's on the Horizon?

Three months ago, I found myself on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who had just burned through $100,000 on a lead generation campaign that yielded nothing but frustration. The founder was exasperated, echoing a sentiment I’ve heard all too often: “We did everything by the book. Why isn’t this working?” As I listened, it became clear that the issue wasn’t the tools they were using—be it Close or Highlevel—but how they were using them. The shiny features of these platforms often distract from the fundamental principles of lead generation, leading to costly missteps.

This founder’s team had relied heavily on automated sequences, believing more emails equaled more leads. However, when we dug deeper, we found a different story. Their outreach was generic, lacking the personalization needed to capture attention in a crowded inbox. It was a classic case of mistaking activity for progress. I remember telling the founder, “It’s not about how many emails you send; it’s about the few that truly resonate.” This was a moment of realization for both of us, and it set the stage for a dramatic shift in strategy.

The Illusion of Choice: Close vs. Highlevel

The founder’s predicament wasn’t unique. Many businesses find themselves caught in the tug-of-war between Close and Highlevel, thinking the right CRM will solve their problems. Here’s what I’ve learned:

• It’s Not the Tool, It’s the Strategy: Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but neither will compensate for a poor strategy.
• Feature Overload: Many teams are seduced by unnecessary features. Focus on the essentials that align with your goals.
• Customization Without Purpose: Customization should enhance your workflow, not complicate it. Keep it simple.

⚠️ Warning: Don't fall into the trap of switching platforms to fix deeper strategic issues. Tools are amplifiers, not solutions.

Knowing When to Pivot

Back to our SaaS founder. After recognizing the inefficiency in their approach, we needed to pivot quickly. We took a step back and focused on understanding their ideal customer profile more deeply. Here’s how we did it:

• Customer Feedback: We initiated a series of interviews with existing clients to uncover insights that weren’t obvious from the data alone.
• Refined Messaging: Armed with newfound clarity, we crafted messages that spoke directly to the pain points and aspirations of their target audience.
• Test and Reiterate: We launched smaller, more targeted campaigns, monitoring them closely to refine our approach.

The result? Their email response rates jumped from a dismal 5% to an impressive 28% in just four weeks. It was a testament to the power of targeted messaging over sheer volume.

✅ Pro Tip: Focus on quality over quantity. A well-crafted message to a well-understood audience beats a generic blast every time.

The Path Forward

So, what’s next? The SaaS founder’s journey taught us that the path forward lies in adaptability and a willingness to question assumptions. As we look to the horizon, here’s what I believe will define successful lead generation:

• Data-Driven Insights: Use data not just to track, but to inform and adjust your strategy.
• Human Touch in Automation: Automation should enhance, not replace, human interaction. Keep it personal.
• Continuous Learning: The market is constantly evolving. Stay curious and open to new methods.

graph TD;
    A[Identify Ideal Customer] --> B[Craft Personalized Messaging];
    B --> C[Test and Measure];
    C --> D[Adapt and Scale];

This diagram represents the exact sequence we now use at Apparate to ensure every campaign is grounded in reality, not assumptions.

As our call came to an end, the SaaS founder was no longer frustrated but energized. This wasn’t just a tactical shift; it was a mindset change. And that’s what we need more of in lead generation—a focus on fundamentals, not fads.

Looking ahead, it's clear that the real battle isn’t Close vs. Highlevel. It’s about clarity vs. complexity. As we move into the next phase, the question isn’t which tool to use but how to use any tool with strategic intent. Stay tuned as we explore this further in our next section, where we’ll dive into the specifics of crafting a resilient lead gen system.