PWYW Lead Generation Explained with Andrew Holland and James Dooley

Andrew Holland: Hi there. My name’s Andrew Holland and I’m here with James Dooley. We’re having a chat about the work that James does. I’ve known of James for a long time—he’s a big character—and like many people, I’ve always wanted to pin him down for answers. So I’m going to ask him directly: James, what exactly do you do for people? James Dooley: Good question, Andrew. We run lead generation in the UK—mainly focused on helping UK businesses grow. Our business model is PWYW, meaning pay what you want. Some compare it to no-win-no-fee or guaranteed/performance-based lead generation, but we prefer "pay-what-you-want marketing." We explored the psychology behind pricing—some business owners are frugal, while others are willing to pay more because they profit more. The PWYW model helps us identify who we want to work with long-term. It’s similar to certain high-end steakhouses that removed prices from their menus and ended up earning more because customers paid what they believed the meal was worth. We followed the same path—it's worked well, and we’re selective about who we take on. Andrew Holland: It’s a fascinating model. I’ve even heard that Google’s future of paid search might evolve similarly, where advertisers set the cost they're willing to pay per lead or sale. It aligns with giving the consumer more control.

But let me push you on something: Everyone loves lead generation—the ringing phones, the inbox notifications. But the biggest issue is always lead quality. How do you ensure the leads you deliver are high-quality?

James Dooley: That’s the most crucial question. We need precise keyword and topic research to understand where a business earns the most profit. If we get that wrong, and the client is paying what they want, they’ll only pay a small amount—so accuracy matters. Unlike standard pay-per-lead companies, we get paid only what the client feels the lead was worth. So we start by generating a high volume of inquiries, cast a wide net, then analyse the feedback—what converted and what didn’t. For example, if we send 50 boiler-related leads and a company says, “We only install new boilers; we don’t handle repairs,” we redistribute those repair leads to businesses that specialise in servicing and maintenance. Our CRM lets us segment leads by company type—repair, cleaning, servicing, installations. That segmentation ensures businesses get the right leads, earn a good ROI, and only then pay us what they want based on their profit. It removes risk and friction. They don’t argue over paying for bad leads—because they only pay for what converts. Andrew Holland: That’s exactly why I love this model. Small business owners are great at what they do, but they don’t have time to become experts in digital marketing. Your model helps them clearly understand front-end and back-end profitability. The best part? It feeds money back into the UK economy. Instead of funneling revenue to large lead gen companies, your model lets businesses pay within their profitable range. That money circulates locally—into salaries, local businesses, and communities. And because you’re working across multiple sectors with SMEs, you’re spreading economic growth across the UK rather than concentrating it among a few large corporations. Congratulations on the model, James. It’s brilliant, impactful, and genuinely good for the economy. James Dooley: Thank you very much, Andrew. Andrew Holland: No worries. Cheers.