Lead Generation: Struggling to Cope with the Buying Revolution?

Lead generation is the first causality of the buying revolution.  That is because the changed nature of organizational buying presents it with 6 almost insurmountable challenges.

1.Being Heard Over the Noise
Most seller marketing is falling on deaf ears.  Yet, buyers are bombarded with a confusing array of similar sounding marketing messages from competing vendors.  So here is the test – can your sales and marketing message:
Grab the attention of marketing-weary buyers?
Be heard above the noise of competitors?
Enable you to stand out from the crowd?

2.Reaching Senior Buyers
The majority of purchase decisions rely on the approval of senior managers that are well buffered from unsolicited marketing outreaches.  More lead generation methods are being stopped ‘dead in their tracks’ by buyer spam filters, gate keepers and other barriers erected by buyers.  So, can your message:
Get through to senior managers?
Resonate with senior managers?
Get them to engage?

3.Providing Information that Buyers Actually Need
Most seller messages elicit a ‘so what?’, or ‘what else would you say!’ response from buyers.  Buyers place little, or no value on most seller marketing.  So here is the test:
Are you providing buyers with the type of information they want to receive?
Is it is capable of shaping the opinions, or influencing the decisions of modern buyers?  

4.Shaping Requirements and Influencing the Buying Process
Buyers often keep sellers at arm’s length until the buying process is well underway.  The result is that the seller arrives on the scene after requirements have been set and a competitive bidding situation has arisen.  A key challenge is for the seller to become involved earlier in the buying cycle.  So how successful are your efforts in:
Shaping the requirements of the buying and otherwise influencing the buying process?
Encouraging the buyer to involve you in the early stages of their buying process?

5.Creating and Sustaining A Dialogue
The ultimate test of the effectiveness of any seller marketing is the buyer engagement.  However the response to most marketing is a deafening silence.  The challenge is to create a dialogue, to get buyers to opt-in, to participate and to respond.  That means sellers have the opportunity to really influence buyers and to be top of mind when the timing is right.  So how effective is your marketing at engaging with the buyer:
Is there a reason for buyers to want to opt-in to your marketing?
Are you able to sustain an ongoing dialogue?
Is your message effective at generating a response?

6.Generating Demand
It can be a challenge to get the attention of buyers that are searching for a solution.  However, those already shopping are greatly outnumbered by those who do not have a budget, or perhaps are not even aware that they have a problem.  Reaching this group presents particular challenges.  In particular:
How to identify those with latent needs?
How to generate demand where none already exists?
How to spur those who are not yet in shopping mode into action?

To meet these challenges of the buying revolution nothing short of a complete overhaul of traditional lead generation.  That is a transition from Generating Leads to Nurturing Contacts.