Lead Generation for Generation Z

You can tell someone’s age by the movies they love.

As a self-confessed early millennial, a movie which I came to love was Glengarry, Glen Ross. In one of the standout moments, the wise-cracking, border-line neurotic salesmen are taught by a superstar external consultant about the importance of worshipping the Sales Funnel, characterised at that time by the acronym, AIDA.

A – Do I have your attention?
I – Are you interested?
D – Have you made a decision?
A –  Action!

A linear progression of the decision making process. This linked in with another sales motif – ABC – that governed the competitive landscape of the real estate agents where the combatants frequently jousted. Always Be Closing.

Selling isn’t hard. It’s just…different

Buyer behaviour and influence has rarely been captured quite as dramatically as pictured in that movie. Variations of sales/marketing methodologies have appeared, re-appeared and evolved over the years – the most popular of which is the traditional funnel, charting a prospects journey from initial awareness to the final purchase decision. Technology changed how we interact with our audience. Those with an active online presence learned to widen the top of the funnel and generate interest from territories that would have been unheard of, just a few short years before.

Nowadays, customers no longer need to be ‘sold’ on a product. They are able to quickly do their own diligence and find out from others in their position, whether your solutions or service is a viable option or not.

The loudest voices that influence buying decisions are your peers.

Your customers can be your biggest advocates. Rewarding existing customers by improving their level of satisfaction encourages them to stick around and more often than not, those happy customers are likely to tip off their own network.

A Softer Sell

In a sales funnel, there is a definitive start (prospect email, cold call) and a finish (verbal agreement, hand shake, sign contract). In reality, each customer interaction is fluid and dynamic. It is entirely reasonable in this digital age for prospects to have reached a buying decision before an organisation even knows they exist. Often, sales agents need to just get out of their own way. This is because of the abundance of information readily available about you, your competitors, the industry, product reviews, etc.

Conversely, lack of intel around your business is also a valuable resource, lest clients suspect there to be a scam. Customers also note your approach to customer service. Did you respond to that negative review calmly, promptly or not at all?

Word of mouth (verbal and written) drives the majority of new customers. Google reviews are read. Social media pages are checked. The bigger the purchase, the greater the attention to detail, and by association, the more confidence needed for a client to part with their cash.

Grow Grow Grow Your Boat

Brian Halligan, CEO of US Inbound Marketing company, Hubspot has previously described this change in paradigm, suggesting the new growth model for businesses is better illustrated as a flywheel. The flywheel is a circular model where customers continually feed business growth.

The traditional funnel fails on several fronts, the primary issue being that it doesn’t keep customers engaged. A flywheel, on the other hand, ensures customers continue to be offered outstanding service. 

Note: at Proactive Design & Marketing, we have worked with companies for over a decade on a digital retainer basis, e.g. set hours per month to focus on lead generation efforts for B2B. Retainers are effective because we are seen as a trusted partner in our customer’s success.

The traditional funnel fails to integrate a feedback loop that could improve customer relations. In a flywheel, loyalty is encouraged and that could be simply demonstrated through higher engagement on social media posts or attendance at events. Companies should seek to create content that solves real issues, supporting clients in the pursuit of their own goals, e.g. increased revenue, visibility, brand awareness.

Navigating the rivers of change, especially in the digital era is challenging. Sticking to a tried and trusted methodology that may be decades old – ‘…but that’s the way we always did it’, is a sure-fire recipe for a disaster. Water hazards abound.

To emerge through the choppy waters and reach a new understanding of your clients and how best to engage them, requires a shift in mindset.

The New You

At Proactive, we treat every client differently. There is no off-the-shelf solution that will help you hit your goals. There are no quick wins to win hearts and minds. However, we have been in this game for over 25 years and there is very little that we haven’t seen or experienced. Hard-fought insights and lessons from countless hours, dedicated to honing our craft and developing yours.

Whether it be creating an award-winning digital marketing strategy, breathing new life into your brand, or revamping an existing website, reach out and we can discuss what’s possible, so you can start to engage your audience on their terms.