A small part of the problem, surprise surprise, is the gap between sales and marketing. Ardath Albee recently wrote:
"Part of the problem is often that marketing and sales view the idea of "leads" differently. Quality is in the eye of the beholder.
In order to serve both sides, the definition of a "high quality lead" must address these differences in perspective."
Unfortunately, we continue to use the sales model (i.e. ultimate solution placement) as our focus, believing that ‘content is king'. As a result we
Most purchasing decisions largely get made well before we have contact with our ‘leads'; these types of decisions aren't yet ready for our content. Until or unless:
buyers won't buy. They will not seek content, use content, or act on it. Or they will pass our brilliant content over to other vendors. Or use it in a blog post as their own idea. Following content use will merely tell us who is looking and how they are looking. The rest is a guess.
Buyers seek content only once the Buying Decision Team is ready, willing, and able to manage internal issues of politics, management, company/family strategy. As a result, the very last thing prospects need (some say 70% into the buying decision process, but I say 90%) is content.
We are spinning our wheels following digital footprints and assigning lead scores, rather than using technology to guide the front end - the human side of the buying decision process. When a marketing/sales enablement technology ‘manages the buying process' they ignore the need to create new technology to manage the human side.
We can help chart the course through the miasma of decisions necessary. But not using current methods. And until we do, we cannot have quality leads.