Lead gen.
What hasn’t already been said?
We hear almost nothing else.
It’s already ingrained in our heads …

MQLs, SQLs.
Blah blah blah.
What more can I tell you?
Where’s the a-ha?

Well there is one fact
That can often get missed
An inconvenient truth
A big reason Marketers exist

We’ll get to that soon
We’ll end with that news
But first let’s remind ourselves
Without lead gen we’re screwed

Our beloved lead gen
One of our top KPIs
Identifying new opportunity
Is a wonderful prize

Building tomorrow’s income
New blood coming through
A source of future hope
New sales sparks to review

Never forget current clients
We must protect our core
But if we want growth
We’ll likely need to find more

So lead gen is critical
Adding new sales fuel to the fire
New chances to sell
Finding potential new buyers

But how do we do that?
How to achieve our aims?
When our bloody competitors
are all trying to do the same

It’s always tough
It’s never easy
And seeing rival’s great outputs
can make us feel queasy

And it’s not just noisy rivals
that make lead gen so hard
Our audiences are so busy
Their inboxes are scarred

They’re bombarded with noise
Have lots of distractions
They’ve other priorities
Couldn’t care less of our actions

So lead gen is hard
But there are things we can try
There are ageless techniques
Timeless truths do apply

Task 1 is the topic
We need to pick a theme
Focusing on client issues
is the way to get seen

Be intriguing, insightful
Be truly helpful
Offer them utility
Great content assemble.

Focus on their needs
And plug their gaps
Find ways to add value
Present them new facts

The secret to lead gen
is no hidden trick
Helping clients succeed
Is the way to get clicks

But we first must get seen
We must first arrest attention
Stand out from the crowd
Be creative. Apply invention

Because communicating like others
will diminish effects
Doing same old same old
Our lead gen will wreck

So task 2 is to try things
Be creative and bold
We need to break some eggs
To get our omelette sold

So clients click on our content
They fill in a form
We’ve got their details
But the lead’s not yet warm

We don’t just want form fills
We want conversation
Leading to client dialogue
Must be the aspiration

So the key to great lead gen
Is to know at the outset
How we’ll stimulate appointments
How client meetings we’ll get

Because lead gen is always
about how we attract
New buyer discussions
We can convert into impact

So rule 3 is clear
Don’t even begin
Lead gen shouldn’t start
Without a plan how to win

And here’s the big thing
That we sometimes forget
But without which
Our income’s always at threat

There’s another marketing task
If we want profit gains
Without it our lead gen
Will all be in vain

And that’s the simple fact
That we must close the deal
The client’s preference
We must know how to seal

Because lead gen’s for nothing
If we can’t make it turn
Into actual demand
Actual revenue to earn

And for that we need
some additional skills
Other marketing techniques
that actually pay the bills

Our value propositions
Must be better than others
If our pricing sucks
Then why did we bother?

Lead gen is vital
Without it we’re stuffed
No lead gen, no pipeline
Our sales run out of puff

But it’s just one part of the puzzle
Just one thing to get right
There are more classic skills
Needed to win this fight

Lead gen is critical
But it’s never all
So are products & positioning
In our competitive brawl

If we want lasting success
Generate leads and sales at ease
It needs modern digital skills
But also the 4Ps

That’s it, thanks for listening
Good luck to you all
As you attract new customers
And them you enthrall.

—–

I first read this poem on a Business Marketing Club podcast (episode 112), which you can find at any of the following links. I’m the second guest, about 11 minutes in…

Google – https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzUwMTUyMDQucnNz/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvYm9vbS5jb20sMjAyMS0wOC0yMDovcG9zdHMvNzkyNzQ0Mw?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjIxNKj-pnzAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ
Audioboom – https://audioboom.com/posts/7927443-the-a2z-of-b2b-marketing-part-12-l-is-for-lead-generation
iTunes – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-a2z-of-b2b-marketing-part-12-l-is-for-lead-generation/id1493193695?i=1000532607502
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/episode/3q3Q9VNaKlohxZQ6QpmERk?si=PYG-VSYCT7y8h3dP0OAGtQ&dl_branch=1