Demand Generation is no more – You cannot generate a demand
Lead generation is not the same a Demand generation
Demand generation systems consist of a mixture of systems that:
- Generate email blasts.
- Organize drip marketing campaigns.
- Score leads on their activities and profile data
- Present qualified leads to sales departments.
Quite different from Lead generation.
Demand generation was a great product group when the economy was doing fine: all on credit for both consumers and enterprises.
You could generate a demand by telling people extensively about the benefits of your products or solutions. You could convince (lure) them of a previously non-existing need or you had scared them enough so they bought in order to stay out of the trouble you predicted as you created fear. This resulted in a purchase.
The current need is to survive
Currently there is hardly any demand as:
- The markets are in recession
- There is less credit available.
Companies don’t have big demands.
Consumers don’t have big demands.
They just need the bare necessity to survive.
For these basic needs:
they already know where to find and at the best price.
Demand generation is non-existing.
No demand generation
You cannot generate demand in a recession:
- You can only search and skim for signs of demands from your potential customers.
- You can only anticipate once the potential customer has a demand.
However you can inform, educate, consult or engage your potential customers in many ways through conversations over the Internet or face to face.
This will only allow you or your solutions:
-To have an understanding of the problems.
-To be on his mind when he composes the short list of possible vendors.
-To use the benefits, function and features of your solution for comparison with other offerings.
Find potential customers having a demand
If people or companies have an additional need, they will find your website on the Internet by using search engines or using a reference link.
Your real leads having a demand are or will be on your website.
Contact your visitors
The problem is that people don’t contact you. People just don’t take the initiative.
Thus your potential leads just disappear after visiting your website without an possible contact information.
However if you would address to them after they have shown interest, they will reply or acknowledge their interest.
Thus instead of waiting them to address or to inquiry you, contact them using the knowledge of their interests: their needs or demands. This you will know after their visit to your website by the pages visited, the time spend on pages and the number of returning visits to certain pages over time, the search terms used or the referring link, allowing to contact them.
You can have this knowledge by using a web service indicating who visits your website by company name without the interference of your visitors.
This is cold calling on warm companies.
Thus instead of using demand generation tools, just find your potential customers on your website and start a conversation with them as they are already interested.
