Beyond Leads: Rediscovering the Heart of Marketing

In today's digital age, marketers have become entranced by the allure of lead generation. Metrics, data, and conversion rates dominate the landscape, pushing us to see customers as mere numbers in a funnel. But marketing's true essence lies far beyond this narrow focus. It's time to rethink our dependence on leads and reconnect with the core principle that people buy what they are aware of and what they like.

The straw that broke the camel’s back is RB2B. If you have not seen this yet, you must at least see where this thirst for leads has led marketers. Read the comments from current users who, by the way, call themselves marketers.

Basically they allow you to place code on your website that will send personal information about a visitor to Slack so you can spam, pitch-slap and harass your “prospect”. All without offering any transparency, choice or clarity to your potential customer. And their fearless leader Adam Robinson sees nothing wrong with this! “It’s how the internet works” he states, making the internet responsible for his lack of empathy, conscience or ethics. Seems he interprets the Golden Rule as do whatever it takes to make more money.

Back to the Basics

The true purpose of marketing is about creating awareness, building trust, and fostering positive relationships. When we reduce our efforts to purely chasing leads, we lose sight of the customer as a person. We forget that a customer’s loyalty and advocacy are built on genuine connections, not just transactional interactions. Unfortunately we have turned all digital marketing including social media, into transactional interactions - us telling them what we think they want to know. Most feedback from the potential consumer is being mis-interpreted by the “marketer”, as they are addicted to leads - no matter the quality. I doubt any respectable marketer could not interpret visiting a website as interest in purchase. Surely there have to be a few other data points added before we could call it intent to buy.

Respecting our customers means understanding their needs, values, and aspirations. It means engaging with them in meaningful ways, providing value beyond the product or service we offer. By focusing on building positive relationships, we cultivate a community of loyal customers who are not only willing to buy from us but are also eager to advocate for our brand.

People buy what they are aware of and what they like. Awareness is the first step in the customer journey. It's about making potential customers familiar with our brand through consistent and authentic messaging. But awareness alone isn't enough. We must strive to create affinity—an emotional connection that makes customers prefer our brand over others. With the proliferation of using dark patterns and sneaky tactics designed to trick individuals into an action and calling that a lead… well, if I have to explain that, you are definitely not a marketer.

A Time For Change

It's time to shift our focus from short-term lead generation metrics to long-term relationship-building goals. While leads have a place in the mix, they are just one small piece of the puzzle. Success should be measured by customer satisfaction, retention, and lifetime value. These metrics reflect the strength of our relationships and the trust we've earned from our customers.?

During a recent keynote session at a digital marketing conference I asked the room of 350+ digital marketers “how many of you are doing things everyday that you know piss your prospect off, or at least annoys them?” About 1/2 the room put up their hand. After calling the other half of the room liars, I asked for specifics. A young lady said “We send far too many emails, hounding our prospects into buying a product or service”. I replied “You should stop that!” to which she replied “My boss wants numbers.”

Every marketing effort your brand puts out there should be designed to “tickle your customer pink” as consumers buy what they like and what they are aware of, not who has pissed them off the most!?

So I ask “ Is RB2B a marketing tool or an anti-marketing tool? Does it attract leads and convert sales or does it make people swear to never do business with that brand? I know I have a few brands like The Gap, on my list of never do business again due to their online nonsense and trickery.

A Call to Action

As marketers, we have the power to shape the way businesses interact with their customers. Let's move beyond the confines of lead generation and embrace a more holistic approach to marketing. Let's respect our customers by genuinely understanding and addressing their needs. Let's build relationships that are rooted in trust, loyalty, and mutual respect.

In the end, marketing is not just about selling; it's about creating connections and building relationships. When we prioritize positive relationships over mere lead generation, we pave the way for sustainable growth and a more meaningful impact on our customers' lives.