Naked Analysis #35: On Building Connections, Not Just Funnels

In digital marketing, lead generation is often reduced to metrics, conversion rates, and automated funnels. But in today’s human-centric world, successful lead generation is no longer about collecting data points; it’s about creating meaningful connections with people.

It’s been over a year since I dropped my book, A Complicated Art of Lead Generation, where I spin my views on how small business owners and entrepreneurs can use the 9 core lead generation strategies that I pick to build their brands. Writing it was fun, and from what I heard, people liked reading it.

Pick up a copy if you want to check it out, btw. I’d love your support: https://bit.ly/AComplicatedArt

Last week, I referenced an older article that I wrote, "Getting Leads or Gaining Humans," which offers a refreshing perspective: instead of chasing leads, we should focus on understanding, engaging, and genuinely helping people. If you think about the leads that you’re desperate to chase as people and not just the 1s and 2s that you want filling your lead buckets, you’ll be able to more closely identify the needs and meet the quotas you may establish for yourselves. People want to feel special, that’s one of the core tenets of the book, if you treat people like trusted friends, you’ll never go wrong. They’ll treat you with the love and respect that your brand deserves.?

There’s no way around it.

But how do you get there? What steps can you take that will define your strategy to build from before you even get to the execution phases of your strategy? There are a few and knowing and following them will be vital to your success in the future. Follow along and see how you can become a “ninja warrior” at this stuff, mmm kay?

Lead with Empathy

Traditional lead generation often emphasizes quantity over quality. But if your leads aren’t genuinely interested in what you offer, they’re unlikely to convert into loyal customers.

In a human-centric approach, the first step is empathy. Understand your audience’s pain points, desires, and motivations. Conduct surveys, engage in conversations, and listen to what your audience is truly saying. Having this degree of insight allows you to craft messages that resonate for each individual, something that will quickly turn even the coldest of prospects into warm, warm leads. You want leads that matter, but you want return customers that you can use to further model your psychographic data against, right? You’ll get that sample from these folks.

Engage in Genuine Conversations

Automation has its place, but over-reliance on it can strip away the human touch. My core methodology can be broken down into four parts: BEAR.

Brand Awareness. Engagement. Activation. Retention.?

This is that engagement piece, where you build and nurture successful conversations with the audience that you’re building. Instead of bombarding prospects with templated emails, focus on creating opportunities for real interactions.?

How do you do something like this? It could be something as simple as a live webinar with Q&A if that fits your brand OR you could just start by thanking people for their comments on your social posts and talking with them there. Make sure that they understand the voice of your brand and build a rapport on behalf of your brand while personalizing communication to show that you lead as individuals and aren’t solely committed to the numbers.

Be a Problem Solver, Not a Salesperson

In my human-centric model, the goal is to add value before asking for anything in return. You can do this when you ENGAGE or when you’re ACTIVATING your audience. This might mean offering free resources, educational content, or tools that help your audience solve their problems. You want them to proliferate your messaging to their network, as you need evangelists of your stuff to build credibility and reach critical mass. My article from before, and my books, emphasize the importance of providing solutions. When you’re seen as a trusted resource, your audience is far more likely to engage with your brand and, eventually, become paying customers.

Focus on Building Trust

Trust is the foundation of any meaningful relationship, so be transparent about your intentions. What do I want from you reading this newsletter? I’d like you to like, share, or subscribe if this is your first time here. For you, you want to get people to share your cool stuff, but people aren’t always going to want to have a social relationship with their HVAC company…or will they? I’m a firm believer that the right content from the right brand will reach an MQL (marketing-qualified lead) when they need information about a problem they need to solve. If someone doesn’t have a dire need yet for a solution to their home-based problem, being out in front of someone isn’t as impactful with an eBook, whitepaper, YouTube clip, or TikTok as a commercial or radio spot because of frequency and the general “earworminess” (yeah, I’m claiming that one), but it will build those 7-9ish touchpoints of interaction that will help fill the bucket of recognition before they pick or choose your brand as the “one that they call.”

Go Beyond Metrics

While tracking metrics is essential, a human-centric approach challenges us to look beyond clicks and conversions and, instead, look at things like the quality of engagements and brand sentiment. Are people responding positively to the brand? Are leads converting to repeat customers or advocates? Are they referral candidates? If not, why?

By shifting from a transactional mindset to a relational one, you’re not just generating leads, you’re building a loyal community around your brand. This approach not only feels better for your audience, but also delivers sustainable, long-term results for your business. Advocates instead of customers; evangelists instead transactions alone

"Lead generation isn’t just about gaining leads—it’s about gaining humans."?

When we prioritize the human element, we create connections that transcend campaigns and drive real impact.

So, as you refine your lead generation strategy, ask yourself: Are you chasing leads, or are you gaining humans?

Let’s choose the latter.