Over the last few years, technology has brought us new tools to use for improving sales & marketing activities.  One in particular is Marketing Automation (MA for short).  MA helps companies implement repeatable processes associated with nurturing leads of prospective and existing customers.   This new technology has given birth to a new process termed  “Demand Generation”.  A recent white paper I read defined Demand Generation as:  ‘The process of creating and nurturing interest (generating demand) in the products and services that your company offers”.  A simple Google search for the term Demand Generation yields over 25 million hits!  I’d say this is getting some press.  What’s intriguing is how radical technology has changed the way people behave.  The online world has nearly removed the sales person from much of the sales cycle - information that was obtained in the past can be found online in excess.  This reality is forcing businesses to relook at their business development processes and the role of their sales people.  Best in Class companies have adapted Demand Generation as a key part of their go-to-market strategy.  The are using interactive websites, content specific landing pages, auto-responders, social media, sophisticated databases and educational content to attract, nurture and stay in front of prospects and customers.  Marketing is no longer an outbound activity (sending stuff out - email, direct mail, advertising, etc.), it is moving to an inbound model (people searching for information and finding resources).  In order to manage interest and the flow of information efficiently, a company will need to have consistent, repeatable processes.  The challenge with implementing demand generation processes is creating the infrastructure, work flow and content.  New tools, skills and resources will be needed.

How is your company adapting to the “new buyer” paradigm?  What changes are you making to ensure you gain the most from your opportunities?  I’ve developed an audit to help companies determine how well they are using their sales & marketing resources.  You can access this audit by following this link.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.