Lead generation isn't the answer for software sales. John Miller, founder of Marketo, argues that brand reputation and long-term relationships with buying centers matter far more than chasing leads.
I think we're missing the point. If we're honest with ourselves and we look back at when we were all running those lead gen programs. The percentage of leads and a lead is a person. Right. So the percentage of leads that actually ended up buying technology. Minuscule. And that was true at every company that I've worked at. Ultimately, yes, people buy software, but it's the account, it's the buying center that you have to build. It's a longer term engagement. And the reason they buy is because of your reputation and because they trust your brand. He's going get mad at me for outing him. But John Miller, who founded Marketo, has admitted that lead gen wasn't the thing. It was brand all along. Brand and reputation.