Introducing a New B2B Demand Generation Model

Earlier today, Left Brain Marketing introduced the world to a new demand generation model – The Left Brain Model for Demand Generation. Click here to download your copy of the whitepaper that explains this model. Below Malcolm talks about the rationale that went into the development of this new model.  ~ABN

Why a new model for B2B Marketers?

In my mind, that’s the obvious question. And the answer is relatively simple.  B2B Marketers (still) don’t have a framework that supports them in building a modern, integrated Demand Generation program.

There are many efforts out there to re-analyze the sales funnel, the buyer decision process and the hand-off between marketing and sales – all critical insights – but B2B Marketers still struggle when it comes to doing real nurturing.  The basics.  That tells me something is missing.

So why did Left Brain Marketing introduce a new model?  In my mind, the key to this explanation – i.e., the gap and the opportunity – lies in three words: “building,” “modern” and “integrated.”

Building

The Left Brain Model (TLBM) was designed to pull apart the complexity of nurturing, lead scoring and the lead qualification process. Specifically, it places these components in the context of prospect or lead stages, making a direct connection between the objective of the stage and the function used to achieve that end. The result is a stair-stepped process that serves as a roadmap for Marketers building an effective Demand Generation program.

Take the example of lead scoring, which plays a vital role in the qualification process. Sophisticated scoring models usually include both demographic and behavioral elements, but clients often want that rolled up into a single alpha or numeric score. I’m a marketing guy not a math whiz.  The process of taking 8-10 variables, dealing with numerous permutations and elegantly delivering a final score that accurately represents a qualified lead is either painstaking or less scientific than it should be. Either way, it’s far from optimal. TLBM simplifies this process by applying demographic and behavioral criteria at different stages of the model – using the most appropriate qualification tool for each stage. Simplifying the purpose and action of each stage makes building an effective Demand Generation program much easier.

While not conceptually important, I like the imagery of TLBM building up (versus say the waterfall analogy) – as if one is panning for gold, leaving the sludge at the bottom and raising the nuggets to the top!

Modern

What’s modern about the TLBM is that it accounts for every stage of the buying cycle. TLBM starts with the Prospect pool, the total number of touches a Marketer must generate in order to achieve the downstream goal. Those touches are derived from both inbound activity and outbound campaigns. Inbound activity is largely, if not entirely, ignored in other models, yet it plays an increasingly important role in modern marketing. Bringing attention to the shifting balance of inbound to outbound programs also illustrates the importance of more and better educational content, arguably the backbone to an effective Demand Generation program. In short, TLBM highlights these new requirements and, thus, better represents what’s required for buyer-centric marketing.

A model that begins with an inbound/outbound Prospect pool puts the entire buying process into an analytical framework. TLBM supports the applications of reverse-funnel math, the idea that the Marketer has a set number of deals that Sales must close and he/she can works backwards from Opportunities – Sales Ready Leads – Qualified Respondents – Respondents to derive the number of Prospects that need to be touched. Aside from being able to derive the required marketing spend needed to drive the downstream goal, over time this approach allows the Marketer to evaluate and measure individual program components – nurturing tracks, content, top-of-funnel lead generation – facilitating the ability tweak and refine their Demand Generation program.

Integrated

TLBM is integrated because it brings marketing and sales together into a single, systematic approach that moves prospects through a buyer-centric process, but with significant focus on the marketing inputs and role – granularity that is lacking in other models. The model assumes that the buyer now has the power to control the flow of information and the pace with which he wants to engage with marketing and sales. Creating an integrated system that continually learns about the prospect through progressive profiling and behavioral cues and uses that data to feed them buying-stage appropriate information, allows the buyer to engage, drop out and re-engage at their leisure, and without having marketing and sales tripping over each other.

Inherent in this approach, and another example of how TLBM promotes marketing and sales integration, is the requirement that the two departments collaborate on key strategic decisions. The need for a clear definition of the ideal buyer – often referred to as the Universal Lead Definition – is one example of this alignment. An understanding of what demographic and behavioral characteristics make up a Sales Ready Lead would be another. And determining the triggers that move leads to and from the marketing and sales organizations would be a third. In short, effective use of the model is predicated on marketing and sales getting in sync about critical issues and applying that joint perspective.

A final thought

Over the coming weeks and months, the Left Brain Marketing team will build out other important components to support B2B Marketers in applying this framework in a practical yet sophisticated manner. Examples of what’s to come include, which type of content is appropriate at which stage of the buying process, how to construct a complementary network of nurturing campaigns, and how to leverage other marketing automation functionality such as progressive profiling.

Announcing TLBM is not the end; it’s simply the first step to helping B2B Marketers access a comprehensive and carefully conceived framework for building a world-class Demand Generation program.