“We’re focused on Lead-Gen.”
It’s a statement I’ve heard twice this year with regards to why a company is choosing not to be a sponsor at Defrag. Now, we’re almost sold out on sponsorships for Defrag, so the rejection doesn’t bother me — but the sentiment does. Here’s why…
I’ve been the VP of Marketing at a startup. I’ve done it from pre-seed round through the Series C. I’ve done the “growth phase.” I’ve implemented lead-gen programs. And I’ve been told by board members that if I don’t hit certain numbers, I wouldn’t have a job anymore. In other words, I’ve been there - way there, and I’ve done that. I know what lead-gen is, and I know what lead-gen isn’t.
Here’s what it isn’t: Lead-gen is not expo floors, booths and several thousand people strolling by on a free expo pass. That’s not lead-gen. That’s uninspired, fill the funnel, tell yourself that quantity somehow substitutes for quality, marketing.
Real lead-gen realizes that conversations count more than scanned badges, that depth is more important than reach, that intimacy not eyeballs is what matters. Real lead-gen plays the long game. Real lead-gen engages real decision-makers in real relationships. You see, in truth, expo floors are really about branding more than lead-gen, and conversations are more about lead-gen than “thought leadership.”
If you really want to focus on lead-gen, begin with engagement.
See you at Defrag 
