Guesswork is not a strategy: four assumptions standing in the way of your B2B lead generation.

“Knowledge is power,” as the old saying goes. And in no other context is that more apparent than in today’s B2B lead generation landscape. 

These days, what you don’t know can indeed hurt you—as in hurt your bottom line. 

But sometimes, (Dare I say often?) it’s what you think you know that causes even greater harm.  

In this article we’ll dismantle four common assumptions that could be holding back your business from effectively generating high-quality leads. 

Assumption 1: more leads equals greater success.

The numbers game is a seductive one; it’s easy to believe that a flood of leads will yield a bounty of sales.  

Buuuuuut false. 

Lead quality trumps quantity.

A surge of leads might look impressive on your performance charts, but if they’re not the right fit for your business, they’re just vanity metrics. This is especially true if those leads clog up your sales funnel, leaving you with a surplus of prospects who are nowhere close to converting.

Focusing solely on the number of inbound leads is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole—no matter how many times you try, it won’t fit.

Instead, double down on attracting leads that align with your ideal customer profile and that are more likely to convert on a realistic timetable. A solution like Waterfall Content Syndication is perfect for solving sales funnel issues because it provides a holistic, full funnel approach.

Assumption 2: all content is created equal.

Wrong. Ideally, no two pieces of content should be considered equal because they’re likely created for separate unique purposes. 

This is especially evident when leads are spread out in different phases of the sales funnel. 

Leads at the top of the funnel are going to engage with content differently than leads at the bottom.

Similarly, given the diverse groups of stakeholders that make up today’s buying committees, B2B marketers must consider the unique needs, goals, and pain points of the various roles on that committee. For instance, a director of finance will possess needs or goals that are quite different from, say, a director of business operations. Waterfall can personalize and modify a piece of content to make it relevant to both such audiences, maximizing content value and reducing the chances of missed opportunities. 

Assumption 3: downplaying the significance of relevant content.

If your organization believes that merely highlighting the features and benefits of your products is enough to convert leads, I’ve got bad news for you.

Do not pass GO! Do not collect $200!

Many B2B marketers recognize and prioritize the significance of a strong digital presence. Operating a robust website, active social media channels, and producing valuable content is top-of-mind for the best demand gen marketers.

However, it’s easy to overlook the customer’s perspective in this process. The temptation to focus solely on what we marketers want to convey rather than delivering content prospects want to get is a risky assumption.

Here’s one significant reason why:

63% of B2B marketers confirm that delivering relevant content helps build loyalty with existing clients.

Relevant content not only helps strengthen your sales efforts, but it also supports a positive brand experience. Consistent positive brand interactions build trust among your clients and prospects over time and can often convert them into enthusiastic brand activists.

To enhance your understanding of your customers, it’s important to take a deeper dive into who they truly are and tailor a meaningful experience for them on your website. A suitable place to start is by examining and prioritizing your customer journey. This aligns with the Waterfall Content Syndication approach to demand generation. Waterfall can develop a data-driven strategy based on customer experience insights about your leads. This sophisticated strategy enables you to pinpoint which stage of the buyer’s journey leads are in and make informed decisions to nurture and support them with valuable, relevant content.

Assumption 4: sales and marketing are separate entities. 

Salmarketing? 

Marsales? 

Sarketing? 

OK, perhaps I was wrong to have assumed any of those would work… 

Fine, technically sales and marketing are separate entities. BUT you’re better off thinking of them as two halves of the same whole. Yet all too often, sales and marketing fail to speak a shared language. It’s common for either department to lack a full understanding and appreciation of what the other contributes. 

This age-old divide between sales and marketing can create a gaping chasm in your lead generation efforts. When these departments operate in silos, the result is often disjointed messaging and a fractured customer experience.  

One way to remedy this is to deliberately combine the initiatives of your sales and marketing teams in efforts such as ABM. Account-based marketing is a team sport, one around which sales and marketing can rally to meet the same goals and pull together to land the accounts your organization desires to obtain. 

When executed effectively, well-coordinated ABM efforts support easy information sharing across teams and enhance both sides of the lead generation strategy. Waterfall Content Syndication is an excellent ABM solution for organizations looking to strengthen their lead gen strategies. Waterfall can examine buyer data to help sales and marketing teams decide which accounts are ready to buy and which are not. 

Waterfall empowers both teams to focus their efforts on the best opportunities and avoid wasting time and money chasing the wrong accounts.

Key Takeaways 

Dispelling these costly assumptions is not just about avoiding mistakes; it’s about embracing a mindset of continuous improvement and adaptability.  

Your ability to generate quality leads hinges on a strategy that recognizes the unique needs and behaviors of your target audience.  

It requires a balance of innovation, empathy, and a willingness to challenge the status quo of your existing content strategies. 

Remember that the bedrock of successful lead generation is understanding of your product, your audience, and the nuanced dance between the two.