Lead Generation — Do It Right!

I hate lead generation. Wait, let me rephrase that, I hate the efforts of lead generation when done without concern of the lead they are trying to gather.

Recently, I have experienced something like this.

I click on a link, like a “Tell Me More” button. It generates the fields of what interests you, what do you want more information on, etc. Of course, I want to know details and pricing, which is not on the website nor on the landing page.

Of course, I then have to also enter my email — AND phone number (warning warning warning!!!) to get the two relevant bits of information I wanted. Price and details. Which I didn’t get — instead, it said “Details coming in your email shortly”. (Okayyyyy)

Within 10 minutes of me filling out the landing page, I get a call.

“Hi, this is Frank. Saw you were interested in XYZ, let me ask you a few more questions and then I can help you.”

I answered more questions, all relevant, but now, I’m getting pissed. How much does it cost and what are the details?! That’s all I wanted to know.

“Oh, and if you act on any of these offerings (that we have yet to get to and discuss) we are offering 30% off, but it will expire tomorrow,” says Frank.

Wow. I am so glad that in all my marketing efforts, I have always squashed those who wanted to approach leads like this. So glad.

I’m getting pissed off more and more every minute that keeps passing.

“What are the details and what is the price?” I responded with, barely containing the anger in my voice. I was interested, but I was not going to make a decision right then. Talk about high pressure? But also, this is what is called “losing a lead”.

BTW — this was NOT some two-bit company or anything. This is a highly accredited university that has 30,000 students on campus and another 20,000 that take online courses.

So I followed up with, “Frank, I’m not going to pull out my credit card right now and make a purchase. I just want to know what the details are and what the prices are.”

“Sure sure, I can tell you all about that.”

“Not interested Frank. Just email me the information and I will call you if what you provides me meets my needs.”

“Sure sure, I can do that.” He went on to then tell me the details and pricing — after much going back and forth.

We both said goodbye and then hung up — 10 minutes later.

So far, in five days, I have received a dozen emails, with three referencing discounts “If you act now!”.

The details I received, even though I told Frank what my priorities were and in what order, were backwards. What I was most interested in came in the latest email (five days and nine emails later) and what I was least interested in came first.

Not only did Frank not listen, the engagement process that they have in place totally sucks.

In marketing “speak”, I was an MQL (marketing qualified lead). I showed an interest. They tried to immediately turn me into a sale. Not even an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) where I get a second chance to express my interest.

Maybe I’m missing something. Maybe companies and organizations no longer try to get to an SQL. Or that enough people “bite” on the discount (which could have easily been done if I had been given the info that I needed immediately, and not have to wait for a call (which I didn’t ask for nor want) and then emails).

This happened twice, with two different companies, in the past week. Is it a trend? I hope not. I would bet my life savings that 95%+ click on the link to just find out about details and pricing. I bet that same 95% will turn out a 1% SQL (intent to really explore and purchase).

I would also bet that less than 1% of the other 5% would purchase in that first call. In the call referenced above, the minimum purchase was at least $5000.

I bet they get a purchase, using the demand generation strategy as experienced above, of less than .1%. This was a “high pressure” attempt to sell. Don’t provide information immediately, don’t provide pricing, but talk about a discount first and then provide pricing. And, sadly, to me, it was a university — who has all the money in the world!

I get that kind of marketing if you are Hobby Lobby or Bed, Bath, & Beyond, where everyone knows, after their first visit, that discounts are always available on certain items and to check regularly to see what discount is available on what product. And to get that discount, you have a limited time to act. It’s understood. But, it’s not understood when talking with a big company or organization. I wasn’t interested in the discount (yeah, sure, after I got the info I wanted, then if it was offered, it would be what could have closed the deal — but not in this case).

But that is a knowledgeable market — one that understands what is being offered and it’s for a limited time.

To approach a cold market, just because they asked for some simple details (since the website doesn’t provide it) with a high pressure sale, to me, is wrong.

I have of course now blocked that email address, told everyone about how horrible the university is and to never click on any of their links, and to look elsewhere.

As a side note — one of my biggest fights with a board and C-Suite was me convincing them to put pricing on our site. They didn’t want to, as “no one would buy it” as the basis of their argument (it was 15% more of what they could get it for if they went retail). One part of my argument, which I won, was to ask the question, “Why don’t you want to put pricing? Is our product so bad that no one will buy it? If our product is great, people will pay the price to get it!”. We put the pricing on the site and had sales beyond projections. Because the product was good (and in huge demand, thus, why we sold so well).

So in closing, I am assuming that what the university (and others) offered was sub-par, that’s why they tried to close the deal so fast. Back to “buyer beware” and all that. There is no need to jump before you look.

Lastly — respect your prospective lead. If you live in another country, I get it why you don’t respect people when calling into other countries (even if you don’t agree). But when you live in the country, are employed by a company in that country, respect the people you are calling (I suggest respecting everyone, as we are all humans). High pressure sales rarely work (unless you are a used car salesman).