Propelling Demand Gen to a Modern State: The Imperative of a Strategic Approach

May 25, 2023 | Written By Joseph Reynoso, TNI | Published on Tierra Nueva Interactive

In today's fast-paced business climate, demand generation has become a critical driver of growth and success for many GTM teams. However, organizations often face significant hurdles in connecting with their buyers effectively. These challenges arise from a siloed organizational approach, a lack of internal skill set, insufficient involvement of the sales team, and a lack of complete ownership of the demand generation strategy. In this article, we highlight the importance of taking a strategic approach to demand generation and propose alternative solutions to propel it to a more modern state.

Shifting from Tactical to Strategic Approaches

Many organizations approach demand generation tactically, focusing on short-term goals and immediate results. While tactical efforts are essential, they often lack a cohesive strategy that aligns with broader business objectives. This fragmented approach hampers the organization's ability to build long-term relationships with buyers and maximize demand generation outcomes.

Solution: Organizations must adopt a strategic mindset, emphasizing a holistic approach to demand generation. This involves aligning marketing efforts with the overall business strategy, setting clear goals, and establishing a framework for long-term success. A strategic approach enables organizations to create a cohesive narrative, develop meaningful buyer personas, and deploy targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience throughout the buyer's journey.

Breaking Down Organizational Silos

In many organizations, demand generation activities are siloed within specific departments, such as marketing or sales. This siloed approach results in fragmented customer experiences and missed opportunities to connect with buyers effectively. The lack of collaboration and communication between departments leads to disjointed messaging and a suboptimal utilization of resources.

Solution: Organizations should foster cross-functional collaboration by breaking down silos and creating a unified demand generation team. By integrating marketing, sales, and other relevant departments, organizations can leverage the collective expertise and insights to develop a seamless, end-to-end customer experience. Collaborative efforts enable the sharing of customer data, aligning messaging and tactics, and effectively engaging with buyers across multiple touchpoints.

Developing Internal Skill Sets

Effective demand generation requires a diverse set of skills encompassing marketing, data analysis, technology, and sales. However, organizations often lack the necessary internal skill sets, hindering their ability to execute demand generation strategies with excellence. This skill gap can result in missed opportunities, ineffective campaigns, and limited understanding of customer behavior.

Solution: Organizations should invest in upskilling their workforce by providing training programs, workshops, and access to industry resources. By developing a well-rounded internal skill set, organizations can empower their teams to leverage data-driven insights, adopt emerging technologies, and execute demand generation strategies effectively. Additionally, organizations can consider hiring external experts or partnering with specialized agencies to fill skill gaps and ensure comprehensive demand generation expertise.

Involving Sales in the Demand Generation Process

A common pitfall in demand generation is the lack of involvement from the sales team. Marketing and sales departments often operate independently, resulting in a misalignment of messaging and missed opportunities to convert leads into customers. Without the input and collaboration of the sales team, demand generation efforts may fail to address the specific needs and pain points of potential buyers.

Solution: Organizations should establish strong alignment between marketing and sales teams, fostering open lines of communication and collaboration throughout the demand generation process. Regular meetings, joint planning sessions, and shared metrics help bridge the gap between the two departments. Involving the sales team in defining buyer personas, crafting messaging, and nurturing leads can significantly enhance the effectiveness of demand generation efforts and drive better sales conversions.

Ensuring Complete Ownership of the Strategy

A lack of complete ownership and accountability for the demand generation strategy can hinder its success. When responsibility is diffused across multiple stakeholders or there is a lack of clear direction, the strategy becomes fragmented, leading to inconsistent execution and subpar results.

Solution: Organizations must designate a dedicated team or individual to take complete ownership of the demand generation strategy. This ensures clear accountability, consistent execution, and continuous improvement. A dedicated owner can monitor performance, gather feedback, iterate on strategies, and drive the necessary adjustments to align with evolving market dynamics.

To propel demand generation to a more modern state, organizations must transition from tactical to strategic approaches. Breaking down silos, developing internal skill sets, involving sales in the process, and ensuring complete ownership of the strategy are vital steps in this transformation. By embracing a holistic, collaborative approach and aligning demand generation efforts with business objectives, organizations can connect more effectively with buyers, nurture long-term relationships, and drive sustainable growth in the dynamic marketplace of today.