Marketing’s Fatal Flaw

B2B marketers are obsessed with lead generation. They pour their budgets into it, all while neglecting the bigger picture – future cash flows and potential customers who are just beyond their immediate grasp.

Just consider these numbers: 80%, 95%, and 8%. They tell an astonishing story.

It's a fact that the market values companies on their future cash flows, with 80% of a stock price based on cash flows that are 10 years in the future. So, why the fixation on the short-term?

Research by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute reveals that 95% of your potential customers aren't looking to buy your product or service anytime soon. Yet, B2B marketers seem to be blissfully ignorant of this reality, as LinkedIn data shows they spend just 8% of their budget on brand awareness goals.

What's wrong with this picture? If 80% of your company's value lies in future cash flows and 95% of your market is made up of future customers, it's downright ludicrous to allocate a mere 8% of your marketing budget to strategies aimed at attracting those future buyers.

Contrary to the widespread delusion, short-term sales aren't the be-all and end-all for B2B marketers. Only 5% of customers are in the market to purchase your product or service in the near term. Yet marketers are still hell-bent on generating leads like there's no tomorrow, neglecting the pursuit of sustainable results.

Wake up, B2B marketers. Your most important job is to influence the 95% of prospective buyers who generate future cash flows. Newsflash: Your primary role is marketing, not sales. It's high time you reevaluate your priorities and shift your focus to long-term strategies that will truly make a difference.