The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million

10Flip the Demand Generation Formula—Get Buyers to Find You

Have you been cold-called in the past six months? Did you enjoy the experience? Did you engage with the salesperson? Did you buy the product?

Have you recently received an unsolicited piece of direct mail or email? Did you open it? Did you like receiving it? Did you buy the product that was promoted?

Have you conducted a Google search to research a product in the past six months? Did you enjoy the process? Did you make a purchase?

Have you heard about a product in social media from people you trust? Did you look into the product? Did you end up buying it?

I have posed those questions to hundreds of audiences over the years. Some were MBA students. Some were doctors and lawyers. Some were tech entrepreneurs. Some were realtors. Regardless of the audience, the results of the survey are always the same. Very few hands go up when folks are asked whether a cold call or unsolicited email instigated a purchase. Almost all of the hands go up when people are asked whether a Google search or social media discussion influenced a purchase.

Buyers get annoyed with the interruptive tactics referred to in the first two sets of questions. At HubSpot, we call these tactics “outbound marketing.” Outbound marketing just doesn't work anymore. Buyers dislike outbound marketing so much that they actually invest in technology to keep these tactics out of their lives. Buyers add themselves to the Do Not Call Registry. Buyers use DVRs to fast-forward ...