In his new book The Lies They Told, author John Farmer explains how years after the Cold War ended, the government was set up to fight the Russian threat.
Three F-16′s were scrambled to form a combat air patrol over Washington, but the radio quality was so poor, the pilots had no idea why the Pentagon was burning. They scanned the horizon for evidence of a cruise missile that had sneaked by. But they saw no planes.
Norad, with its antiquated radar systems, could not see large areas of the Continental United States. Both Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and VP Dick Chaney insisted they had been ready to shoot down any planes targeting the White House, but in reality, no planes were in place to intercept them.
The only decisive reaction taken on 9/11 came not from the military, but from the courageous passengers who stormed the cockpit of United Flight 93, leading the hijackers to crash the plane before it could hit its intended target in Washington.
What’s the point and what does it have in common with business?
Just like any large organization, most business suffer from a lack of agility. They grew up in pre-Internet days. Their view of the world is the one that existed in the world of Prodigy and America Online and before — just like the Cold War. Without a 9/11 or Pearl Harbor event, most of them will realize it too late.
With that kind of world-view, companies resort to sales and marketing techniques that worked in that world-view.
- Hiring “Rolodexes” — salespeople who know people — and firing them after 6 months
- Blasting out product info
- Touting their company and products on their website
- Engaging in ‘naked cold calling’ with no content marketing strategy
Their limited world-view means they are unable to see what works today:
- Creating a great website based on client needs
- Developing and using a content management approach
- Having a clear target market
- Nurturing leads regardless of their timing to buy
If any of my readers would like a road-map to this new world, I invite you to download the highly acclaimed white paper, How to Find New Customers. You can also get a good education for free by visiting the Education tab at Find New Customers.
For companies looking for simple lead generation in b2b lead generation who wish to improve the way they acquire new customers, Find New Customers is the place to go.
CSO Insights says companies need to improve the way they generate leads through great marketing campaigns and implement processes for business to business lead generation.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor, is a demand generation expert and sales leader, as well as the President of Find New Customers, a lead generation company, who helps businesses create marketing campaigns for their lead generation campaigns. He also publishes the best lead generation ideas, so his readers can determine the best lead generation strategy to find new customers.
