Now, what was it you wanted to sell me?

Don’t you just adore getting phone calls or e-mail solicitations from vendors that you’ve never heard of? Don’t you want to spent a lot of time talking to the telemarketer? Don’t you want to register for their “free white paper offer”?

Nope. Me neither. Yet an amazing number of vendors focus on “lead generation” as the best way to sell their stuff. That means offering you some sort of bait (like a free white paper or a free webinar or a “free demo”). If you take the bait by giving up your contact info, congratulations! You’re now a “qualified lead” ready for a sales pitch.

Ted Bahr writes about lead generation on the FolioMag.com blog, “Why Don’t You Just Advertise To Me?“ As the other owner of BZ Media, I can relate to his pain, since I feel it too: All too often, when I answer the phone, it’s someone trying to sell me insurance, investment services, office products, IT support, payroll services, consulting, photocopier paper, you-name-it.

Most of the time, I haven’t heard of the vendor, because their lead generation program wasn’t proceeded by any sort of brand building or advertising activities. I don’t know who they are, I don’t know what they do, I don’t know what their reputation is, and I don’t have the time or inclination to find out. So, I click Junk in Mac Mail, or tell the caller, “I’m not interested.”

Think about all those offers for “free white papers.” We all know what a white paper is: a pitch. Occasionally it’s a subtle pitch, buttressed by solid technical background that’s offers an educational benefit. All too often, however, it’s pure marketing fluff, not worth the download, and certainly not worth establishing a “relationship” with the vendor.

If the vendor has a good reputation, maybe I’ll take the bait. Maybe the white paper’s value will outweigh the cost of dealing with the inevitable follow-up e-mails and phone calls. But if I’ve never heard of the vendor… Not a chance, buddy. Not a chance.