Welcome to mastering demand generation funnels! You're about to discover why the traditional marketing funnel model is broken.
Most marketers still think buyers move in a straight line: awareness → consideration → decision. But that's not how real buyers actually behave.
Engagement Message
What's one word or phrase you'd use to describe real buyer behavior?
The classic funnel assumes buyers start at the top, move down step-by-step, and convert at the bottom. It's clean, predictable, and completely unrealistic.
Real buyers jump around, skip stages, go backwards, research extensively, then suddenly buy without warning.
Engagement Message
Can you think of a recent purchase where you didn't follow this linear path?
Here's what actually happens: a buyer might discover your product through a friend's recommendation, immediately visit your pricing page, then spend weeks reading reviews and comparisons.
They're starting in the "decision" stage, jumping to "awareness," then deep-diving into "consideration."
Engagement Message
Which stage did you jump to first in your last big purchase?
Modern buyers have unprecedented access to information. They can research competitors, read reviews, compare features, and check pricing - all before you even know they exist.
By the time they contact you, they might be 70% through their buying process.
Engagement Message
How does this change how you should think about marketing to them?
The linear funnel also assumes single-person buying decisions. But most B2B purchases involve multiple stakeholders who enter at different stages.
Your CFO might start at pricing, your end-user at features, and your IT person at security specs.
Engagement Message
In one sentence, why can't a single funnel fit every stakeholder?
