B2B organizations that sell complex or divergent offerings are plagued with high selling costs. Products and services with a transactional selling model were long ago moved online or to a sales channel. But traditional solution selling models have been slower to adapt.

Innovative organizations have moved early stage prospecting, or lead generation activities, from push and intrusion oriented approaches of expensive direct sales professionals, to lower cost, attraction models of inbound or content marketing. Inside sales teams supplement that effort with pre-sales nurturing, qualifying and preparation of sales ready leads.

To support this strategy, budgets are shifting expensive personnel and traditional advertising dollars into content and publishing that leverages the internet and social media for lead generation, and direct and channel sales for more efficient, later stage customer interactions.