How to Align Sales and Marketing, to Benefit Everyone

By Hannah Smith - 24 Jul '19 09:44AM
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Where did it all go wrong with sales and marketing? The chilliness between the two teams (sometimes tipping over into downright animosity) has been well documented, with a majority of interview respondents from both camps expressing dissatisfaction with the other. Another study, from the American Marketing Association, even reveals that around 90% of the content created for the sales team by marketing is never used. 

For two teams of a single organization, with essentially identical goals, to be this siloed, this uncooperative - it doesn't make any sense. To help each team improve its efforts, and to craft a compelling, effective buyer's journey, the tåwo need to work collaboratively. There needs to be transparency, cooperation, and respect for the other's efforts. The teams need to leverage mutually beneficial software and create content based on insights from both teams.

Let's take a closer look at a few things these "frenemy" teams can do to benefit everyone. 

Loop Everyone in on the Sales Process

The sales team does itself no good by leaving marketing in the dark about its process. Both teams should be on board with the sales process, that way marketing can create relevant content for each step, and sales can ensure that the content is used properly to guide prospects to a sale. 

Collaborate on Targeted Content

Sales need content they can show prospects throughout the selling process. Marketing needs content that engages with a target audience. Melding these two types of content by having sales and marketing work collaboratively will result in robust content usable by both teams, and that draws from the expertise of both. 

Leverage Real-Time Inside Sales Insights

In order to create quality MQLs and successfully convert them to SQLs, the sales and marketing teams need to be on the same page in terms of evaluation. Deploying a sales engagement platform, which allows you to lead score, measure lead channels and leverage real-time inside sales insights is the way to go. It helps both teams and is surprisingly easy to roll out -these tips for deploying your sales engagement platform are handy and easy to follow. 

Stop Cherry-Picking Leads

This one goes out to the sales team primarily. Marketing has handed you leads they've acquired with their (figurative) sweat, blood and tears. Don't cherry-pick your way through them. Reps cherry-picking leads from a basic CRM, according to what they think is best, usually just results in a bunch of quality leads slipping through the cracks. 

Remember that aforementioned sales engagement platform? It can also be used to ensure that reps engage with the right leads and the right times with relevant content. It constantly reprioritizes reps' queues to shift the best leads to the top, meaning that every lead is worked thoroughly. No more cherry-picking leads: a win for both teams. 

The cold war between sales and marketing needs to end. As buyers become savvier, more discerning and well informed, they require the collaborative efforts of both teams in order to become a sale. 

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of newseveryday.com

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