A line is often drawn between sales and marketing. After all, both have different roles, activities, and goals. But ultimately, both cogs work in the same machine, ensuring the company’s growth. And the truth is, no high-functioning B2B organization can function optimally without one department working in alignment with the other.
In this blog post, we explore the different aspects of sales and marketing alignment and explain why shared goals and processes are important to maintain optimal performance. We explore how companies can foster better collaboration between these departments and what tangible benefits it can bring.
Why sales and marketing alignment is important for business growth
The divided house of sales and marketing
Bridging the gap for better results
Tools and technology for voting
The benefits of a unified approach
The journey to voting
Conclusion
The divided house of sales and marketing
Historically, sales and marketing have worked independently of one another. Each department has its own KPIs, methodologies, and jargon, which often leads to clashing priorities and misunderstandings. Sales teams are focused on immediate, tangible results and relationship building. They work in the here and now, striving to turn leads into paying customers. Marketers, on the other hand, are often focused on the long term and more strategic. They are responsible for building brand awareness, generating leads, and developing messages that resonate with potential buyers. Their success often depends on their ability to predict and measure the impact of their activities over time, usually through data and analytics.
This separation is essential to transforming a data-driven, customer-centric world that is rewriting the rules of engagement and business.
Silos and their impact When sales and marketing work separately, silos form within an organization. These silos lead to operational inefficiencies and poor customer experience.
Common miscommunications and misunderstandings about market trends, customer feedback, and lead quality can lead to missed opportunities. You’ve probably experienced this blame game before: salespeople blame marketing for poor lead quality, while marketers blame ineffective sales strategy and execution for slow sales. You need a consistent, cohesive brand representation throughout the customer’s buying journey. The solution? Connect both.
Bridge the gap for better results
A coordinated sales and marketing approach is based on a shared understanding of the customer, the market, and the overall company goals. Integrate processes, goals, and technology to ensure that interactions with prospects are seen through to the end, resulting in a smoother, more effective sales process.
Shared Goals and Shared KPIs
Sales and marketing alignment starts with shared goals and shared KPIs. This allows both teams to work towards the same goals, resulting in a more synergistic effort. KPIs include leads, sales, customer retention, etc. It’s important to identify these and work towards them together.
Collaborate on content and messaging
Sales knows the problems and needs of potential customers, and marketers solve them. By sharing knowledge, sales and marketing can work together to create content and messaging to ensure customers receive the right message. Once the message is finalized, marketers can use it to implement content. However, monthly check-ins with the heads of sales and marketing may be necessary to stay on top of customer behavior and market trends.
Mutual Respect and Recognition
Building mutual respect and recognition between your sales and marketing teams goes a long way in promoting a productive and collaborative work environment. This may include frequent check-ins and celebrating successes together. These successes demonstrate how marketing and sales efforts worked together to achieve results. Celebrating successes together helps break down silos and build a more cohesive team.
Voting Tools and Technology
Technology plays a key role in aligning sales and marketing. From customer relationship management (CRM) systems like ActiveCampaign to marketing automation platforms like HubSpot, these tools keep sales and marketing aligned by streamlining processes, providing insights, and improving collaboration.
Smooth Handoffs with Marketing Automation
A well-integrated CRM system gives both sales and marketing a unified view of the customer, allowing for better targeting, more effective lead scoring, and improved customer lifecycle tracking.
In addition, marketing automation platforms enable smooth handoffs between marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs), ensuring sales teams have the right information to effectively close deals. Marketers can also access CRM and marketing automation platforms to stay on top of current pipeline activity and keep everyone on the same page when it comes to sales activity.
Benefits of a Unified Approach
When sales and marketing work together, the benefits are huge. Companies that successfully bridge the gap between these two functions see higher lead conversion rates, improved customer retention, and increased sales.
Improved Customer Experience and Loyalty
A unified approach to sales and marketing means a seamless customer experience. Prospects and customers are more likely to respond positively to a consistent, relevant team when it comes to managing the partnership and executing tactics. Inconsistencies between sales and marketing may signal division or misalignment. Customers want a consistent, reliable, and committed partner – one they can stay loyal to.
More Effective Sales Process
Marketers can enhance the sales process by answering customers’ common questions and providing support and materials to help them overcome challenges. Marketing and sales working together enable a detailed, consultative approach to sales discussions. This approach improves close rates and leads to shorter sales cycles.
Better Insights and Analytics
Leveraging customer data, sales and marketing teams can identify trends, preferences, and opportunities to achieve tangible results. Analytics platforms like Databox and Google Looker Studio allow team members to seamlessly track, monitor, and report on their efforts. Sharing insights and analytics fosters sales and marketing alignment, ensuring coordinated action to achieve common goals.
