Successful and repeatable sales processes hinge on the alignment of your organization’s sales and marketing functions. In fact, when sales and marketing are aligned, companies experience a 25 percent increase in revenue. But when sales and marketing are out of sync, companies often struggle to close deals and nurture lasting relationships with customers.
The bottom line: Companies have real dollars riding on the relationship between sales and marketing. So, why do many sales and marketing teams barely acknowledge each other?
Increased competition and complex customer relationships make it more important than ever for the two teams to work together. At the end of the day, better alignment between sales and marketing benefits both teams as well as the organization – and it all begins with communication.
Bridging the divide between sales and marketing
As director of marketing at Walker Sands, I understand the pressure marketers are under. When you have a calendar full of deadlines hanging over your head, it’s tempting to just focus on the tasks in front of you and let the sales team do its thing.
But you can’t grow your business with silos. Ultimately, I’ve learned that alignment with the sales team makes it easier to achieve my agency’s marketing objectives – and vice versa. Although it can be challenging, improved alignment starts with finding ways to help your sales and marketing teams communicate and collaborate more effectively.
Establish mutual respect.
Your sales and marketing teams have to recognize that they can’t succeed without each other. But to establish mutual respect, they first need to appreciate each other’s contributions to the sales process. When push comes to shove, most sales people admit they would never want to walk in marketing’s shoes, and most marketing professionals would walk through hot coals to avoid doing sales. By respecting the other function’s role and admitting they can’t survive without each other, sales and marketing team’s lay a foundation for improved communication and collaboration in pursuit of common goals.
Develop clear channels of communication.
Communication doesn’t just happen – it requires intentionality and the development of clear channels of communication. For example, your sales and marketing teams should have regular, weekly meetings that include time for both teams to report on data sets as well as discussions about the opportunity and leads pipelines. Marketing should also have access to the CRM and other reporting tools, and when it comes to quarterly reporting, sales and marketing should work together to give stakeholders a comprehensive 90-days back and 90-days forward view.
Collaborate on projects – and hold each other accountable.
With clear channels of communication in place, sales and marketing can begin to collaborate on specific projects. Account-based marketing offers a helpful starting point: When everyone agrees on a list of targets and goals, both teams will feel invested and involved in the process. Constant communication is obviously essential for coordinating activities as each team executes its piece of the project. But communication also provides opportunities for mutual accountability. By holding each other accountable, sales and marketing strengthen their relationship and ensure the achievement of shared goals.
Across industries, most organizations now realize the value of cross-departmental communication and collaboration. Your company’s sales and marketing teams are no exception. By improving channels of communication and collaborating at the project level, sales and marketing can achieve better alignment – and make everyone’s life a little easier.
As the strategic leader of Walker Sands’ internal marketing initiatives, Courtney Beasley oversees the implementation and execution of traditional and digital marketing strategies, enhancing brand awareness, generating demand and increasing qualified leads. Courtney works closely with both public relations and digital team members at Walker Sands to effectively deliver comprehensive digital ecosystem campaigns.
