A Stronger Sales and Marketing Handshake

For decades, sales and marketing teams continue to run into the same problem: misalignment.

Even though both functions share one core objective – to generate incremental sales for their company, the strategies and metrics they use are often quite different.

Marketing teams aim to develop brand messaging and cut-through campaigns to generate leads for sales to acquire new business for their companies. Despite how linked the two departments are and how much they depend on each other, it can be difficult for sales and marketing teams to have insight into each other’s unique challenges.

This can result in miscommunication and friction; even though both functions are critical to revenue growth, it can be difficult for salespeople to keep up with what the marketing department is doing, and vice versa.

Here are 5 steps to consider to help align sales and marketing:

1 – Communication

All companies are structured differently, but in most cases, sales and marketing report into different leaders. Sales might also sit on the other side of your office, or they might work remotely. As a marketer, you might be curious about what your sales colleagues do each day, they also might want to learn more about your role. So, communicate with each other! Don’t wait for formal meetings, pick up the phone and make contact.

2. Identify common challenges

Most marketers think their next marketing campaign will be a huge success, but then it doesn’t translate into viable leads or sales. While you can choose to examine why it didn’t go well with your marketing mindset, it could be even more valuable to ask salespeople for feedback.

Salespeople can often give you more insight into how a customer thinks, what will get them to buy into a product, and what major objections will stop deals from closing.

3. Determine who you’re competing wIth?

As a marketer, you should know your key competitors. Your sales team can help you determine who your company’s competitors are and which are actively taking market share from you.

Sales can also point out the companies that might be stronger competition in the future. Once you’ve identified a detailed list of key competitors, take time to do a Competitor and Market Review.

4. Measure your marketing efforts with sales metrics

You might be determining a project’s success based on web traffic, clicks, engagements, or a total number of leads. However, if you want to truly understand how your work in marketing impacts the sales team, consider using tools to determine how your project impacts sales metrics, such as revenue targets, margin performance, market share, win-loss ratios, etc.

Taking time to think about your marketing project from a sales point of view. This will help you develop campaigns that can reach your marketing objectives; also enabling your sales team.

5. Immerse yourself in sales

If your misalignment issues stem from not knowing what salespeople do all day, one way to learn as much about them as possible is by observing their activities.

Listen in to sales conversations and attend video meetings. Pay attention to the common objections, and understand how sales use marketing materials in their interactions. Ride shotgun and visit key clients with sales reps. You’ll get a much better sense of how sales work and operate in industrial markets.

If marketing and sales aren’t in a partnership, the results will not follow. Getting this right presents a huge opportunity… If you’d like some help with your approach to industrial sales and marketing, let’s chat.

Related: Download your Sales and Marketing Alignment Guide

Other Reading: The Why and What of Sales and Marketing Alignment

SALES AND MARKETING ALIGNMENT GUIDE

Learn how to lay the foundation for getting sales and marketing to play nice in your company. Understand the causes of misalignment in order to develop a strategy to set your brand up to win for the long-term.

You’ll have access to the recommended improvements to achieve to get the sales and marketing handshake to stick.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Zafiris is an industrial marketer and founder of Industrial Ideas. Having built his experience in B2B marketing from the ground up, Peter understands what it takes to succeed with your marketing strategy. All client projects are personally managed by Peter to help industrials like you get the return on investment you deserve. Peter and team, work hard to become an extension of your business, to help you get the most out of your marketing efforts. Get your free 30 minute marketing consultation to learn more.