Sales and marketing departments have the ultimate sibling relationship within a company. They rely on each other and celebrate joint successes, but they also can be competitive and don’t always get along. To achieve maximum success for their individual departments and the organization as a whole, sales and marketing need to work collaboratively and tap into each other’s unique skill sets and knowledge bases.

When it comes to building the bottom line, marketing and sales alignment may be the most effective strategy a company can embrace. In fact, companies that report “strong alignment” between sales and marketing generate and close more leads, have shorter sales cycles, retain more customers, are more adept at forecasting and grow faster than non-aligned organizations.

Lessons from the trenches

The nature of sales means reps gain firsthand knowledge of customers, their challenges and common objections. At the same time, marketing has access to data that shows what type of content or information potential customers respond to. When the two are aligned, the results can be powerful. Here are five critical concepts marketing can learn from the sales department:

• Focus on lead quality, not quantity. When it comes to sales leads, more isn’t always better. Unqualified leads are worse than no leads at all. They cost salespeople valuable time and money and can adversely affect sales team morale. When salespeople are bombarded with low-quality leads, they miss the chance to talk with prospects who are a better fit for your products and services. Concentrate on attracting the right kind of prospects to make the sales team more efficient and effective.

 

• Help customers first. In a time where a key organizational goal is lead generation, it can be easy to lose sight of the customers that keep our businesses alive. Spend time interfacing with existing customers and focus efforts on answering their questions, challenges and concerns. Loyal customers lead to long-term partnerships, larger and more frequent purchases and a steady stream of referrals.

 

• Facts tell. Stories sell. Today’s customers are bombarded with constant media and messaging. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, it’s essential to build meaningful connections between brands and their customers and prospects. Storytelling brings brands to life, giving them perspective, context and personality. Use testimonials, case studies and customer success stories to connect with audiences on an emotional level.

 

• Check out the competition. Sales reps are asked all the time why prospects should choose their company over the competition. Good salespeople know exactly how to answer. By understanding the competition’s strengths and weaknesses, they are in a position to have informed conversations about why your company’s products and services are better. Take a good look at the competition to see what they are doing well as well as what opportunities they might be missing that your organization can capitalize on.

 

• Build an arsenal of collateral. The marketing team might produce great collateral, but is it the right content to help the sales team educate prospects and close deals? Gain an understanding of exactly how sales reps use marketing content during the calls and meetings. Involve the sales team in the content development process and create relevant and engaging content the sales team will use consistently.

Collaborate for better results

It’s one thing to understanding the importance of breaking down silos between sales and marketing. Getting the teams to work together effectively may be another story. Without a sound collaboration strategy, attempting to overlap sales and marketing can end up disjointed and, at times, dysfunctional.

• Make alignment an organizational priority. The first step in creating a collaborative environment is creating executive commitment and support. Establish the “why” behind the plan and be sure the corporate culture prioritizes and supports the alignment.

 

• Identify and establish mutually agreed-upon goals and definitions. What constitutes a qualified lead? What key metrics are both teams measured by? When teams work toward a common goal and are speaking the same language, they can create a win-win environment.

 

• Connect the teams. Encourage and facilitate consistent and open communication. Hold regular meetings, solicit feedback and build relationships. Attend each other’s meetings, listen in on sales calls and go to industry events together. Coordinate marketing calendars with important sales events and make marketing resources easily available to sales reps. Above all, celebrate each other’s successes.

We are all in this together

When sales and marketing unite around a single revenue cycle, they can have an incredible impact on marketing ROI, sales productivity and, most importantly, the bottom line. New synergy can save time and money while increasing the number and quality of leads. This, in turn, translates to more and better sales. To learn more about how to effectively incorporate sales insights into your marketing content, contact Trade Press Services today.