It’s true that corporate revenue is dependent on monetized customer transactions that result from sales efforts and activity. However, the quality, strength, consistency and implementation of a comprehensive marketing strategy is the backbone of the sales organization. Marketing creates interest, identifies marketplace needs, outlines a competitive differential and positions the company as a viable solutions provider. In that sense, it is the marketing team’s responsibility to increase visibility, credibility and name recognition in the marketplace in order to generate more leads and make the sales job easier.

Marketing Department: Tips for Success

A marketing department’s responsibilities varies greatly based on factors such as company size, industry, corporate structure, budget, etc. At its core, the marketing department has a critical role in building the brand and increasing the value of a business. How exactly does that happen? Consider these seven tips:

1. Get the sales and marketing team members together. Use the time to explore opportunities, discuss needs and challenges and identify sales and marketing priorities. Sales and marketing rely heavily on each other and strategies should be a collaborative effort.
2. Assess the frequency of current outreach with the company’s target audiences. Is the frequency sufficient? If not, determine how to increase it.
3. Evaluate the strength and quality of the company’s messaging. Is it effective? Is it customer-centric? Does it address marketplace needs and trends?
4. Focus on the marketing channels that are available. What is the most viable? What do customers and prospect read, access and pay attention to? How do they like to receive information?
5. Know your competition. Determine what they do well and where there are opportunities to grab market share.
6. Create a marketing plan. Make sure it is actionable and includes strategies, tactics, a budget, a schedule and assigned responsibilities. Before it is cast in stone, get feedback and revise as necessary. Communicate the plan throughout the company.
7. Establish a method for reviewing and evaluating marketing initiatives throughout the year. If your plan is too long or too complex, it is likely to sit on the shelf, never to be read again. If your departmental processes are nimble, you will be able to refine your plan whenever it is necessary.

Strategy vs. Tactics

To the outsider, the marketing department is responsible for the activities that promote the brand in the marketplace. These include advertising, social media, promotional materials and even public relations. However, the most important role a marketing department can take is from a strategic perspective. To that end, the chief responsibility of the marketing department is to create an overarching vision that fulfills enterprise goals and objectives.

The bottom line is that sales and marketing personnel need to work together to produce optimal results. When they form a cohesive team that understands, trusts and respects each other, they are more likely to produce the results the company seeks.