Any sales or marketing professional will tell you that there is often an ‘atmosphere’ between the two functions: a silo mentality that often blocks effective communication, relationships and, as a result, performance. Marketers are seen as ‘day dreamers’, ‘too creative’, with a lack of understanding of the real world; while salespeople are labelled as arrogant rebels with an inflated ego and the gift of the gab.
It is becoming increasingly important that sales and marketing work hand in hand to deliver excellence for their customers. There are a number of drivers for this. This article looks at some of these drivers and then suggests ways to integrate the two functions.
It has been highlighted by many that customer buying cycles are changing, with sales professionals getting involved later in the purchasing decision. According to research by CEB, B2B buyers are typically 57% on the way to a buying decision before they actively engage with sales.
Rather than the lead coming over the fence from marketing at a very early stage, sales and marketing need to work together to ensure an accessible and relevant message is out there to generate customer interest.
This is more than merely taking generating marketing collateral and pumping it out to contacts – salespeople need to communicate an authentic message that demonstrates a good understanding of specific customer issues. The support of a strong marketing team in doing this will improve the customer experience, and increase the likelihood of a sale.
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