If your sales team and marketing team aren't working together then you have a problem that needs urgent attention. No one should have to experience the tension between these departments and the reality is that it doesn’t have to be that way. So, here’s some advice aimed at both sides about how to achieve the desired result: sales and marketing working in unison.
How can sales help marketing?
Believe it or not. The marketing department does want to help the sales department sell! Although most interaction with marketing starts with them asking for a favour, the end goal is to try to make your job easier. They may demand customer testimonials, or pester you to share their content on social media or even request feedback on campaigns, but at the end of the day, this kind of information is needed to ensure they can do their job well.
You’d be amazed at how supportive the marketing team can be when sales have an idea or are even just willing to collaborate. When the Sales team can prove to Marketing that they value the programs and campaigns they help create, they’re much more likely to direct their attention, energy, and funding their way.
Furthermore, the Sales team has direct access to the customers! Marketing could only dream of that kind of relationship with their audience. Customer stories - how we impact their lives and businesses - are what we need to share a genuine, authentic message into the marketplace. Which, in turn, creates engagement that helps to maximise sales.
How can marketers support sales?
Firstly, the marketing team need to step out of their comfort zone and leave the familiarity of the office behind. Engaging and conversing with customers will help the marketing team create content and campaigns which will resonate with the buyer.
Getting out and chatting with customers will change the way you think about your marketing and messaging strategy. Without that valuable human connection, there is no way marketing could articulate an authentic message. Why not accompany a sales representative to a customer meeting? Or jump on a Zoom call with them? It’s as easy as that.
Also, marketing can get a little pushy. The worst thing you can do is become a nuisance to the sales team. Maybe try an alternative method of interacting - stop telling the sales team to help you out and start asking them to help you out instead.
Best Friends
The best campaigns are made when both the marketing and sales team work together respectfully. To drive results through sales, these departments need to work more closely than ever before. Maybe in the not-too-distant future marketing and sales will be fully integrated as a department, but until then, it is essential that they’re both on the same page.
Did you learn something new in this blog? Want to know more about why sales and marketing should be working together? Sign up for our FREE online event ‘Why Sales and Marketing Should Be Friends’ today by clicking here.
