‘What your marketing strategy will teach you about sales’

Marketing versus Sales

When marketing and sales operate together as a single entity they become so much more than the sum of their parts. They complement each other in a way nothing else can.

When marketing and sales don’t align however the bottom line of your business takes a hit. Prioritising different outcomes without an overarching goal will only lead to friction.

A common example in the workplace involves the sales team not making their numbers and it turns out that they didn’t have enough leads.  Looking at the example more closely you may conclude sales didn’t have enough opportunities, which implies the marketing team didn’t give them enough good leads.  This can lead to a misaligned relationship between sales and marketing.

Marketing and sales strategies work better together

What we can agree is both marketing and sales are focused on bringing new business into your company. While both teams may go about this in different ways they must synchronize on the overarching goal of the business.

What comes first is marketing. The marketing team works on creating activities that get potential people interested in a company. The sales team from here develops relationships with these prospects persuading them to sign along the dotted line.

Consider quality over quantity

When it comes to attracting potential customers, consider quality over quantity. Marketing and sales should focus much of their efforts on understanding their buyer persona. If you don’t understand your ideal audience your conversion rates will always be low.

Any marketing strategy will inform the buying process. It is the responsibility of both the marketer and the salesperson to ensure minimal drop off at each stage of the buying process.

The two teams established goals can help improve the buying process effectively causing the cash register to ring more frequently.