Aligning Sales and Marketing for Success

92% of businesses surveyed recently by Forrester reported their Sales and Marketing efforts are not tightly aligned. That is, the two efforts do not explicitly share the same goals and strategies within the organization. Couple this insight with an Aberdeen report which reveals that those businesses who claimed tightly aligned Sales and Marketing efforts experienced a 32% annual revenue growth as compared to just 7% for those less aligned (and no growth for those without any alignment).
Collaboration between Sales and Marketing has never been accomplished simply by creating good advertising or generating response. Its about producing sales opportunities more effectively with the tools and processes you know, and connecting in unexpected ways with experts and techniques that you never knew you needed. It means understanding customers in ways they themselves don’t even recognize. Lastly, it requires all staff to interact with each other on a regular basis as though you were standing at a water cooler.
Improving the sales performance of your team is a critical factor in driving growth. Likewise, using marketing materials that perform well and generate response is equally important. However, the intersection of these two activities, if tightly aligned, creates an environment where success can be sustained at a much higher level. For example, weaknesses in sales closure become more obvious when marketing techniques are applied that generate high response levels of customers less predisposed to treat their hearing loss. Similarly, advanced sales staff will suffer if your marketing efforts can not provide enough opportunities for them to close on.
Aligning your marketing effort with the business’ sales capability is a constant concern. One that must be managed closely. Attending Owners meetings and Sales Training help to keep these issues in the forefront of your operation. Developing a business plan, a marketing plan, tracking your results, and then measuring your performance as an organization ensures you can adapt as needed. Conducting company meetings provides the venue for sharing the vision and the results of everyone’s efforts.
We believe that this way of doing business is not just the latest trend – it will become the way all successful businesses operate. So, are you aligned within your company? Tell us your stories!
Interested in learning more about alignment? Ready to participate in an Owners Meeting, Sales Training classes, review your business or marketing plans? Contact CQ Customer Management at 800.984.3272 or by email at customermanagement@cq-partners.com.