Sales and marketing teams across most industries have long seen a great divide. This misalignment has disadvantaged organisations, who have missed valuable opportunities to meet their objectives.
Strangely within a business, just in case we all forgot, we are all there with the one common goal: to increase sales and company revenue whether we like it or not! Without this, nobody gets paid and the company certainly doesn’t progress.
So why should we break down the silos?
1.Improves business performance
Aligning your sales and marketing team can have a profound impact on revenue. When both teams are working towards the same goal, processes become more efficient, less time is wasted on producing unnecessary collateral and communications and more time is spent serving our customers and clients well. Just to give you some context, the Content Marketing Institute reported that 60-70% of B2B content is never used because the topics aren’t relevant to the audience. Who wants to waste time on resources that won’t ever be used, not me!
When the divide is mended, each group is effectively equipped and resourced to do their role well. This means higher conversion and retention rates, greater revenue and improved corporate performance (and maybe even a bigger staff bonus).
2. Improves workplace culture
When two teams are pulling in different directions, it can be extremely frustrating. And it shows in the performance of the company. It’s important to ensure both teams are working towards a common goal. Again we reiterate, this will minimise inefficient processes, wasted time and lack of direction.
It’s time sales and marketing teams get on the same page, start supporting each other as individuals and as a team and resourcing and informing each other accurately. To see improved productivity, sales and revenue, you must first invest in improving staff morale, happiness and retention. We guarantee you’ll see the difference.
3. Improves the experience of the buyer
Believe it or not, it’s bleedingly obvious to a customer/client when a sales and marketing team isn’t aligned. We need one clear, resounding messaging from our organisation going out to our audience to ensure the buyer experience doesn’t become disjointed. This is of particular importance post COVID as sales processes have gone out the window and ways of building relationships with customers and clients have changed dramatically.
Collectively as one team we need to strategically map out the customer journey in a manner that is both personalised and engaging. This needs to be done in a way that nurtures customers and clients towards the common goal/s of our organisation where all touch points are consistent and intentional.
As a marketer I can freely admit that we must listen to the sales team to keep our finger on the pulse. They are on the ground building relationships with clients and receiving information about the needs, paint points and desires of our customers/clients. Let’s not take a shotgun approach but instead align to improve the customer experience.
Break down the silos and embrace sales enablement
It’s time the silos between the two teams came down, we get cross-functional in our approach and become accountable to the same goal. As marketers a great way to do your part is through sales enablement – providing the sales team with all the information, content and tools they need to sell effectively. Sales it’s your job to effectively inform marketing of the needs of your team and customer/clients themselves.
Remember: alignment isn’t something that happens overnight. Like a marriage it’s something that requires ongoing commitment to collaboration, compromise and most importantly a common goal. Amped Up Marketing and Communications and I run workshops to identify misalignment issues within sales and marketing teams and establish ways we can get your organisation back on track to hit your revenue goals and beyond. All you need is the right strategy, tools and know-how to point you in the right direction.
By Nicki Sciberras
Nicki is the Founder & Director of Facebook and Google Ads Management agency The Digital Exchange.
