Catalytic Management is pleased to have a guest author this month.  Maureen Condon, Principal of Precision Marketing Group shares her thoughts on how sales and marketing can and should work together.  Below is her article on Marrying for Money!

 

Have you sat in a room where Sales and Marketing have each tried to throw the other under the bus? Sales blames Marketing for terrible leads, while Marketing blames Sales for its inability to convert leads to business. It’s never a comfortable scene.

 

The marriage between Sales and Marketing is typically arranged and often loveless. But if these two parties cannot put their egos aside and work together for the good of the business, then revenue will suffer.

 

The Marketing-Sales Relationship

 To achieve business success, it’s critical for Sales and Marketing to understand and respect each other’s unique roles and the challenges each group faces.

 

Here are 3 things that your business can start doing today to achieve a stronger link between Sales and Marketing and, as a result, enjoy more revenue.

 

1. Clarify the responsibilities of each group.
Marketing is responsible for bringing qualified leads to the door. Sales is charged with closing these leads. Each group must own their responsibilities and do all they can to execute them successfully. For example, if a sales person feels her presentation skills are weak, it’s her job to improve them. If a marketing manager feels that his materials are not as compelling as they could be, it’s his job to enhance them.

2. Establish a continuous feedback loop between the two groups.
Sales must share how sales conversations are going, what objections they are facing during the process, and which types of leads are converting most successfully. Marketing must share information on the materials they are developing, messages they are communicating and any adjustments they are making.

3. Take a “big picture” view at least quarterly.
Taking a step back to discuss “bigger picture” issues – industry trends, competitors and new products or services that could help their efforts – can help forge relationships between Sales and Marketing. Because these meetings are not focused on specific marketing materials or the conversion of specific leads, the “blame game” can put aside and all can think about the company as a whole.

 

Maureen O’Grady Condon is a principal of Precision Marketing Group, LLC. She can be reached at 508.969.9581 ext 701 or Maureen@PrecisionMarketingGroup.com.

 

About Precision Marketing Group, LLC

Precision Marketing Group offers outsourced marketing and public relations services to entrepreneurial organizations that sell in the B2B market.