If you’re considering an integrated sales-marketing team, there are many hoops to jump through before you arrive. Unless you’re a startup, you’ll probably have to work with what you have. Not every leader has the freedom to build from the bottom up. Though change might not happen overnight, there are things you can do to encourage a future of sales-marketing alignment.
First things first, determine where your sales and marketing teams already overlap, and use that information to streamline existing practice. If both teams are touching leads at similar points in the sales cycle, allow one to take charge and interact with buyers on a deeper level. Really examine your customers’ habits and needs as you make a plan to move forward, and document everything – careful records and prioritizing accurate data really helps.
Transparent metrics reporting is one of the fastest ways to encourage sales-marketing alignment. Develop a joint data system that tracks handoffs, conversion and revenue, and share it widely among your employees. Both sides will better understand each other, and slowly the departments will begin to work in a more integrated way.
If you’re working with existing employees, be sure you’re prepared for the moment you do get to hire a new team member. Go ahead and develop an onboarding system that will arm new hires with a joint mindset from the start. Beginner employees should be trained in both sales and marketing and equipped with strategies for how the two work side-by-side.
We hope these tips make sales-marketing alignment more attainable for even the most established sales and marketing teams. Today’s customer demands dynamic understanding and service, and the new, integrated sales team is ready to provide exactly that.
Image via (cc) Shaun Dunphy
(Click here to expand)
