Sales and Marketing Unite for Greater Success

1. Communicate Openly & Thoroughly

The foundation for successful sales and marketing team alignment is clear and consistent communication. Miscommunication can lead to confusion, missed opportunities, and delayed responses. 

For instance, Jacquie noted the importance of ensuring your sales team knows what content the marketing staff is sending out before it’s released and not just assuming they are aware.

“If we’re just sending out these emails or these messaging campaigns or whatever we were coming up with, but they have no idea what we’re doing, then that’s not really efficient, and it’s not really helping anyone,” she said. “So just again, it’s like becoming best friends, marketing and sales, I’m going to send my message, then you follow up and we’re going to go together.”

Additionally, the open communication facilitates idea sharing and ensures everyone understands how the other team is functioning. They can then use that information to create efficient processes and strategies that work together. 

“[Communication helped us with] identifying some of the areas where we had opportunities to get stronger, just talking with them, learning more about their strategies, how they prospect, and then keeping them on par with what we’re doing and our timelines and what we’re expecting out of them,” Jacquie stated. … “So just always communicating. … It’s just fundamental.”

To maintain an open dialogue, Jacquie suggests regular meetings and updates to ensure that both teams are on the same page. Share your strategies, timelines, and expectations, and invite feedback. This not only keeps everyone informed but also helps in building a collaborative relationship where marketing and sales operate as best friends rather than isolated units.

2. Provide Tips on Using Marketing Content

Content is king, but only if it’s used effectively. It’s not enough to create great content; you must also ensure that the sales team knows how to utilize it. 

For instance, your marketing team might send out an insightful whitepaper or a compelling case study. However, if the sales team hasn’t read it or understand how to leverage it in their pitches, the content’s potential is wasted. To alleviate that potential setback, Jacquie’s marketing team now sends the sales team an email with talking points each time content is released.

“I think it’s helpful when we give them ideas on how they can share it or incorporate it in their messaging.,” she noted. … “They’re an internal audience, too. And so, by treating that audience with the same reverence that we would an external audience, they have really embraced it.”

By doing this follow-up communication with the sales team, you ensure that your messaging remains consistent and that they are equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

3. Track & Share Metrics

Data-driven decisions are vital for both sales and marketing. By tracking and sharing metrics, you can ensure that both teams are working toward the same goals. Use tools like HubSpot to monitor the entire customer journey, from initial contact through to conversion. This allows both teams to see what’s working and where improvements can be made.

For Jacquie, they use HubSpot to email open and click-through rates to determine the effectiveness of their content and adjust their strategies accordingly. Her team can then pass this data down to sales to help them identify hot leads and tailor their follow-up efforts

“We’ll see that some people are opening some of our marketing emails like 38 times, so you know that they’re interested … and it’s valuable content, but then when we send those open rates to the sales team to say, ‘Hey, your prospect or customer is checking this out … and it’s also giving them tools they can work with to create that conversation or meaningful interaction,” she said. 

4. Incentivize Your Team

Incentives can be a powerful motivator to get sales and marketing teams to strive toward the same goals. Simple rewards can go a long way in keeping the team engaged and focused on shared goals. 

“Our departments are really motivated by food, and we have an ice cream store across the street, so we make promises with food,” Jacquie joked. “[We’ll say,] ‘if you can schedule this (meeting) by next Wednesday, we’re going to get you what we call a Sarasota concrete,’ which is a type of custard. … And they’re taking us up on it!”

However, Jacquie admits it really goes beyond treats and incentives. It’s about fostering a people-centric culture where achievements are recognized and celebrated. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces the importance of working together toward common objectives.