Organizations drive their departments with KPI optimization. They want the most work delivered by each individual as they form part of a department. However, there is a tendency for some departments to work in silos.
This can hurt the growth of the business and its place in an ever more competitive marketing. What their managers don’t understand is that inter-departmental co-operation can maximize performance.
One of the best examples of rivalry between departments is Sales and Marketing. These are two different teams. They may have different mandates, but their co-operation with each other is a winning strategy that is a force to be reckoned with.
These are the five ways in which the sales and marketing departments can interact co-operatively to achieve the mutual goal of the advancement of the organization. If implemented, client retention statistics will improve, and KPI spreadsheets will tell a success story.
1.Create sales content that everyone is aware of
Any sales and marketing team has a target audience. This target audience is the same for both teams. That’s why it’s important for the two teams to work together. They need to establish exactly what the steps are in their sales funnel. The sales funnel is the buying process the client is led through as they make their purchase.
For the sales funnel to be effective, the sales and marketing teams need to work together closely. Both departments need to have a clear understanding of what it is they’re selling and how they’re selling it.
This would be an opportune time to draw up a sales funnel template. It would list all the stages in the buying process. This will promote a common understanding.
2. Determine buyer profiles to target clients effectively
The marketing team does extensive research to determine who the company should be targeting for sales. The analysis reveals who should be buying products, what they should be buying, how much they should be buying, and what they should be buying.
On the other hand, the sales team knows the actual client base. They can track past purchases and profile these customers.
Effective sales teams target existing clients. However, they need to generate new business. If the sales and marketing teams can pool their information, a winning strategy is possible.
The sales team will have a better idea of who to target for sales pitches. And the marketing team will have a broader view of the client base which will allow them to tailor their marketing strategy.
3.Unite the voice of both departments
When the sales and marketing departments do not work together, they may be sending mixed messages to clients. This happens most prevalently with the emails the two departments send out.
Both departments must have a clear understanding of what is available for sale. They should both know about what new developments there are in the market and in their inventory. This helps them to correspond as one voice representing one brand with the organization’s clients.
They should draw up a monthly sales plan as a team. Then the marketing and sales teams can target the clients with the correct information.
The marketing team can tailor their online approach to emails, social media posts, and advertising that will attract clients with accurate information. The sales team can perfect their pitches to match the information the marketing team is putting out there.
4.Combine sales and marketing KPIs
If executive managers of an organization want to see full co-operation and co-ordination between the sales and marketing departments, they need to have common KPIs.
It’s one of the ways to motivate a sales team and a marketing team to work together closely. When it becomes both departments’ responsibility to deliver the KPIs, they’ll learn the value of teamwork.
The types of KPIs that can be aligned include lead generation, social media engagement footprint, email signups, and landing page conversions. Another is the cost of lead generation and the benefit or profit it yields.
The return on investment generated should be a reflection on both departments. This will make them see how vital it is to work as one.
5.Analyze with a purpose
When sales and marketing teams meet, they can have open conversations about strategies that have worked and those that haven’t. Depending on the organization, meetings should be held once every day, week, or month.
The monthly sales plan can be analyzed, and a determination made on whether the team is on track or not. Should there be a problem, strategies from both departments can be brainstormed and put into practice.
In their analysis, the team needs to keep the bottom line in mind. Are their strategies providing a return on investment? If not, why? The marketing team may need to review their outbound email marketing strategy.
The sales team may need to look at different types of sales pitches. This is also the time at which the sales funnel might need to be adjusted. Profiling of the buyers could also need to be revisited.
The bottom line
The value of getting the sales and marketing teams working in unison cannot be overstated. Without it, organizations are losing out on a valuable opportunity to get ahead of their competitors. But when the two departments work together, the potential for growth is exponential. It may take a bit of getting used to for the employees from both departments. People are, after all, change-averse. However, when they can see the benefits of climbing on board, the end result will be worth it.
About the author
Marcus Gould is a marketing and business content writer at Brill Assignment. The most recurring themes he covers are marketing, education and technology. In his free time he enjoys traveling and learning new writing techniques.
Article was written by the guest writer marcusgould.
