The sales and marketing teams in a business may be different. Yet, these two teams have overarching duties that require them to work together. The marketing team generates the leads, while the sales team works to ensure that the leads become customers.
Some business owners find it challenging to align these two teams for optimal business growth. Read on to discover some tips to help you align your sales and marketing teams.
Involve Both Teams in Strategic Planning
Marketing and sales teams are misaligned because businesses spend little time on strategic planning. With poor planning, businesses cannot iron out details to align both teams. So the teams work to meet different objectives.
Strategic planning creates a single, aligned vision for the business and helps businesses avoid flaws and biases. This planning also helps track brand progress based on shared goals. Ensure that your strategic plan includes any future sales promotions. The plan should also allow the two teams to communicate. By sharing benchmarks and goals, the sales and marketing teams are on the same page.
Share Updates and Wins
The sales team may find it difficult to keep up with the marketing team’s planned and published content. So the marketing team should let the sales team understand the content calendar.
They should also show the sales team how their work contributes to sales and traffic. Transparency ensures that the two teams appreciate each other’s roles in meeting business goals.
Also, celebrate major sales wins to show appreciation for the sales team. Then, use customer relationship management tools to understand the customer’s buying journey. In this way, you know how the lead converted into a customer and the role both teams played.
Secure the Commitment of Upper Management
Having C-suite officials on your side can help you avoid problems like low business productivity. If the top officials work together, they send a clear message that the two departments work towards a common goal.
This strategy can work well in businesses in which there is a rivalry between the two teams. In such a case, C-suite buy-in neutralizes unnecessary tension that may arise.
Use a Closed Loop Feedback System
The sales team deals with business prospects and understands best what leads and customers need. But the sales team may be unable to record business insights, which eventually leads to communication breakdowns.
Your business should collect references and ideas in shared documents. The two teams can then hold regular brainstorming sessions. During the sessions, the sales team can share how they attract leads and the type of content that resonates with the audience. The marketing team acts on this information to provide relevant content for consumers.
This strategy creates a closed-loop feedback system. Both departments can leverage customer data and open communication for the best outcomes.
Expand Professional Development Opportunities for Both Teams
A good way to get the two teams excited about the other team’s work is to provide professional development opportunities. For example, you could assign the marketing team a sales book to read. Alternatively, send the marketing team to a sales conference and vice versa.
If the teams share learning experiences, they can tap into the vision of a shared future. Shared experiences also help create solidarity between teams.
As a company that needs to grow, you need a solid marketing team by your side to help propel your presence online. The Grow Team understands your digital marketing business needs. We connect you with a top-notch marketing agency so your marketing team meets its goals and works seamlessly with the sales team. Reach out to us today for our services.