The efficient functioning of sales and marketing departments is essential to lead any business toward success.
Difference Between Sales and Marketing
Marketing helps in generating awareness about your business and brand among potential customers. Whereas, sales is the process that converts the potential into customers. Marketing is about getting creative while sales is all about numbers.
Marketing and sales go hand in hand. With better marketing, the sales increase exponentially. While the efficient functioning of both is important to make a good business, it is also important for both to work together.
How Does Marketing Support Sales?
To generate sales, it is important to have a marketing plan to target the customers. The theme of marketing for any business is essentially the same.
- Understanding the purpose and target
- Assessing the strengths and challenges
- Identifying the problem and coming up with the solution
- Strategizing the execution
While there are numerous ways of getting started with marketing, the challenge is to keep moving forward.
Also, it is already understood why marketing and sales should work together. Marketing can create leads that sales can pick up and attempt to convert. For most businesses, this is where the link between marketing and sales ends.
But this is the most important function for any business to generate revenue. Therefore, it is essential for marketing and sales to work together in harmony.
Aligning the Sales and Marketing Teams
Now that we’ve already established the importance of marketing and sales working together, let’s also acknowledge that this can be challenging for both teams. Here are some ways by which you can align your sales and marketing teams to work together.
Hold Regular Meetings Together
The most conventional way for the teams to stay aligned is to hold regular meetings. Whether it’s a weekly affair or monthly, the two teams should get together and discuss their goals, concerns, and challenges and find solutions to overcome them. This keeps both teams in sync and makes understanding the process easier.
Link the Team Members
One person from each department can act as a link between the two. Choose one person from marketing and sales to coordinate, follow up, and evaluate.
Assess Each Other’s Calls
Attending calls together can help both teams get a clearer picture of what the customers want and how they can improve conversion. Alternatively, the marketing team can occasionally attend sales pitches and understand the concerns of the customers.
Hold Group Chats
The two teams can hold group chats to share ideas, concerns, and keep track of progress. Group chats can act as an instant link between the two teams and make communication easier.
Socialize the Teams
To work together, it is also important for the teams to get along. The teams can have occasional socializing sessions where they can bond in casual settings. Whether it’s a game night or just after-hours catching up, the members of both teams can bond and understand how they function as individuals. This can help him function better together.
Businesses run on teamwork. The key to growing a successful business is to have the teams working together in collaboration.
