Master a perfect pairing! Sales and marketing a catalyst to each other

Like two ships in the night

I see it all too often with large corporations. They have a sales team and a marketing team that both work autonomously. On a smaller scale, an organization may have only a sales team and utilize a marketing agency to take care of the fine details around print and content. This practice is so common because the expertise and disciplines of the two teams are very different. What is unfortunate, however, are the opportunities missed by these teams working so separate from one another. 

Sales – the corporate extroverts

The sales team puts a face to the corporation. They are the energy of the company, and they represent expertise and solutions. These professionals are great extroverts, sharp dressers, and know just the right thing to say…most of the time. 

They are visiting and pitching to new clients. Most are rarely in the office, working independently with a laptop, cell phone, and a few props as their arsenal. Get them all together, and it is mayhem through the office.

Marketing – the creative genius

The marketing team, on the other hand, might be perceived as more reserved and quiet. These people are the creative ones in the organization. In the past, they were the original masters of all things printed. This team designed all marketing material and a collection of templates and standards to be used throughout the organization. 

Today’s marketing team has evolved just as the practices of marketing have. The expertise of marketing professionals today extends beyond things printed. A digital presence is mandatory, so the necessities of marketing have experienced a recent shift. The result is an opportunity for this team to shine on their own…or should they? Stay with me for a moment. It does all come together.

He swings and misses

Bob is grooming a new prospect to sign with his company, and having great conversations describing the value they can bring to this candidate. He hits a bump over a lunch meeting. The customer asked how Bob’s company can benefit theirs specifically…with examples! Oh gosh, talk about being on the spot. The customer also continues that they could find little or no correlation on the website either. Bob skirts the issue for the moment and at the end of lunch, promised to circle back with some great examples shortly. 

Bob gets back to his car, and he is frantic. He is calling his boss, his mentor, his colleagues, hoping – PRAYING for a working example that one of them has encountered that can fill in the blanks swimming in Bob’s head. What if none of the others have a success story to share that will prove their worthiness of this client’s business?

Working their own angles

The marketing team is mastering social media, email, and a strong partnership with the tech department who is posting the content on the website for them. They have plugged into Leadership and the company vision. They write and post content according to that vision. They are also the ones in-tune with the community, news, and company events. The marketing team has command of the presence of the corporation to the outside world. Anyone, from anywhere, at any time of the day or night can look up the company to learn more about what they do an who they are. Everything they read is complements of the marketing team. 

It all comes together

See, I promised you it would all come together!

While Bob continues to stir in uncertainty, I have another approach to suggest for him. I will propose that at some point the lack of experience with his prospect’s company was known before his lunch appointment. With this in mind, he could work with his marketing team to start stacking the deck for him. The marketing team can do some research on the market and competitors. They can work with Bob and the sales team for ideas of where their prospect will find a specific value in what they can offer. They also have a more direct line to senior leadership inside that they can gain additional information. 

From what they learn with their research, they can start adding content that will catch this specific client’s eye when they go to the website. A mention on a landing page, an insightful blog, or some clever social media content not only implies the value and expertise to this prospective client, but it also to attracts similar clients going forward. 

Mulligan – the alternate scenario

Bob is again sitting at lunch, but he already has the marketing team engaged, and they have content planted on the website, ready for him and his prospect. His prospect asks what value Bob’s company can bring to his organization. Instead of internal panic and a promise an answer later, Bob pulls out his tablet to bring up the company website and show him a blog that answers that question directly. The customer is impressed, for it feels like the article spoke explicitly to them. 

The catalyst experience

When sales and marketing work together, amazing results occur. The synergy between the teams grows as they feed off of each other. The marketing team shares to the sales team their research and latest content. The sales team can leverage that content as they are grooming those customer relationships. 

At the same time in these meetings, the sales team is sharing their specific targets to the marketing team. The sales team describes their current conquests to the marketing team, and they start to brainstorm ways that marketing can augment or build content, blogs, and social media posts to impress those new prospects. Even with today’s digital graphics, they can personalize a brochure or information sheet on the spot. 

It doesn’t even have to be in-house

Even when working with an outside marketing agency, that agency can also serve as an extension of your sales team. At Joseph Studios, we are nimble in our strategy when our client’s sales team comes calling with a big client to impress. This team relationship benefits both parties in achieving ultimate alignment. Does an aligned effort between sales and marketing sound like a dream come true? We would love to describe more to you about how we achieve that alignment. Contact us to learn more!