How to Get Sales And Marketing Working Together

The biggest concern for any business is to make a profit.

This goes for any type and size of business. If the business is not in it to make profits, what good is it for them to be in business?
How can a business become profitable? It boils down to two important elements. In order for a company to make money, they have to sell their products.
This is where the sales team gets into gear. They provide the product to the customer and close the sale.
But how can they do this if no person sees the product. This is where the marketing department comes in.
As you can see, both the sales and marketing departments must exist and work together if the company is to make money.

There is one problem however. Many companies are going under because there is no unity or alignment, if you will.
This causes problems for the company. The sales department starts blaming the marketing department for not giving them
solid and reliable leads. While at the same time the marketing department blames the sales department for going after
the wrong buyer, or uses the wrong sales tactics to do the selling.

On the other hand, businesses that report huge successes and profits, have their sales and marketing aligned perfectly,
or have made improvements in the way they earn and keep customers.

Based on a survey that was done in January 2005, out of 1400 businesses that responded, 32% of them have their sales
and marketing aligned. In fact, they consider the alignment of the sales and marketing team to top priority for them
and for any business.

If you look at trends and compare companies, you will notice something of interest.
The companies that are doing well know who and where to market their products to. They present their company in the best light possible.
The sales department or sales team takes what the marketing team develops, and uses the leads they are given wisely.
They focus on what the benefits of their product are, understand what the customer is looking for, and deliver it each and every time.

Many fortune 500 companies are like this. They focus on keeping their marketing and sales aligned.
They know how vital it is to the company's bottom line. The more the sales and marketing team are in alignment,
the better chance they have to sell their products.

Based on statistics, those who have their entire business flowing smoothly find their business growth is about
5% faster each year compared to their competitors, who do not have their businesses aligned.
And of these businesses, they find that they close 38% more sales than those who do not have their sales
and marketing people working in harmony together.

This is an astonishing number. If you look at the above numbers closely, it really tells a true story about the
state of companies who keep their sales and marketing aligned as compared to those who don't.

What do you think is the difference between companies who do great and those who don't?
The biggest factor is the way the sales and marketing team work.
If the sales and marketing team work together, a lot can get done, which can work in harmony with the company.
Each person can work together with another with the goal of accomplishing one task, and that is to gain sales and make profits.

But if the sales and marketing team work against each other, you have what is referred to as an internal problem,
which if not corrected quickly, can escalate to the point the company can go bankrupt and close its doors for good.
This is why a great strategy for aligning the sales and marketing team has to be in place, for the company to succeed.
As you read through this book, you will better understand this process of alignment as you are presented with facts
and examples from both sides - those companies in alignment, and those companies not in alignment.
By looking at both sides, you will better understand why companies, who have their sales and marketing in alignment,
succeed, while those who are not in alignment end up failing. The information will also help you see how important
unification within the company is so important for the natural progression of the company.


This is an excerpt from my next book "Alignment: How to Get Sales and Marketing Working Together"
Copyright © 2009 Rod Sloane