What exactly is Sales and Marketing Alignment?

There is a lot of buzz at the moment about Sales and Marketing Alignment.

A lack of sales and marketing alignment, has been given as the reason why so many sales guys never got anywhere near quota in 2009.

But what exactly is Sales and Marketing Alignment?

Is it simply sophisticated lead generation, an excuse for a larger technology investment or a new way of banging sales and marketing heads together?

Any ideas?

Here it is the cover of new book!

Sales and Marketing Alignment Teaser Trailer

"Even Usain Bolt can't run your Sales and Marketing Alignment for you!"

Listen, the stats do vary. Now, if you're in marketing you'll say to me show me that stats. But the trends in North America may be different in Europe? If you're in sales, you might respond by saying let's not argue over the maths, interpret them for me and tell me what it means and what I can do about it.


So, here goes......

Sales Cycles are too long, way too long, aren't they?

The Cost on New Client Acquisition is too high, isn't it?

Most of the marketing material is incomprehensible, not relevant to my market, plain useless

The Leads that Marketing passes to Sales are a bunch of crap

And Sales is just too damn lazy to do anything with the great leads they receive from marketing

Something is rotten in the state of sales and marketing working together.

But luckily the Calvary is at hand, all we need to do is to install the latest technology, grab a dashboard and embrace Sales2.0 then we can all reach the new Promised Land of Sales and Marketing Alignment, all reach our targets and go party in Vegas or Blackpool (Blackpool is the UK's version of Vegas, honest!).

Technology can save the day for us, can't it?

Right...Wrong!!

Sales and Marketing Alignment is NOT all about the technology you employ. It's about your people, your language and your culture.

Now, don't get me wrong I'm not some sort of Luddite that belittles technology, but it's the icing on the cake not the basic cake mix itself. Let's bake a decent cake first with all those simple ingredients. You do know how to bake a cake don't you? No, neither do I.

Now' here's a bigger problem than cake making, this all takes time, people, language, culture and finally adding technology.

Even Usain Bolt couldn't get you to the Promised Land in less than 24 months.

So, if you are serious about improving the long term sales efficiency and results in your company in the next twelve months. Then, you need to start working on your Sales and Marketing Alignment, this quarter, this month, this frigging week, dude!

It take time, if you wait till 2011, to start your Sales and Marketing Alignment, then you are not only in danger of getting run over by your competition, but you and your team's earnings well drop and some may even lose their jobs.

Start on Sales and Marketing Alignment today!

Start Now!

Stamp out the Sales V Marketing culture in your Company

Stamp out the Sales V Marketing culture in your Company

West London based business owner and author, Rod Sloane, said today that businesses that want to reduce the cost of new client acquisition and become more profitable need to first, end the internal fight between sales and marketing and then, increase sales and marketing alignment.

Rod Sloane, author of soon to be published book “Alignment...the Secret to getting your Sales and Marketing Teams working together” said “If your Sales and Marketing teams are fighting over language, leads and resources then your business is going to suffer. Most Sales and Marketing departments cannot even agree the definition of a lead. Get them to agree that first. Get them working together, not working against each other. That is the start to making wining new business easier and becoming more profitable”

“Alignment...the Secret to getting your Sales and Marketing Teams working together” is due to be published by Sunmakers Publishing in late 2009

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ENDS

Editors Notes
1. Rod Sloane works with established businesses that want to grow their revenue and reduce their cost of new client acquisition. This is delivered through keynote speeches and in house company workshops. Sloane is also the author of “121 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business”.
Rod Sloane
12 Newland Gardens
Ealing
London
W13 9TR
P: +44(0)20 8940 0498
M: +44(0)7957 422203
W: http://no-bullbusiness.blogspot.com/
E: rod@rodsloane.co.uk
T: http://twitter.com/RodSloane

London Author claims Barack Obama should have won the Nobel Marketing Prize NOT the Peace Prize

MEDIA RELEASE…………….
For Immediate Release For Further information contact:
Rod Sloane Tel: +44(0)208 840 0498

London Author claims Barack Obama should have won the Nobel Marketing Prize NOT the Peace Prize

Ealing based Author and speaker Rod Sloane claims that Barack Obama is the World's Leading marketing expert. Sloane will be speaking about Obama success at “How To Barack Obama Your Business!” at the King George Conference and Banqueting Centre, Eastern Avenue, Newbury Park 6pm on Tuesday October 20th.

Rod Sloane, owner of Rod Sloane’s Small Business Marketing, has studied the methods and tactics Barack Obama used to win the US Presidential Race. “Barack Obama brilliantly exploited Seven Marketing Tactics to win the 2008 Presential Election. He's World Class. I believe all businesses need to know about these successful tactics” says Sloane. “Thanks to the support of local sponsors, there's no fee to attend How to Barack Obama your Business.”

“How To Barack Obama Your Business!” starts at 6pm on Tuesday 20th October at the King George Conference and Banqueting Centre, next to the Holiday Inn, 713 Eastern Avenue, Newbury Park, Ilford, Redbridge IG2 7RH. Registration here: http://ow.ly/ukJW

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ENDS

Editors Notes

1. Rod Sloane’s Small Business Marketing works with established businesses that want to grow to the next level. This is delivered by a free electronic newsletter, speaking, special reports, audio CDs, coaching, consulting and workshops. Sloane is also the author of “121 Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Small Business”.
Rod Sloane
12 Newland Gardens
Ealing
London
W13 9TR
T: +44(0)20 8940 0498
W: http://www.rodsloane.com/
E: mailto:rods@ducttapemarketingcoach.com

Why is Sales and Marketing Alignment so Difficult?

Sales and Marketing Alignment is more challenging than it should be, this is often due to the fact that sales people are focussed on the short term i.e. this quarter and marketing is faced on the medium/long term.

In my recent podcast Christine Crandell gave a great ten point check list that you can use to help your company to get closer sales and marketing alignment.