Cracking the code on marketing and sales alignment
In ‘the age of the customer’, marketing and sales alignment is critical. The data shows that alignment between the two can accelerate business growth and provide tangible business value. But we also know that it’s difficult and most organisations find it challenging to implement.
However, there are things every business can do to get better at this, and at LinkedIn’s Marketing and Sales Connect (#MSC18) event in London this week we took the opportunity to bring salespeople and marketers together in one room to explore some of the ways to drive greater alignment in their businesses.
Alignment is a ‘buyer driven edict’ according to Rusty Warner at Forrester and ‘customers are mandating it’. Those that are getting it right are driving some spectacular results, with 208% higher marketing-sourced revenue than organisations with disjointed teams and 38% greater customer retention according to Wheelhouse Advisors.
Put the customer first:
The customer needs to be front and centre for every business, and that’s not a ‘nice to have’, it’s essential in a digital world where, as Rusty stated, customers will interact with your brand well before they interact with sales. They are not loyal and can quickly move on so the way you engage with customers across their lifecycle with your brand is critical.
But, it’s a contentious subject, especially when it comes to the different roles and expectations marketing and sales have of each other. This was debated in a panel discussion that looked specifically at Marketing and Sales in the Digital Age, chaired by LinkedIn’s Becky Schnauffer - Director of LinkedIn Sales Solutions.
One thing the panelists did agree on was that neither function should operate in a vacuum. The focus should be on the holistic journey for the customer, and less about funnels, pipelines and awkward ‘handovers’ for cross selling. Customers don’t care about the funnel Forrester reminded us, they care about how efficiently we can solve their problem.
Don’t leave alignment to chance:
We saw throughout the event that alignment is much better in the early planning stages of campaigns and sales pushes, but as we move down the chain, sales and marketing become more disparate. This is where alignment is most important, when we’re having a direct impact and contact with the customer.
To ensure marketing and sales land and stay on the same page throughout the sales cycle, you should set mutually agreed goals and definitions for each department. Encouraging and fostering good relationships and communication between both sales and marketing will also pay dividends, and give employees the tools they need to make alignment work.
It’s also crucial that businesses learn to evaluate how well teams are working together, so that improvements can be made where necessary. Putting these processes in place, and encouraging strong relationships will be a considerable step forward for a more collaborative approach.
Be smarter with technology:
Technology was also a big theme at the event. It is revolutionising the sector and helping both marketing and salespeople to bridge gaps with buyers, build trusted relationships and increase their relevance.
Tech can play a significant role in ensuring that businesses lead with insights, so both marketing and sales teams have the same understanding of the business and of their customers. Platforms to share customer profiles, can be just one way to drive focus on the same audiences and develop customer centric strategies.
LinkedIn’s ‘State of Sales’ research, which launched earlier this week, highlighted that more than half of the UK’s salespeople are now using collaboration tools (62%); CRM tools (60%) and networking platforms (55%) as part of their day-to-day activity. CRM tools in particular used to reside in the heartland of marketing.
However, technology is just one element that can help drive greater collaboration. I'm curious to know what tactics, traditional or new, you might be using to drive alignment across sales and marketing?