The relationship status of Sales & Marketing has always been…complicated.
From communication barriers to playing the blame game, companies often find themselves spending more time counseling the teams through their rocky relationship than focusing on business growth – because, let’s face it, a happy Smarketing team is the key to revenue generation.
Ever since the internet gave Sales a chance to swipe right on Marketing, the spark was clear. However, their honeymoon phase was quick to wear off, leaving the two at a crossroads. To avoid a messy *and expensive* breakup, finding balance in Smarketing world became more important than ever.
Welcome to Smarketing 101.
Any successful relationship starts with open communication and a clear, ongoing understanding of the needs of your other half. Luckily, we’ve cracked the code to achieving harmony in the house of Smarketing and feel we owe it to our fellow business owners (slash part-time relationship counselors) to share what we’ve discovered.
So, without further ado, here are our three methods to help you break down the wall between Sales and Marketing and finally gain some clarity about the state of your company’s sales cycle.
*Spoiler Alert* there are dollar $ign$ at the end of the Smarketing funnel.
1. Come Together Around Content Marketing
With increasing numbers of people using the internet for most of the buying process, one of the biggest (and most influential) places Sales and Marketing intersect is through the use of strategic content.
Be Honest About Buyer Personas
Sales teams have a huge impact on content marketing by providing insights into customer needs and behavior. Through their contact with these people, reps can uncover unique details about search habits and what gets people interested in a company. When Sales communicates its observations of trends, Marketing can align content to fit buyer needs and shorten the sales cycle.
Give the Gift of Qualified Leads
By implementing strategic content practices, Marketing teams are able to put essential information right into the hands of qualified buyers. They read the content, become aware of a solution to their problem, and give up their contact information in exchange for the fix. This means that the leads coming through are more qualified and closer to the buying stage.
Touch Base Throughout the Sales Cycle
Content can be useful throughout the entire sales cycle, not just to generate inbound leads. Teams see the most success when they nurture leads together. Creating a cadence of email marketing, sales outreach, and automated communication makes it easy to quickly turn a lead into a qualified prospect.
2. Keep in Touch with CRM Platforms
Customer Relationship Management (or CRM) systems are a great tool for integrating responsibilities of the Sales and Marketing teams. These record engagement activity from both sides in one centralized location. Information gathered in CRM systems provide lead lifecycle visibility and insight for improvements to maximize lead nurture effectiveness.
Learn from Lead Segmentation
Using CRM software allows teams to target specific groups of contacts through lead segmentation. By placing buyers in distinct groups based on unique characteristics or interaction history, Sales and Marketing can work together to target website visitors most likely to buy.
Look to the Lead Lifecycle
Those who doubt the influence of marketing on revenue will change their mind once they have access to the detailed information CRM systems provide. Tracking helps tie top of funnel leads to the point of sale. By using the software to track leads from their origin, the successes of both efforts become obvious.
3. Engage Through Marketing Automation
By analyzing customer behavior and interaction with websites and email, Marketing can tailor its content to reach the right leads. These methods also establish triggers that notify Sales teams when a lead meets specific criteria to move on in the sales process.
Let Leads Live Their Best Lives
Looking for a unique way to nurture leads? Marketing automation gives teams a way to tailor content to move contacts through the pipeline. Systems track email vs cold calling engagement points to send customer interest levels to Sales teams. Marketing can then adjust content on an ongoing basis in reaction to what’s going on in the account.
Ready to take revenue to the next level?
Call Concept to help your Sales & Marketing teams finally say “I do.” #Smarketing4Ever!
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