B2B Monday Myth: Sales and Marketing Teams Are Born Adversaries
by MGB2B
The Myth: Sales and Marketing Are Born Adversaries
The Truth: Sales and Marketing Collaboration Leads to Higher Revenue
The Problem
Within many B2B companies there is a both sales team and a marketing team. But what you will rarely find is sales and marketing in a healthy relationship that ensures mutual success.
Why is this?
From the marketer’s perspective, their number one priority is to generate leads. They are the professionals when it comes to creating a campaign. Leads only get handed over to sales once they enter the buying process.
On the other hand, salespeople sometimes think that marketers are too far removed from customers and the business. How could they understand what’s involved in closing a deal?
Assumptions and doubt from both teams don’t help anyone. Often, one group thinks they could do a better job than the other. Add in different tactics, different mindsets, and varying timeframes, and you’re in trouble. What results is a relationship characterized by tolerance at best, and sales and marketing collaboration is not a priority.
What should happen instead?
The responsibilities within the buying process are often presented as a “funnel.” The very top and widest part of the funnel is buyer awareness, and the narrowest part at the bottom is the actual purchase. A marketing team focuses on top half of the funnel, identifying customer segments. They develop the branding and outreach that will resonate with these customers. Then, they circulate materials across relevant channels to get this message across. Responsibility stays with marketing through the “interest” phase of a customer’s process. Once a customer moves into “consideration” or “intent,” they get handed off to sales. At this point, the salespeople are entirely in charge of making a transaction happen.
The line where marketing efforts end and sales begin varies from company to company and is sometimes a little blurry. It’s clear that both teams integrate simply by the nature of their work. They both work to convert a lead into a sale, and some level of collaboration is necessary to make this handoff seamless.
But the key is that not only does the integration of sales and marketing need to be acknowledged. It needs to be capitalized on. If sales and marketing efforts are completely aligned, your company can improve sales substantially. In fact, the Digital Marketing Institute reported that sales and marketing collaboration potentially generate 208% more marketing revenue for a company and 36% higher customer retention.
So how can this be accomplished?
There are several steps you can take to ensure your marketing and sales efforts are aligned.
- Bridge the communication gap: It sounds cliche, but in this case, communication really is key. If sales and marketing aren’t communicating frequently and efficiently, valuable leads can get lost in translation. On the other hand, constant contact will ensure that both teams are up-to-date on what the other is doing. No one is left in the dark. It can also help each side to hold the other accountable for producing and accomplishing what they should, and making sure they report it correctly.
- Collaborate and socialize: In order to eliminate some of the negative assumptions sales has about marketing, or vice versa, it helps if both teams get to know each other. This doesn’t mean everyone has to become good friends, but genuine face-to-face conversations can create more authentic relationships and a better understanding of what everyone’s role is.
- Create uniformity: There are few things more effective than a consistent message. If sales and marketing are able to synchronize, their combined efforts will be much more powerful than either would be on its own. This may actually mean that some things cross over between the two groups. For example, marketing can adopt some of the quantitative metrics used by sales, and sales in return can use some of the more qualitative marketing techniques when it comes to retaining customers.
Sales and Marketing Collaboration – Mutual Success is Possible
You ultimately may not be able to eliminate all of the tension between your sales and marketing teams. Any two groups within an organization who operate under different strategies and perspectives are naturally going to butt heads every once in a while. But following these tips can help you begin to bridge the gap between two teams who are executing very important work for your company’s main goal.
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: Old-School B2B Marketing is Dead
by MGB2B
The Myth: Old-School B2B Marketing Is Dead.
The Truth: A Perfect Mix of Old and New Marketing Tactics Makes for the Most Effective Marketing Strategy.
Cold calls, trade shows, print media, and traditional sales methods – do they still work in this day and age? Many would have you think they don’t, and that is true in part. But much of what used to work still works today — just in different ways. So don’t swap out the old wholesale for shiny, new marketing approaches; just figure out the mix that works best for your business.
In order to achieve maximum results, your strategy must bridge the gap between both schools of thought.
Consider these points when creating that perfect mix of traditional B2B marketing strategies and new ways to promote your brand.
- Trade Publications Offer More Than Just Print Ads. You might think that putting your ad in a trade publication is a waste of time since the future of print magazines is not looking great. But B2B publications are more important than ever, and if you develop a good relationship with your rep, it could mean editorial preference, digital opportunities and access to leads you wouldn’t otherwise have, and enhanced trade show experiences (see #3).
- White Papers Are No Longer White Nor Paper. But they are certainly still effective in the B2B realm. White papers still serve the same purpose as they did back in the day and contain the same valuable information as before. Only now, you can make them a whole lot nicer looking and easier to navigate. Of course, your content still needs to be fresh, relevant, and engaging. Today, you have more ways to get your white paper seen – whether it’s distributed to your email list, offered in a Facebook ad, or geo-targeted at attendees of a trade show, which brings us to…
- Playing the Trade Show Game. Trade Shows are a lot different than they used to be. It’s not just about setting up a booth and putting out a print ad in the event program to tell people to come for a visit. Social media can be used to engage with visitors before, during, and after the show. Try using a contest to drive people online and capture new, engaged leads. Or advertise a white paper on mobile phones within a certain radius of the hotel or convention center. There are lots of possibilities – here are a few to get you started.
- The Evolution of Cold Calling. Cold calling in its traditional sense is fairly controversial in the marketing world. Some think it’s dead. Others think it is still effective in the hands of the right salesperson. A few even think it is borderline unethical. But the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The call has, in most cases, become an email. And the best part is that it’s not cold at all anymore; it’s warmed up a bit. Using content marketing, you can build a database of warm leads who have actually expressed some interest in what you have to offer. Maybe they’ve signed up for a webinar your hosting or downloaded one of your white papers. The key is to nurture these newly cultivated relationships so that they convert to sales.
Old School B2B is not dead. It’s just changed a bit. Get the right mix for your brand, and watch the leads come rolling in.
Continue ReadingWhy Are You Breaking Up with Me?
by MGB2B
When I first started writing this post, I was going to tell you not to send breakup emails. I didn’t understand their purpose; it seemed silly to me that any business would want to sever ties with a prospect just because they didn’t respond to their first few emails.
And I was right. It would be silly to want to sever ties. But the truth of it is: Breakup emails aren’t really about breaking up; they’re about triggering action. And they’re an important part of a successful automated email program.
If you’re unfamiliar with business breakup emails, they usually come after 3-5 previous, unanswered emails sent to a prospect and go something like this: (more…)
Continue Reading