Aligned teams drive success
A recent survey from Gartner Inc. identified that aligning commercial functions such as sales and marketing are seen as a top priority for leaders in 2023.
Change is the only constant in the world of business and we need to keep up with the rapid pace of technology and embrace the opportunity it gives us to provide an improved customer experience. Teams need to be more agile and responsive to customer needs. This means we should break down the silos between sales and marketing and ensure customer centricity.
Navigate the digital landscape together
The Digital Transformation has had huge impact not only on the customer journey but also on how we as sales and marketing teams function. The buyer journey is constantly changing as AI and smart technology present data insights with real-time access to customer behaviour.
We need to pivot and innovate with the tools and information at our fingertips – smart predictions, intelligent solutions and automation.
Tear down the walls – break down the silos
When we speak of silos, we refer to sales and marketing teams being regarded as two separate and possibly competing departments in the one organisation. In traditional marketing, there appeared to be a close relationship between the two but there was also a disconnect between the teams.
The Yin-Yang – you can’t have one without the other…
Smarketing is a term frequently used to describe aligned sales and marketing teams. This is a smart approach. Teams can work seamlessly to engage, and nurture leads and measure progress through the sales funnel. It is now more crucial than ever to ensure that sales and marketing teams collaborate and work as one unit. Good communication and team alignment is critical to success.
The sales team generally has a direct line of communication to the customer or prospect and is aware of their pain points and how their solution can alleviate them. It is imperative that sales share this information with marketing to enable them to build a customer persona. Simultaneously, marketing is exposed to customer buying habits and needs and will nurture the leads for sales. They can also support sales by providing them with sales enablement tools to help influence positive decision making.
Using shared digital platforms, aligned teams are affiliated to the same goal with a unified vision to drive growth for the business.
Together we can succeed
A recent HubSpot 2023 Sales Trends Report identified sales and marketing alignment as one of the top 6 Sales Goals of leaders for 2023. It finds that when teams are misaligned, it leads to missed sales and revenue, lost qualified leads and a poor impression of the company. The report suggests that when teams can accurately track the success of marketing initiatives all the way down to sales and brand ambassadors, they can more confidently report on ROI and make informed decisions that drive the success of future lead generating activities.
HubSpot 2023
Talk to IMS today – think agility not rigidity!
At IMS, our projects focus on delivering the commercial objectives of our clients. We assist companies to align their sales and marketing strategies to realise real sales success. This integrated, strategy first approach takes the guess work out of lead generation and delivers the right type of sales opportunities for our clients.
Sharon Cole, Sales & Marketing Manager at IMS Marketing
For more information or to discuss how we can help you build an integrated marketing strategy, reach out to Sharon Cole – email [email protected] or call 087 684 7702 to set up an initial meeting.
