Marketing & Sales - A love-hate relationship with consequences?
Leads, leads, leads - you probably know this. Whether in marketing or sales, generating leads is THE goal! Despite the common goal, the departments usually work independently of each other according to the classic distribution of tasks and sometimes even bypass each other. But even if many leads are generated through various activities, this is no guarantee of closing sales. The lack of co-operation between marketing and sales can lead to wastage, lost potential and budget, but can also drive the departments further apart. So how do you still manage to turn leads into customers? Quite simply: by joining forces!
The overriding goal
Every company that exists on the market serves a customer problem or fulfils a need. The task of marketing and sales is to position products and services on the market and generate interest among the target group. Once interest has been generated, it is important to recognise it and respond appropriately. However, this is where it becomes critical, as the two departments that are primarily responsible for the company's communication and external image need to work together. However, even today it is still very often the case that these two departments do not follow the same path, but talk past each other.
The (classic) distribution of tasks
According to the classic definition, marketing is responsible for the promotion of products and services. But marketing is not just "advertising"! In smaller companies in particular, it plays a central role and is a signpost for external and internal communication. Marketers also analyse the market, competition and customers in order to strategically position products and services as well as the company on the market. This is particularly important if there are alternative products to your offering - you need to know who is already on the market and working on the target group. Is there still potential or is the market already saturated? Are you trying to get a slice of the pie or are you looking for a niche and becoming a pioneer in it? These questions need to be answered before you enter the market - and marketing will help you with this. Other important tasks include product planning, presentation and market launch as well as product and price optimisation. In larger companies, these activities are often carried out in co-operation with other departments (e.g. product management, sales, management).
The basic task in sales is the sale of products and solutions and, as a result, contact with customers. Customer management involves contacting potential customers as well as looking after existing customers and is one of the most important tasks in sales. As soon as new enquiries come in, they are assessed by Sales. Individualised offers are then created on this basis with the aim of closing the sale. After-sales support is also important in order to build lasting customer loyalty and generate long-term sales.
Despite the common goal of generating and retaining satisfied customers, we can still often observe that marketing and sales take different paths. There is a gap - the so-called "marketing and sales gap".
The consequences
The lack of cooperation often leads to differences of opinion. For sales, marketing is just the "cash burner" that spends the money that is so hard-earned. They make a few pretty pictures that don't help in the sales process and their ideas are unrealistic and far removed from reality. Only 20% of marketing content is utilised by sales (Forrester). Meanwhile, marketing claims that without the well thought-out campaigns, sales would have no one to sell to. But because they don't think long-term enough, they don't realise this.
Prejudice instead of cohesion - who suffers? The company, the employees and ultimately the customers.
- 60% of marketing and sales experts say the lack of coordination undermines their financial performance (LinkedIn)
Without collaboration, no joint projects are created - everyone works for themselves because they know best. While marketing analyses the market and trends, sales learns about the current challenges and interests of existing customers. Put together, this data would be the perfect basis for targeted campaigns and (product) developments.
- 59% say lack of alignment leads to poor customer experience (LinkedIn)
Due to the lack of collaboration, marketing creates campaigns for future-oriented trends while sales works on current problems and challenges. This can result in wastage - because the extensive campaigns make more people feel addressed than the target group according to sales. But is this really all wastage or lost potential? As Sales is focussing on current challenges, it may be missing out on potential customers.
- 57% complain about lower customer loyalty due to a lack of coordination (LinkedIn)
Existing customers are also affected. FOR EXAMPLE: The sales department advises and serves an existing customer who is interested in several topics. After the conversation, the customer receives information material. Meanwhile, marketing is working on new materials (webinar, explanatory video, infographic) that could interest the customer and encourage them to make a purchase. However, as marketing is not aware of the interest, the customer is not informed about it.
The change in buying behaviour
If you observe the market, you will notice that purchasing behaviour has also changed. In recent years, we have increasingly developed into an information society. This is nothing new, you probably know this from your own habits. If you want to find out something, you pick up your mobile phone or laptop and do some research.
Information is available everywhere and at all times via the Internet - not only about products, but also about solutions, customer opinions and opinions. The company no longer has sovereignty over information, which can have an impact on the purchasing process. 68% of B2B buyers prefer to research online in advance without speaking to sales (LinkedIn) and 75% of buyers say that sales should already know the level of information and offer concrete solutions (Forrester). This means, on the one hand, that you need to provide in-depth information about your offer online in such a way that customers understand what their benefits are without your help and, on the other hand, that you need to know what they already know and what they are interested in without having spoken to them in advance.
How is this supposed to work? Through collaboration!
There is another way - strengthen your customer loyalty and receive revenue faster
Through closely coordinated teams, you can increase customer loyalty by 36% and accelerate the sales process by 24% (LinkedIn). Despite the change in buying behaviour, you can close sales faster. Why? Because you can respond more quickly to the interests and concerns of your potential and existing customers.
Sales also learns about the contact points in marketing and vice versa. This tells you what information has been consumed or requested. This enables the sales team to address the customer in a targeted manner, which has a positive effect on the customer relationship - because you provide your customers with exactly what they are interested in. Marketing also benefits from this exchange, as the campaigns and marketing documents can be customised to the customer's needs. This reduces the risk of wastage and achieves more effect for the same budget.
Our conclusion
In order to acquire new customers better and more efficiently and to sell products and services to existing customers, marketing and sales must work together as closely as possible and pursue common goals.
Collaboration between marketing and sales is essential for an optimal customer experience. You can promote and strengthen this collaboration with professional CRM solutions. Centralised data management gives both departments a 360° view of the customer, which enables a more targeted approach.
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