There are many reasons why sales teams and marketing teams within an organisation should be working together towards very similar goals, although they are two very different departments. The main goal both departments have in common is to increase revenue, albeit through different channels, their objective is closely related. So, you could say that a sales and marketing team should actually be joined at the hip, especially when it comes to building and executing digital marketing and sales strategies.
When sales and marketing come together and get the combination right, the results can completely turn a business around into something bigger and beyond expectations in securing business and growing their company.
To ensure that sales and marketing teams fully understand all aspects of digital marketing it’s essential that employees from both departments complete a digital marketing course in order to stay ahead of the many new digital marketing trends, tips and techniques.
Sales teams defined
It’s really quite simple – sales teams need to sell. Yet, without the full support of their marketing department this can prove extremely difficult, especially since the arrival and exponential growth of digital marketing. Modern sales and marketing teams need to understand what the other is doing in terms of company growth strategies. In short, nowadays it’s vital that sales and marketing are on the same page.
Everyone knows that sales teams have one goal – to sell. Sales can take place telephonically, via email or even social media, but the goal remains the same which is to increase sales.
With the advent of digital marketing most sales teams still complete the sales process face-to-face although sales techniques and cold-calling approach is starting to change and opt for a digital approach.
Marketing teams defined
Although the focus for any marketing team is to drive brand awareness this team is now able to have more of an impact on sales through digital marketing strategies. An average marketing team today has changed considerably and is mostly conducted through digital marketing, which includes social media marketing, email marketing, PPC (pay-per-click) advertisements, SEO and content marketing.
Why sales and marketing should work together
Both departments have to deliver on their objectives and should have detailed strategies in place to achieve this, however it has become the norm for these two to work together closely. Historically both of these departments have pretty much run on their own steam closely working towards their respective strategy, but the time has come for this practice of separation to end. Oftentimes the result of sales and marketing working independently has resulted in a breakdown of communication and these days with instant online digital marketing there can be no room for such lack of communication between the two.
Benefits of working together
The last thing any business can afford is loss of revenue due to lack of communication, however there are many other benefits of sales and marketing teams working together. Here are just a few reasons why it’s beneficial for a combined effort from these two teams within an organisation.
- Better customer understanding – Marketing teams can assist sales with a thorough understanding of their customers and potential customers due to their focus on customer feedback and research. This understanding assists the sales team to make informed choices on where to focus their efforts.
- Leads follow up – Sales are obviously more focussed on making a sale and this often leads to potential customers being overlooked if they fail to make a purchase. Marketing can assist the sales team with creating a target audience through their marketing practices.
- Improved audience targeting – Marketing usually involves quite a lot of business or customer research which gives them an insightful view of a potential market that their sales team can home in on, without wasting valuable time.
- Marketing material access – When sales and marketing teams come together there is a much better understanding of the marketing material that is being used to boost brand awareness and attract potential clients.
- Culture of understanding – To have a culture of understanding within an organisation is of great value as misunderstandings rivalry can result in a loss of revenue.
Conclusion
Besides building mutual respect between the sales and marketing teams, when they work together there are only positive benefits for their company, which ultimately results in an improved brand image.
