Sales & Marketing: What do we owe each other?

If sales is the team that actually connects with customers and finalizes a sale, then what is marketing? Yes, marketers are creatives at heart (hence their propensity for sparkly fun), but as we’ve seen they’re also expert communicators looking for ways to really make an impact. Marketers are adept at understanding audiences, great at distilling important information, and know how to engage specific groups in productive conversation. 

So if sales is the team that actually closes the deal, marketing is who set them up for that win. It’s not a competition, it's a partnership. When sales wants to better understand who exactly they should be talking to and how, this is what marketing is here for. Marketing is interested in understanding how the product is being received and used within the marketplace, and how they can influence that relationship. 

What exactly does that mean–what is marketing actually giving sales to help them? How can we be sure marketing is doing that effectively? And how can sales and marketing keep their partnership strong, so that they can continue winning together?

Tip #1: Never lose sight of who and why

First and foremost, know your audience. The most interesting, creative, compelling message can only take you so far if you aren’t connecting with an actual customer. This may seem simple enough, but it can get tricky. And your sales team will let you know when they’ve missed the mark.

Recall our customer funnel. Let’s say marketing has done a great job bringing new leads into the top of the funnel. However, few are converting into actual sales. This could be because those leads are not being made aware of why this solution is a great fit–sales, are you having productive conversations? Or it could be because they are not actual buyers of your product–marketing do you know who your ideal customer is? 

When your customer is software development teams, this happens more often than you might realize. The individuals who are learning about and testing new products may not have the power to purchase your product. Perhaps they are individual contributors exploring options for a new project. At some point you will want to understand what this journey looks like, and how you can reach the people sales will actually close deals with. 

In some cases your audience might include multiple personas. Perhaps both the individual contributor and the financial decision maker are a part of that discovery and assessment journey. In some organizations financial decision makers rely on individual contributors to show them what products and services are necessary. This could also include other team members, such as those who will help with final assessment of whether or not your product can stand up to security and compliance standards. 

As you think about your ideal customer, be open to the possibility that there could be a range of personas you need to interact with at different stages within the customer journey. And make sure that whatever content you are creating is speaking to that audience in a clear and effective way.

Tip #2: Always be creating relevant content

We’ve talked about the fact that marketing is more than just a viral moment. Effective marketing is a regular cadence of intentional activities and consistent messaging. Once you know who you need to reach, make sure you’re continuously engaging those audiences. 

Now that you’re focused on the ideal customer, are you answering their questions within their journey through awareness, discovery, and final assessment? Marketing, talk with your sales team and find out what parts of the funnel they’re experiencing friction. These are the places where additional content could help drive meaningful conversation. 

Furthermore, make sure your sales team understands what resources they have available to them, and how they can best use it. Every time new features are released, does your sales team understand what it is and how they can speak to it? What new or existing resources will help them educate potential customers? If a prospect attended a webinar, what 3 articles would be helpful in the follow-up after that? If this is a prospect we met at an industry show focused on a specific topic, what kinds of topics might they find interesting as sales begins conversations with them? 

Tip #3: Take feedback seriously

Sales, if you’re not getting this kind of support, reach out and ask. Perhaps marketing is aware of the gaps in the customer journey experience and they’re working on getting those pieces published asap. Or maybe they aren’t. It’s best to share the feedback and have open dialogue around how you can work together to see the gaps filled. 

Maybe the messaging around a new feature doesn’t quite make sense to you, ask for clarification. If you consider yourself somewhat of an expert on the topic and you’re confused, then someone else could be too. This is an opportunity to make that messaging stronger.

Even buzzwords and culture matter. What terminology is being used at conferences, in articles, and at customer visits? Your team may prescribe a particular use case, but what are you actually seeing in the field? You could learn about some creative new ways teams are using your product. Share these insights! 

Ultimately, these programs can only be as good as what we put into them. And sometimes we just don’t know what we don’t know. Sharing insights and perspectives helps everyone learn and get stronger. Marketing may be experts at how to see and communicate with audiences, but sales is actually in the field involved in those conversations. Close the loop with real feedback that you can use to strengthen your messaging and campaign strategies.