Capulets and Montagues. Frazier and Ali. The Resistance and The Empire.
As with all rivalries, one must lose for the other to win.
The winner can then further their agenda, whether it’s financial gain or galactic rule.
However, even when there’s no overt rivalry, differing agendas and perspectives have an impact, even for teams that share an objective.
Whether significant or slight, intentional or not, when there’s misalignment, the shared objective suffers.
This is a common challenge with Sales & Marketing teams.
Both contribute to a shared goal: efficiently engaging, acquiring, and retaining customers—all in the service of greater revenue.
Misalignment reliably limits their success.
No Silver Bullet for the Complex Challenge: Sales and Marketing Alignment
There are numerous common causes of the issues that drive Sales & Marketing teams apart. Some are founded in the company’s business model, longevity, culture, leadership dynamics, communications, etc.
Still others are tactical and rooted in process.
Piling on, the teams may have differing perspectives about customers’ needs and how to serve them. Think of the parable of blindfolded people feeling an elephant: one describes the animal based on their experience with the tusks. Another bases their description from the tail. They’re both right.
Without an integrated understanding, they’re both wrong too. Neither can do right by that elephant until they have a complete, shared understanding.
The larger point is that deep, multivariate, complex issues open the gap between Sales & Marketing.
No simple fix is adequate to close that gap. Here are a few that are commonly offered:
* Comingled seating
* Calling them “SMarketing”
* Scheduled ride-alongs with the other team
* Regular meetings with both teams
If there is any positive result from these tactics, it doesn’t last because they don’t address the deep, complex root causes.
A House Divided: Sales and Marketing Alignment Matters
Companies with misaligned Sales & Marketing teams pay a high price, losing 10% of annual revenue to that misalignment.
Cumulatively, that’s a $1 trillion annual loss for US companies.
There are more discrete symptoms:
* 70% of Marketing content is never used
* 50% of Sales’ time is spent on “unproductive” prospecting
When companies create cohesion between Sales & Marketing, they improve efficiency, lower costs and grow sustainable revenue.
From their existing teams.
Well-aligned teams can drive 20% annual revenue growth.
Sales & Marketing Fusion: the Force that Drives Revenue Growth, whether through consulting or a workshop, takes clients through the transformation needed to grow sustainable revenue.
I start at the beginning: the root causes of disunity. Then, I draw Sales & Marketing teams together around understanding and process.
I also ensure that teams can sustain their valuable cohesion—and the revenue that results—after the program.
To learn more about my services that unite Sales & Marketing teams:
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Whether Sales & Marketing teams are currently rivals, or struggling through their version of “Potato, Potahto”, closing the gap between them grows sustainable revenue.
About Marina Erulkar
I create comprehensive growth strategies for mid-sized companies. My clients gain greater revenue and lower costs. I frequently uncover unseen revenue sources.
I begin with a proprietary assessment that combines quantitative, qualitative, and process. The resulting recommendations are quantified and prioritized so you will gain the greatest revenue sooner and with the least, if any investment. Clear plans ensure that teams can quickly execute.
Engagements are typically completed in under three months.
The result for my clients is greater, reliable top- and bottom-line revenue. And a growing business.
To see if I can help you grow revenue and reduce costs:
Photo credit: Brooke Cagle.