In its textbook form, the link between sales and marketing should be nearly matrimonial. The fates of the two organizations are so deeply intertwined and the ability for each department to positively impact the other is profound to say the least. And when leads and sales are rolling in like water, everyone is happy, respectful, even flattering. But the minute sales begin to slump or leads dry up or both, like an old married couple, the old grievances of each flare up and a game of “he said/she said” ensues.
“Marketing is often seen as the red-headed stepchild,” explains Charles Watson, vice president of marketing and sales, for San Mateo-based BLUEROADS. Watson has spent time in both departments. Once you understand the way sales thinks about marketing, he explains, you can better align the two groups. The evolution of the CRM or customer relationship management solution can help to end some of the common wars between marketing and sales; namely, where sales originate, but Watson warns that a CRM in and of itself cannot unify marketing and sales.
People often think that technology alone can solve the chasm between the two groups, he adds, but technology is “just an enabler” and cannot overcome the results of proper business processes not being in place.
Paul Throldahl, senior vice president of worldwide sales for ARGUS Software, a Houston-based provider of global real estate solutions, agrees. A CRM system alone cannot correct, for example, when the campaign messaging fails to resonate with the customer. Throldahl advocates a constant feedback process between the two groups to ensure that business development activities are “coordinated and targeted.”
“Each group will ultimately have its own directives and initiatives,” he says, “but they should try to stay in lockstep on their approach and feedback system as well as put objective measures into place to gauge the effectiveness of the activities of each.”
One of the most common breakdowns between sales and marketing is the hand-off of leads. Marketing becomes frustrated when sales fails to follow up on leads; while sales complains that the leads are bad. When this happens, suggests Throldahl, representative members of each group should put their biases aside, come together and try to first understand if something is broken in the process such as the timing or method of the hand-off of leads to sales.
Additionally, he says, both groups need to review again the source of leads to determine if the market segment they represent is right for the product or check the lead qualification guidelines to ensure they are still relevant.
