Sales and Marketing Alignment: Kick The Sales And Marketing Silo To The Curb

This post was updated on August 24, 2021.

Without a solid marketing effort, even the best product will not sell.

Without a successful sales department, your B2B tech organization will not be in business long enough to build a marketing department or pay its employees.

It is easy to see sales and marketing as standalone departments (and they may see themselves as such), but they are inextricably connected to each other.

Put another way, there can be no sales department without marketing and no marketing department without sales. This may seem obvious, but a surprising number of B2B tech organizations fail to grasp this concept.

Not convinced yet? Did you know:

97% of B2B buyers say it is important that vendor websites have easy access to ungated marketing content?
73% of B2B buyers say they typically consume between three and seven pieces of marketing content before speaking with a sales representative?
74% of B2B buyers conduct over half of their research before making a final purchasing decision?

Modern B2B buyers may be more sophisticated and better educated, but they still look to sales professionals to provide added value and additional deeper product or service information.

In order for your sales department to be fully equipped to close a deal, they need to pick up exactly where the B2B tech marketing strategy leaves off- employing the same language and engaging in conversation that supplements the already existing content. Incorporating your marketing team into your sales department meetings can be a way to create a content strategy that answers questions potential B2B buyers have.

Learn how you can align your sales and marketing teams at our Webinar: How To Create A Marketing And Sales Engine + Keep It Running.

Scaling Your B2B Tech Organization with Sales and Marketing Alignment

Having said that, no company can scale its operations and grow successfully with just sales or just marketing. The most successful B2B tech organizations are able to blend these two critical functions together to present their customers with a truly integrated buying experience.

Involving marketing in these sales decisions from the beginning can significantly lower the cost of sales. In other words, great marketing can make the job of the sales team more efficient, while making sales more predictable and lowering costs.

According to a 2020 LinkedIn survey, 44% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to consider a brand when a salesperson shares content applicable to their role in the decision-making process.

Not only does a solid sales program capitalize on existing marketing efforts to convert more prospects into buyers, but a successful salesperson engages the marketing team to create content that directly relates to the pains they are hearing from their prospective customers.

While content marketing efforts like white papers and case studies are still very important (they help B2B buyers move along the buying lifecycle), they are not the sole drivers of sales. Few if any large purchases are driven by these efforts alone, and without a solid sales force behind them few companies can succeed long term.

Wondering how exactly to unite the two disparate departments? Take note from one of our previous blog posts, Sales and Marketing Alignment: Breakdown Silos in Your B2B Tech Organization:

Share information: This one seems obvious, but today’s remote and hybrid working environment takes deliberate action. Spark collaboration with your sales and marketing teams by asking the following questions:
- What types of questions are customers asking the sales team?
- What pieces of content are providing the best lead generation for the sales team?
- How can marketing better support sales through its multichannel marketing strategy?

Designate time together:
- Place time on the calendar yearly, monthly, and weekly to discuss your progress towards shared goals.

Create shared goals:
- Sales and marketing are batting for the same team- your B2B tech organization. Creating your goals together is essential to scaling your B2B organization.

Marketing and sales have always been vital parts of any organization, and that is more true today than ever before. Sales and marketing have always been, and continue to be, in it together. The most successful B2B tech organizations understand this and utilize each department to empower the other.

Learn the latest tips and tricks to create a culture of collaboration between your sales and marketing teams by signing up for our monthly newsletter here.

Sales and Marketing Together: Now You’re Speaking Your B2B Buyers’ Language

At Leadit Marketing, we’re a B2B lead generation agency focused on the strategy, processes, people, and technology that helps companies sell more, faster. We offer the most comprehensive set of services in the business — from demand generation strategy and lead lifecycle management to persona development and reporting.

Let’s meet to discuss how we can help your organization unite your sales and marketing teams. Book a free 30-minute consultation with our growth marketing experts here.

Check out our related sales and marketing alignment resources:

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Sales and Marketing Alignment: Kick The Sales And Marketing Silo To The Curb