Sales and Marketing Alignment 101: Your First Meeting
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 6:53 am
Peanut butter and jelly. Yin and yang. Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Sales and marketing?
If you don't think the latter should be lumped in with some of the most successful partnerships of all time , think again.
Although sales and marketing often operate in silos, research shows that these departments are more successful when they work together.
Case in point : 73% of companies with misaligned sales and marketing teams say their marketing strategies are ineffective.
two colleagues are having a meeting at a table
This is a problem, especially when it comes to customer experience (CX), which is quickly becoming one of the biggest selling points for companies looking to outshine the competition. Alignment between sales and marketing is key to implementing a successful CX strategy.
Marketing and sales teams that are not aligned on strategy and goals will struggle to deliver good customer service and will lose loyal customers to companies with better CX.
But how do you get these teams to play well?
Historically, sales and marketing have operated in silos benefits of using the uae phone number list and breaking down the barrier that keeps these teams at arm's length can be fraught with problems, misunderstandings and resistance.
The Key to Aligning Sales and Marketing? Baby Steps.
You won't be able to align everything overnight, but starting with the basics, including roles, goals, and processes, will make it easier to move towards closer alignment in the long run.
Let's look at the five most important agenda items to consider when aligning your sales and marketing, and the actions you should take to take alignment to the next level.
5 Agenda Items to Help Kick-Start Sales and Marketing Alignment
Jump to:
Define the roles of each team
Set common goals
Coordinate processes
Align with the target consumer
Let's talk about technology
1. Define the roles of each team
Aligning sales and marketing doesn't mean each team takes on the other's roles. It's about each team being able to identify how their roles complement each other.
In theory, marketing and sales are after the same thing: customers. In practice, they work differently to get them.
While marketing is the bait, the job of sales is to bring customers in. Marketing roles range from advertising to email and SEO, while sales can have a variety of roles, such as account management or business development.
Having a better understanding of who is on which team and what each one does ensures that both teams are on the same page when starting the alignment process. This is also the time and place to break down any departmental jargon that is unfamiliar to people outside the practice.
It may seem obvious, but clearly defining these roles sets the boundaries for how well these teams work together.
If you don't think the latter should be lumped in with some of the most successful partnerships of all time , think again.
Although sales and marketing often operate in silos, research shows that these departments are more successful when they work together.
Case in point : 73% of companies with misaligned sales and marketing teams say their marketing strategies are ineffective.
two colleagues are having a meeting at a table
This is a problem, especially when it comes to customer experience (CX), which is quickly becoming one of the biggest selling points for companies looking to outshine the competition. Alignment between sales and marketing is key to implementing a successful CX strategy.
Marketing and sales teams that are not aligned on strategy and goals will struggle to deliver good customer service and will lose loyal customers to companies with better CX.
But how do you get these teams to play well?
Historically, sales and marketing have operated in silos benefits of using the uae phone number list and breaking down the barrier that keeps these teams at arm's length can be fraught with problems, misunderstandings and resistance.
The Key to Aligning Sales and Marketing? Baby Steps.
You won't be able to align everything overnight, but starting with the basics, including roles, goals, and processes, will make it easier to move towards closer alignment in the long run.
Let's look at the five most important agenda items to consider when aligning your sales and marketing, and the actions you should take to take alignment to the next level.
5 Agenda Items to Help Kick-Start Sales and Marketing Alignment
Jump to:
Define the roles of each team
Set common goals
Coordinate processes
Align with the target consumer
Let's talk about technology
1. Define the roles of each team
Aligning sales and marketing doesn't mean each team takes on the other's roles. It's about each team being able to identify how their roles complement each other.
In theory, marketing and sales are after the same thing: customers. In practice, they work differently to get them.
While marketing is the bait, the job of sales is to bring customers in. Marketing roles range from advertising to email and SEO, while sales can have a variety of roles, such as account management or business development.
Having a better understanding of who is on which team and what each one does ensures that both teams are on the same page when starting the alignment process. This is also the time and place to break down any departmental jargon that is unfamiliar to people outside the practice.
It may seem obvious, but clearly defining these roles sets the boundaries for how well these teams work together.