When marketing
and sales collide

When sales and marketing are on the same page, amazing things happen. We’ve all seen underfunded niche companies outflank global conglomerates to become market leaders. We’ve also seen big companies create a moat around their business that allows them to stay ahead of the pack and dominate.

Too often, however, the success of companies big and small is thwarted when relationships between sales and marketing become dysfunctional.

A shotgun marriage

Sales and marketing are no different than marriage partners. They complement each other’s strengths and needs. Bitterness and distrust creep in when one side feels neglected. Much too often, sales becomes the angry partner.

Salespeople are not shy about telling marketing that their needs aren’t being met. They have no other agenda besides selling. Quotas hang over their heads and time ticks on their employment contracts. They can’t live on their base salaries. They must sell to survive.

They are vocal. They are loud. They are brutally honest. Great sales and marketing teams are made when both sides listen to each other. When sales feels marketing is in the trenches with them, trust and teamwork take root. But when communication breaks down, sales teams feel deserted.

Off to marriage counseling

The first step toward a better relationship is simple. But it takes commitment and thick skin. Marketing must solicit honest feedback from sales. When was the last time you traveled with salespeople, hired ex-salespeople, or had lunch with salespeople? When was the last time they graded your performance?

Sales are heavily dependent on brand positioning and messaging in order to stand apart from the competition. Lack of differentiation leaves sales vulnerable to price erosion, lower margins, and lower commissions. It can easily be the difference between a win and a loss.

The upside of paranoia

The next steps are a bit harder because they involve self-inspection and a change of culture.

Begin by auditing your messaging and comparing it to the messaging of your competitors. You may be shocked to learn that they say the same undifferentiated things, in the same boring ways.

Now, inject some healthy paranoia into your marketing department. Get out in the field. Build a competitive positioning team. Find out why sales are lost—without always blaming sales. Be careful not to drink your own Kool-Aid. Create positioning and messaging that will help sales to stand out.