Sales and marketing are sometimes wrongly perceived as siloed activities within an organisation. Although both work together towards the common goal of promoting and selling a company’s products or services to customers, this foundational fact can sometimes be lost regarding how the roles are understood.
When sales and marketing teams understand their shared aims and work together intelligently, they each provide added value to the activities of the other. Often, this leads to career movements within the two functions such as former sales managers sidestepping into marketing positions.
Both sales and marketing should have a clear, shared understanding of the company’s goals and objectives. They should also have shared metrics to measure success, this includes aligning on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as lead generation, conversion rates, and revenue targets. The two teams need to work together to ensure that the leads generated by marketing are qualified and ready for the sales team to engage with.
How does this work within organisations?
In any organisation, the head of sales, director of sales, head of marketing and director of marketing should work closely together. Although each will have different operational roles, they will be working towards a shared goal of selling more products and services. They will be informed by each other and will develop joint strategies. Other roles within the organisation such as business development director and head of digital may combine both sales and marketing functions.
To put it simply, marketing teams are broadly helping to generate leads. It’s then the job of the sales team to convert those leads into sales. In practice, roles within organisations may not be so clear-cut. Marketing and sales often work together to create content that supports the sales process. Both teams also collaborate on events and campaigns to generate demand, build relationships with prospects and customers, and drive sales.
Broad-based experience is the key to success
Given the intrinsic links between sales and marketing functions, it can be beneficial for ambitious professionals to gain experience in both fields. Having a deep understanding of both sales and marketing enable senior staff to effectively communicate and collaborate with both teams, leading to better alignment and more effective execution of initiatives. They are then better equipped to develop and implement integrated sales and marketing strategies that drive business results.
With a broader perspective on customer behaviours and preferences, senior professionals with both sales and marketing experience are better able to inform product development and positioning. They can bring this insight to resource allocation, budgeting and prioritisation, leading to more efficient and effective use of resources.
In terms of leadership, senior professionals with sales and marketing experience are better equipped to lead and mentor both sales and marketing teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and driving business success.
By working together, the sales and marketing teams can leverage each other’s strengths, create a more consistent and integrated customer experience, and drive better business outcomes.
Professionals well-versed in both sales and marketing are better equipped to foster this dynamic collaboration to drive growth for their organisations.
