Last week, Butler Street held our annual strategic retreat after missing last year due to the pandemic. Three days together as a team was productive, and critical, after an unprecedented year of adjustments and pivoting to best meet the needs of our clients.

Working through initiatives and priorities, the strategic sessions included sales AND marketing in developing our long-term growth strategy for positioning, profitability, and new market penetration. Each initiative included input from both teams and how we would work together to support initiatives and grow revenue.

If your marketing and sales teams are not joined at the hip, reconsider what successful organizations already know: sales and marketing must work toward common goals and initiatives and never, ever work in silos.

Here are four steps to align your sales and marketing teams, increase win rates and grow revenue faster:

1. Connect Regularly

Schedule regular meetings for sales and marketing to connect. Hint: the sales pipeline meeting is a great place for this.

At each weekly Butler Street team meeting, we discuss marketing campaigns and updates, sales pipeline and process, and share other topics relevant to the business. A weekly meeting will increase the exposure of marketing efforts by the sales team, allow for additional input and feedback for improvement, and insights for marketing to creatively support sales team activity.

Communication helps each team avoid working in silos. Not just meetings between VPs and managers, but sales and marketing teams connecting to understand each other’s processes and operating reality.

2. Review Buyer Personas and Messaging

Review buyer personas so both teams understand who your buyer/client is and the current messaging needed. Covid-19 brought to light how quickly persona needs change. Work together to develop compelling value statements for each persona and communicate revisions across teams. (See related blog: Why Most Value Props Fail)

Attending a workshop together, such as a Prospecting Workshop or DISC Workshop, can improve communication, present opportunities for collaboration, and enhance teamwork.

3. Provide Frontline Feedback

Salespeople are on the frontline - hearing first-hand the current challenges and questions of prospects and clients. Ensure this information is collected, documented, and that marketing has access to this feedback to improve the customer journey and align solutions. Utilize a sales prospecting touch plan, , and establish processes to share with marketing for discussion and progressive improvement.

What happens to marketing qualified leads (MQLs)? Who is following up, and are the results communicated across both teams? Sales and client conversations might uncover missed marketing opportunities, but it is still a missed opportunity if it's not communicated and action taken.

4. Common Goals

Marketing often focuses on campaigns, content development, branding, and nurturing leads, while Sales may be more concentrated on quotas, understanding their client's operating reality to solve problems and getting a meeting with prospects. Sales and Marketing need to have a common goal of revenue growth, aligning processes, roles and strategies to create a smoother customer journey. And it is more cost-effective and productive for companies.

Recent stats show:

• Sales and marketing alignment can lead to a 32% increase in year-over-year (YoY) revenue growth (Aberdeen Group)

• Sales and marketing alignment can lead to 208% growth in marketing revenue (Wheelhouse Advisors)

• Sales and marketing alignment can lead to 38% higher sales win rates (MarketingProfs)

Sales and marketing alignment is crucial to providing the personalized customer journey expected today, and it starts with solid leadership and effective sales skills. Build stronger processes and strengthen communication with Butler Street. We help companies and their people grow.® Contact us to learn more.