Sales need marketing like plants need sunlight – here’s why

What we’re about to tell you won’t come as a surprise, but sales needs marketing in order to flourish.

You might be rolling your eyes at that statement, fully aware that a sales strategy cannot succeed without the vital support of effective marketing. 

But do sales feel the same? 

In our Why Marketing Managers Are the Bee’s Knees blog, we discussed how there is often friction between sales and marketing. When sales targets aren’t hit, marketing becomes the scapegoat, blamed for bringing in poor-quality leads. 

And when an incredible business deal is closed…well, it was the sales team that closed it; it doesn’t matter that the marketing department spent months nurturing a lead through the conversion funnel.

The reality is, however, that sales needs marketing. And marketing needs sales. These departments are two of the most significant drivers of business growth – and their alignment is essential for increasing performance.

Stopping the sales and marketing silos

Unfortunately, due to being seen to have clearly distinct roles, these departments typically operate in silos. This can look like the physical separation of the two teams in the office, a lack of meetings that require both of their involvement, or individual systems and processes that the other doesn’t have access to.

This shouldn’t be the case because sales and marketing are more alike than we might think! 

Both departments are fundamentally focused on increasing revenue  – they just use different tactics to achieve this. Marketing typically creates awareness, generates interest, and nurtures leads, while sales concentrates on converting those leads into paying customers. 

Both teams also benefit from deep customer insights, engage in relationship-building, and contribute to the overall brand messaging.

They have a lot to offer one another.

So it’s time to put aside your differences for the greater good, and create a force to be reckoned with!

Here are some of the main benefits that come when sales and marketing work together:

Improved lead quality

Marketing plays a crucial role in generating leads by attracting potential customers through various strategies such as advertising (PPC and paid social), content marketing, social media marketing, digital PR, and SEO. These leads are then nurtured and passed on to the sales team, who focus on converting them into paying customers.

This collaborative approach not only improves lead quality but also leverages the unique insights of both teams. Sales professionals, with their direct customer interactions, possess invaluable knowledge about client needs and pain points. 

Sharing this information with marketing produces more targeted, resonant content and campaigns, providing better sales materials – whether that’s in the form of brochures, website content, case studies, or other promotional material.

The byproduct of these marketing assets is that they help individuals to make informed buying decisions and can reduce the time sales teams spend explaining basic concepts or features.

A smoother sales process

At the top of the sales funnel is brand awareness. If nobody knows about your business, or what it does, how will it be able to convert? Trust is key. Statistics show that nine in ten consumers consider trust an important consideration when buying from a brand, and seven in ten agree it’s more important to trust the businesses they buy or use today than in the past.

Personalisation plays a role in building this trust too. Marketing teams can create highly targeted and personalised adverts, content, and email campaigns etc that resonate with specific customer segments and their interests and pain points. This tailored approach helps individuals feel understood and valued from their first interaction with the brand. 

Trust and personalisation creates a smoother sales process, leading to shorter sales cycles, higher close rates, and improved customer satisfaction from the outset of their relationship with the company.

Competitive advantage

The more teams communicate and share insights with one another, the more knowledgeable they become about their customers and their challenges. This unified approach can lead to innovative strategies and tactics that set your business apart from competitors, while remaining agile in a world where market conditions and customer preferences are constantly evolving. 

Meanwhile, competitors trapped with siloed processes, systems, and goals will struggle to adapt, missing opportunities that you can swiftly capitalise on.

Better customer retention 

Your efforts should not stop once you’ve onboarded a client, or sold them a product. By working together, sales and marketing can create a more cohesive strategy that enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately leading to better retention rates. Here are some ways:

Content creation: marketing can create valuable content that helps customers get the most out of the company’s products/services, such as how-to guides, best practices, and product updates and news. This content can support the sales team in providing ongoing value to customers and improving their experience.

Success stories/case studies: sales teams often have success stories about how customers have benefitted from the product or service. Marketing can use this information to create compelling content which not only attracts new business, but resonates with current customers and reinforces their decision to stay with the company. 

Identifying churn signals: the sales department will be the first to notice signs that a customer is unhappy or at risk of leaving. Spotting any trends, marketing can address some of these issues via social media marketing, or targeted email marketing campaigns, etc.

Segmentations for upsells and cross-sells: sales may identify a segment of customers that may benefit from an upsell or cross-sell, but need marketing’s help to further that consideration. Imagine a gym, for example. The sales team may notice that there are a group of customers who have basic memberships, but are often paying for additional services i.e. fitness classes or personal training. In this case, marketing can support by running campaigns promoting premium memberships that include other services, ultimately saving them money.

A mutual understanding 

As discussed, the relationship between sales and marketing can often be strained. Misaligned objectives, communication barriers, attribution disputes, and resource competition are some of the main reasons for this, and it can often feel like sales vs marketing, as opposed to a joint effort to support wider business goals.

Regular meetings and collaborative platforms can encourage both departments to be more open with one another, with real-time feedback supporting data-driven decisions. Both teams on the same page means any issues that arise can be addressed quicker too. 

Job shadowing can offer first-hand insights into how the other team works, and can build empathy and understanding, while joint training sessions can help to close any knowledge gaps and ensure consistent brand messaging across departments.

Conclusion

All good relationships take work, and the relationship between sales and marketing teams is no different. But it’s time to ditch the silos and put aside any frustrations. These departments each hold the key to enhancing the other’s strategies, and together, they unlock the door to greater business success.