A united sales and marketing team can help companies increase their revenue, and a strong alignment between departments and their sales and makering measurables is essential for growth.
In fact, companies who have strong sales and marketing alignment achieved more annual revenue growth than those who don’t. However, getting sales and marketing teams on the same page can be difficult, and there are a few steps that teams need to take before moving forward.
The first step businesses need to take when helping sales and marketing teams to agree on measurables is for them to understand what those measurables are, and what they mean to both parties. Marketing and sales exist on the same side of a different coin – and measurable goals for both often come from different directions. It is vital for both parties to meet in the middle and establish what each team’s goals are, and how they can facilitate each other with those goals.
Communication is vital to ensuring that sales and marketing teams can collaborate effectively. Being able to share processes, resources, practices, expectations, responsibilities, and goals must occur from the start of the relationship to be successful.
To enhance communication and collaboration, teams should be meeting regularly to collaborate on roll-out strategies, campaign decisions, and the full scope of marketing in alignment with the company’s long and short-term goals, as well as with their own. If a goal is not possible for one team, expectations can be adjusted, and teams can pivot before it's too late. On top of this, teams can find a momentum together and open new channels for communication.
We believe weekly meetings are imperative to discuss quality leads, potential problems and decide on appropriate resolutions. Following a quarterly cadence for strategy re-focus is also essential to ensure that goals and objectives remain on track.
A service level agreement (SLA) is a written definition of what marketing and sales agree to do with and for each other. If marketing teams agree to provide a set number of quality leads within a period for the sales team to meet their quota – that would be included in the agreement. Sales might also agree to maintain a certain speed, depth, and follow-up with actionable leads.
This strategy relies on goal setting and communication and ensures accountability between teams. It will also ensure that sales and marketing have written, defined measurables that they agree to achieve – and that they can discuss at their regular meetings.
Getting the right tools in place will help marketing and sales agree on measurables and where to find the results in one place. With so much information flowing across each department, it can be overwhelming for sales and marketing teams to have to look in various place to find the information they're looking for.
With sales enablement tools – such as those offered by HubSpot and Sitecore, sales and marketing teams can understand lead generation, and watch prospects engage with content to establish realistic measurables that can be achieved and followed by both parties. Meeting weekly to review pre-agreed measurables helps keep teams on the same page as to the performance of their department.
Marketing teams should be measuring the quantity and quality of their lead generation, while sales work to action these leads at a consistent rate. Measuring success and laying a framework for accountability based on appropriate data will encourage marketing and sales teams to work together. More importantly – it will give both teams a ‘big picture’ regarding measurable, as well as how their efforts contribute to it.
If you are interested in finding out how to optimise your sales and marketing teams and show growth fast, our free 90-minute alignment and scorecard meeting with one of our team can help you get your units talking, and put you on the path to success. Find out more today.