Some may think of sales and marketing as two separate disciplines in an organization, when in reality there are many reasons for why they should be working together. On February 23rd I attended the Communitech Tech Leadership Conference 2011 in Waterloo. The conference included keynote speakers Geoffrey Moore and Watt Wacker, followed by a discussion panel in the afternoon moderated by Kevin Newman. During the afternoon breakout session I attended John Neeson’s lecture on “The Marketing Organization of the Future.” Working for the marketing and sales research company Sirius Decisions, John passed along great tips on how to set up your marketing department so your sales don’t fall behind.
Want to know why sales and marketing should work together? Below are some pointers that small businesses and startups will find useful.
“58% of Leads Are Coming From the Internet”
What does this mean for small businesses? If you haven’t embraced social media, do it quickly. According to John, companies that use social media have 30% more inquiries than those who do not. This statistic also emphasizes the importance of a website. Keep in mind, a Facebook page is not a useful substitute for a website.
It’s Important For Your Sales & Marketing Department to Get to Know Each Other
One of the main reasons for this is: a sales person and a marketing person have completely different takes on what counts as a “lead”. For startups and small businesses, many do not have the resources to hire someone for sales AND marketing. Solve this problem one of two ways: 1) Hire someone who excels at sales AND marketing, 2) Hire a consulting firm who specializes in sales AND marketing for startups. Bridge the gap between the two departments and you’ll increase your lead generation. By working with startups and small businesses with the goal of improving their sales and marketing efforts, the team at VA Partners is ready to help with this!
“Marketing Strategies Are Like Your Family, Some Are Dysfunctional and They’re All Different”
While at a conference, John was asked by a CFO to show him “the best marketing strategy.” After John questioned his statement, the CFO replied with: “I want to know which one is the best so I can get rid of the rest.” A mistake made by many: marketing isn’t linear, it is multidimensional so do not expect success by relying on one strategy alone.
“72% of Marketing Analyzes a Solution, Not a Product.”
The reason why most of us hang up on the telemarketer (and not just because they call during dinner) is because no one wants to be “sold to”. People don’t believe in buying something they “need”, they believe in a solution. Before starting your business, ask yourself: what problem am I solving and why is it so important to solve?
If you’re big or small there will always be marketing and sales challenges. In order to minimize these challenges, bridge the gap between these two divisions.
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