I’ve been thinking a lot lately about relationships, and I’m not talking about the sappy stuff. I’m talking about business relationships. But since I’ve already brought it up, the best pieces of relationship advice I’ve ever received are “Communication is key” and “Relationships are built on trust”. These phrases apply to both personal life and business.
Although you may need to search elsewhere for a romantic relationship counselor, I am 100% qualified to be your marketing relationship counselor!
The Marketing Expert
Marketing and sales are on the same team, fighting the obstacle of overcoming and obtaining business growth. Marketing is all about maintaining consistent standards to control the message and visual identity. The Marketer also contributes to the overall marketing strategy, working closely with sales to maintain accurate data, provide creative support, and more. Mr. or Ms. Marketer will also be responsible for metrics, analytics and overall measurement of campaigns.
The Sales Guru
Sales-driven organizations tend to generate results. Instant results are awesome in the short term, but not necessarily effective long term. That’s why Sales needs Marketing. The seller interacts daily with customers and prospects, maintaining interaction, service, and ultimately owning the relationship for the company. Gathering important client information, providing constant interpersonal communication, and closing the sale are all important pieces of the puzzle that the Marketer needs from the Seller.
As you can see, just like in a romantic relationship, marketing and sales have to work together to ensure success. Of course, in certain situations sales can go solo and close a few deals, just like Billy the boyfriend can take off for a guy’s weekend and a good time. But, is that a long term and realistic plan for Billy’s life success? Doubt it. Jokes aside, the moral of the story here? Work together.
Marketing & Sales Relationship Tips
- Speak the same language. Respect and trust one another, and practice clear communication.
- Work together to gain customer feedback. This is critical for determining the marketing and advertising strategy.
- Support each other. Consistency between marketing campaigns and sales outreach will help shape ROI in any campaign.
It’s not always easy to get two independent groups on the same page. But, when these groups come together, they make magic.
