Thunder and lightning. Locks and keys. Fish and chips. And in my case, golf and hot dogs.
We think of many words in pairs. When you’re excited to get going on a new project, you don’t get started with vim. You attack it with vim and vigor!
When you’re waiting in intense anticipation, you’re not just on pins, you’re on pins and needles.
Cops and robbers or bride and groom?
In our world, the words sales and marketing roll easily off the tongue. But this pairing is often more akin to cops and robbers than bride and groom.
If marketing is going to earn its seat at the C-suite table by driving pipeline, and sales is going to meet quotas, it’s time to emphasize the AND in sales and marketing. There is no way for sales to be successful without marketing. And no way for marketing to be successful without sales.
Sales and marketing must commit to a life-long union, for better or worse.
On their own, sales cannot penetrate the right accounts without Marketing’s buyer journey research. Marketing might as well not generate leads if there isn’t a common language and clearly defined lead hand-offs. ABM is a non-starter if there is no alignment around target segments.
Leads will leak through the pipes if marketing automation and CRM are not integrated.
But you don’t have to rush to the alignment alter. Instead, you can plan for a longer engagement. Start with a dialog about common goals and how marketing can help sales. Recognize that full alignment will take time and will involve some negotiations.
And never-ending conversations… because communication is the key to successful unions.
Download the Springboard
To understand the six steps for superior marketing and sales, download Demand Spring’s Springboard: How Marketing and Sales Can Become a Dynamic Duo.
The and end.
