Sales and marketing teams can sometimes feel like they’re on different wavelengths. Sales reps may believe they closed the deal while marketing may claim the lead was ready to close. There’s often a disconnect because sales and marketing are managed separately and measured differently. This can lead to work happening in silos.

Sales Gravy’s Jeb Blount, Jr. says companies with misaligned sales and marketing teams waste more leads and see annual revenues decline. Those that achieve true alignment? They close more deals and grow revenue faster, he says.

If you want to make sure your sales and marketing teams are on the same page, read on. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share insight from Blount on how to foster a stronger cohesion between sales and marketing.

  1. Establish shared goals and metrics. Blount recommends scheduling a joint planning session with sales and marketing to agree on 3 to 5 shared KPIs, like conversion rate from marketing qualified leads to sales qualified leads. This shared ownership creates accountability on both sides.

  2. Foster open communication. Sales and marketing team members should communicate often to share insights, discuss challenges and provide feedback. Blount advises scheduling weekly 30-minute alignment calls. Regular conversations can help prevent miscommunication and ensure any issues are addressed in real time.

  3. Develop a unified customer journey map. According to Blount, it’s wise for sales and marketing to work together to create a comprehensive map that outlines every touchpoint and identified engagement opportunities. A monthly journey-mapping session is a good place to start.

  4. Create consensus on responsibilities. Make sure sales and marketing team members know what’s expected of them. Blount suggests documenting responsibilities and getting both teams to agree. This can reduce confusion and minimize duplicated efforts.

  5. Embrace a customer-centric approach. When sales and marketing think alike, Blount says they can work together to deliver a seamless and consistent journey. This builds trust and loyalty. He recommends implementing a monthly customer journey audit where 1 team member from sales and 1 team member from marketing jointly follow up with 3 clients who purchased within the last 90 days. The goal is to identify any friction points or unexpected value drivers.

Everyone benefits when your promo company’s sales and marketing teams are aligned. Consider Blount’s points above, like working together on goals and objectives, to create alignment.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Jeb Blount, Jr. is the sales manager for Sales Gravy.