Aligning Sales and Marketing for Business Growth
Sales and marketing seems to trip off the tongue as easily as fish and chips, doesn’t it?
But should sales and marketing be aligned together, or should they be two very separate disciplines?
And as a business owner why does this matter to you?
There are certainly some connections between the two – after all if the marketing is working effectively the business will be growing, and as a consequence selling more.
But the challenge is that marketing should be very much focused on developing deep and effective relationships with customers, and using that knowledge to attract more like minded customers. Those relationships will mean the customer becomes loyal, recommends you and potentially buys more, and sticks with you. But equally, and this is crucial, he will also trust you.
And the reason for that trust?
You’ve earned it – your business has proved itself. This should also mean that you wouldn’t let that customer buy something that wasn’t right for them, indeed you may have pointed him to another company, rather than sell him the wrong service or product for his needs.
If you are doing your marketing well it also means the customer comes to you, and you don’t have to chase the customer. And we believe that’s why it’s important for business owners to understand the difference.
The trouble is in a sales environment there can be a huge focus on achieving a target – often at any cost. When the focus is on the sale rather than the customer, how good is that relationship?
We think it is possible for sales and marketing to work together – as long as the customer is at the heart of everything they do.
