Confessions from a Sales Training Marketing Director

I'm new to the role of Marketing Director within a Sales Training organization.

This new position brings to life the ever-present conversation around sales and marketing alignment.

In my world, I'm learning to balance these two mindsets to create a smoother customer experience for our TrustPoint Management clients.

Studies show that almost 60 percent of the buying process takes place before a lead contacts a business.

It's my job to educate our sales team that while our marketing efforts engage prospects in conversations, our sales team can also market themselves on social media.

I admit I need the help of my sales team to:

Define our ideal client.

• We need to agree on who our main customers are and how we should be messaging them.
• What are their common characteristics? (Yes, I'm aware salespeople might better understand their buyer's journey and what might encourage them to move through the funnel)

Agree on what makes a sales-ready qualified lead.

• Both sides need to agree on what prospects are worth meeting and discussing products personally. (Nobody wants to waste someone else's time)

Understand who owns the relationship with our prospects and who controls the conversation.

• Every great relationship begins with a solid introduction. Marketing should set up Sales to be an expert consultant.

Agree on follow-up steps and accountability for doing so.

• Marketing's focus on processes should set up Sales with qualified prospects.
• Marketing can then support Sales through the nurturing process.

Everyone loves great looks, but substance gets respect.

• Quality marketing gets attention.
• But yes, I recognize that salespeople have big egos, er, rather deserve respect for their depth of product knowledge and ability to nurture relationships.

It's essential for us to recognize all of our messaging must focus on our customer needs.

A well-groomed understanding of customer needs, and how our products address those needs, can provide invaluable insights based on what matters most to our prospects, providing more effective presentations and proposals that solve customer's needs.

This atmosphere of cooperation and business development processes creates an enormous asset for organizations.

When was the last time you evaluated your practices and how they align with the steps mentioned above?

Is now the time to help your business thrive by improving communication, coordination, and efficiency to see what a difference they can make on your business development efforts?

For an eye-opening, no-nonsense look at the modern-day world of sales, download our free eBook, Why Salespeople Fail... and What You Can Do About it!