Sales and marketing are a package deal, whether we like it or not. Because of their essential relationship, it's critical to make sure the two departments work together. When you align sales and marketing, you can efficiently establish (and measure) goals and promote a healthier, more productive work environment.
After all, companies that align sales and marketing departments achieve 20% annual revenue growth. What can you do to align your sales and marketing teams? The first step is getting the two to meet together. The next step is figuring out how you want that meeting to go. Here are some ideas for productive meetings:
Holding weekly debriefs are a good start to sales and marketing alignment. It keeps everyone in the loop. These weekly meetings allow marketers to understand how your sales team is doing with their quotas and goals. They also allow sales teams to know about upcoming marketing campaigns, as well as what kind of content the team is coming up with.
This allows the two departments to keep up with each other and even analyze their combined performance. A helpful tip for this kind of meeting: keep it short and to the point. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel, just keep everyone informed in so they are aware of how their efforts will interact moving forward.
Attending events is a good way to improve office morale. Why not get your sales and marketing teams to do it together? They could go to business conferences or speaking engagements, for example. However, you don’t necessarily need to choose events that are business related. The fact that you're giving your staff a chance to get out of the office and do something as a group is enough.
This practice also enables the two departments to get to know each other on a personal level, something they can’t always get in the office. They can share an experience, the effects of which can bleed over into work performance and help you align sales and marketing. Going to an event gives the staff a chance to blow off steam and can make for a healthier work environment. After all, people who work hard, need to play hard sometimes too.