Inbound marketing attracts customers through smart, relevant content posted on blogs and social media. Content that adds value to a customer's life or makes the purchasing process easier helps to build customer trust. Inbound marketing strategies cultivate leads comprised of well-informed, well-educated consumers who know what they want and how to get it.
So, what happens when a lead generated through inbound marketing encounters a sales team focused on making traditional sales? In truth, it can be disastrous. Hubspot estimates that misaligned marketing and sales techniques cost companies one trillion dollars annually.
Aligning your marketing and sales team is the only way to ensure that leads are converted into return customers. These tips will help you bring your sales and marketing team together.
Set Mutual Goals
Schedule weekly meetings with your sales and marketing groups. During the meetings, set goals that apply to both groups. Once goals have been set, monitor progress regularly. Set benchmarks that ensure both sides will know when they're advancing toward their goal. Mutual goals encourage both teams to work together and check in with one another regularly throughout the week. The more they work together, the easier it will be to align the groups.
Bring Together Your Sales and Marketing Teams
In many businesses, sales and marketing sections are so separate and distinct that they occupy different spaces in the building. Bringing your teams physically closer together is a great way to close the culture gap between these two sections.
Rearrange your office space to ensure that sales and marketing can interact, talk to one another and develop professional relationships. The more each group chats personally, the more each group will also discuss work matters, strategies and successes. Bringing your marketing and sales team together into one space or adjacent spaces helps the groups feel unified.
Establish Procedures and Expectations
Put procedures in writing and set expectations to help promote cooperation and a functional relationship between your two teams.
- When will marketing pass qualified leads on to sales?
- How often will sales follow up with leads? Over what period of time?
- How does your company define "sales qualified lead"?
- What information will marketing give to sales when passing on the lead?
Answering these questions and others like them will help your two groups fall into lock step, provided that both sides follow the policies and procedures.
Contact ProFromGo
ProFromGo is your source for help with digital marketing. Using SEO best practices, compelling content, smart web design and streaming video, we help companies bring in leads, develop their brand and build a strong rapport with clients. We're local to Pittsburgh, so we know and understand consumers from the area. For help with your digital marketing strategy, contact us today at (412) 530-5027.
