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.
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.
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.
Put procedures in writing and set expectations to help promote cooperation and a functional relationship between your two teams.
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.
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