Learn how to unite marketing and sales to generate more results

Did you know that marketing and sales, even though they are different departments, have several things in common? These are areas that must work together to achieve a company’s goals. It is clear that both teams have their attributions and peculiarities, but it is undeniable that if they work together in harmony, the results will be much more satisfactory.

Generally, marketing and sales are two areas analyzed separately within a company because they require different backgrounds. Marketing aims to arouse public interest in a product or service; the sales area, on the other hand, is related to the direct transaction with the purchase of a product or service by this public, which in most cases has already had the interest aroused through marketing.

Disagreements between these areas are common within an organization, which can happen due to lack of alignment, dialogue or knowledge. But this reality, which unfortunately still exists, can be softened when managers and leaders of a company decide to build a good connection between the teams, making them understand that they must “go together” to bring the expected results for both parties.

Do you want to know how to unite the marketing and sales areas so that they act in an integrated way, learn about the benefits of this combination and, in this way, gain more leads and customers for your business? Follow this text to the end and find out how to bring this scenario to your company.

How does the marketing area work?

Before knowing how to unite these two universes, the reasons and benefits of this combination, it is necessary to understand how these two areas work separately. The marketing area is responsible for the actions, campaigns and plans made to publicize and strengthen the image and presence of a brand within its segment.

Marketing anticipates the needs and desires of future customers, making them interested in a product or service. That is, marketing precedes sales, opening up a business opportunity and attracting the consumer to make a purchase, thus generating profit for the company.

How does the sales area work?

The sales area, on the other hand, is responsible for the direct sales of a company’s products or services through tactics, processes and plans for a commercial transaction to take place and, in this way, to have a financial return.

The use of appropriate channels to prospect for new customers and choosing the right tools for this (such as CRM software, for example) are some of the sales team’s duties to make conversions even more frequent.

Differences between the areas of marketing and Sales

Now that you have understood how the two areas work separately, let’s understand their differences. We’ve seen that each area works in different ways, but that the end goal is the same: to get conversions, new customers and sales.

While marketing needs to identify, attract and prepare potential leads to generate interest in the product or service presented, the sales department needs to turn these leads into profit, that is, into sales that materialize.

The two sectors, then, work at different stages of what is known as the “marketing and sales funnel” or “consumer purchase journey”. Thus, both aim to deliver the best results for a brand.

What do the areas have in common?

Now that we’ve covered the differences between marketing and sales, let’s understand what they have in common. Yes, even though they are different, they have similarities, as mentioned above. The two areas follow the consumer’s path through the “funnel”: between the awakening of a doubt or interest in purchasing a product or service.

The marketing team needs to have a good sales team to be able to generate conversions and the sales team needs a good marketing team to generate the best business opportunities.

Therefore, both teams’ objectives are always shared: positive results. And, with the help of the internet and technology, aligned with online activities – increasingly present nowadays –, the integration of the two areas contributes a lot to the growth of a business.

What are the benefits of bringing the two areas together?

Knowing what each one does, their functions, differences and similarities, the time has come to discover the benefits of combining marketing with sales. Let’s check it out?

Improved public approach

The two areas deal with the target audience with the intention of impacting it. When both work together, they get more information about their audience and, in this way, guarantee valuable data when captivating them.

The combination of marketing and sales provides greater accuracy in approaches, both to attract the potential customer and to approach him to achieve a conversion.

Thus, the marketing team will know the right moment to make a value proposition, and the sales team will know how to convince the consumer to close the deal.

Reduction of costs and waste

Perhaps this is the clearest benefit and one of the most interesting when we bring the two areas together. It’s always very important to save time and resources, isn’t it? Even more so with high competition and the exorbitant increase in prices, due to inflation and other factors.

Thus, joining marketing and sales can provide a reduction of costs and waste in several ways. Automation is an example. It makes processes simpler and more efficient, increasing productivity, in addition to eliminating rework.

With the joining of the two teams, the relationship will become transparent, friendly and flexible, and the focus will be on what really matters: impacting, delighting and converting customers. The areas will not “disturb” each other and will work together, ensuring a mutually supportive environment.

That waste is reduced, both in terms of time and efficiency, as both parties will recognize their responsibilities and what they must do: marketing, impacting potential customers, and sales.

Long-lasting partnership between areas

The good relationship between marketing and sales will turn into a great partnership between the teams. Marketing professionals will be able to bring insights so that sales professionals can create more personalized approaches for each of the customers and, thus, achieve more conversions.

On the other hand, sellers will be able to help the marketing team with information about the behavior, doubts and difficulties of the public and, in this way, marketing will be able to develop more accurate strategies. Thus, the consumer experience is also beneficial at all stages of the purchase journey, whether at the beginning, at the end or after the sales.

Better understanding of the consumer moment

When marketing and sales work together, a more complete picture of the company’s future is created, with better strategic predictability for defining budgets, campaigns, deadlines and periods, among others. And both teams are able to understand what moment the consumer is in to be able to act: if it is time for new conversions or to attract customers to the base, for example.

After all, how to unite the areas of marketing and sales?

The expected moment has arrived: knowing how to unite, in fact, the marketing and sales areas. We’ve already talked about the benefits of this integration, now let’s get to know the strategies to make it happen. See it next.

Jointly set goals

From the moment the two teams begin to work in partnership, it is necessary to define the objectives together. Of course, each team has its own responsibilities and internal objectives, but common goals must be established.

The two teams must know what each one needs to do so that, together, they can reach these goals, so that one does not work harder than the other and that the environment is one of cooperation and division of tasks.

Establish the responsibilities of each team

With the definition of joint objectives, the responsibilities and obligations of each team must be established. Thus, everyone is aligned with the tasks and knowing what must be done individually.

For this to be possible, there is an agreement known as SLA, which stands for “Service Level Agreement”. This agreement is made between the two parties so that both work towards the same goals and to remain in constant communication, always aware of everything that is being done.

Track – if possible daily – the teams

For the combination of the two areas to actually work, it is not enough to align the objectives and responsibilities of each one. It is necessary to monitor what is being done from time to time to check if the teams are close to fulfilling what was defined or if some adjustments will be necessary.

In this way, it is possible to identify and communicate problems along the way so that solutions are thought of as quickly as possible so that both teams reach the proposed goals.

Now that you already know what the marketing and sales areas do, how they work, their differences, what they have in common, the benefits of both working together and how important it is to unite them in a business, how about joining the two teams in your company? Don’t know how? Get in touch with us right now!