In episode 191, we discuss How to Foster a Mutually Supportive Relationship Between Marketing and Sales. Our subject matter expert today is Sean Campbell, CEO of Cascade Insight focuses on B2B Market Research. He has mentored companies in running successful and profitable professional services firms. He trains sales teams, turns doers into sellers to achieve exceptional performance, and balances marketing and sales efforts, so they're mutually supportive.

Common challenges for marketing and sales working in silos: Often, marketing preoccupies itself with the data while distancing itself from the customer. On the flip side, sales obsess with customers while ignoring the data. It is important to cultivate an organizational culture in which sales and marketing teams cooperate and educate themselves about the processes and systems of each other. Leadership should map out how to foster a mutually supportive relationship between marketing and sales in the organization, with the common goal of the sales and marketing teams to win over customers. ("Sales like to talk; marketing likes to write").

Role of communication between sales and marketing: There is a greater understanding of the ideal customer profile when there is positive communication between marketing and sales departments. In this regard, salespeople must be involved in marketing brainstorming over research, data set, or testing. Equally, the sales department should invite marketing people when discussing go-to-market strategies.

Alignment of metrics between marketing and sales: Sean argues that most organizations today confuse their marketing and sales teams with many metrics assigned for measurement. Typically, the starting point of marketing meetings is lead totals, while sales set off with revenue numbers. In general, our subject matter expert argues that there should be a limited number of metrics that each department is tasked with. This, therefore, makes the Alignment of metrics quite critical. (Marketing exists to create customers).

Effect of in-person versus virtual communication: Sean says there should not be major differences between face-to-face and virtual/online communication between sales and marketing. He argues that leveraging creativity effectively fosters the mutually supportive relationship between marketing and sales. Sean notes that some individuals prefer in-person communication and thus fail to take advantage of the possibilities of virtual communication. Sean observes that his capacity to close deals with potential customers in the virtual space has increased dramatically since the pandemic. He advises salespeople to use AI tools like ChatGPT to write content and emails.

Time codes

(02:37) Common challenges for marketing and sales working in silos

(09:09) Role of communication between sales and marketing

(14:17) Alignment of metrics between marketing and sales

(16:46) Effect of in-person versus virtual communication