Align Sales Marketing Around 3 Areas Used by the Best of Breed
Aligning sales marketing is believed to be a very difficult task. The Best of Breed are using a formula which works regardless of the size of company, the markets covered and really isn't all that hard to do.
June 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Best of breed are aligning sales and marketing in 3 main areas to increase sales. The areas which provide the best stability in the alignment of sales and marketing according to Aberdeen and lead to 20% sales increases are:
1. A common language built on core messages
2. The buying process, "how customers make buying decisions"
3. A Common sales method
Have the best of breed found a new secret or is it the 3 areas make too much sense for anyone to fight over turf wars between sales and marketing. Let's start with the first one.
If sales and marketing are using a common language built on core messages which resonant with their customers. The words leaving the sales peoples lips and the words used by marketing will be consistent.
During demand generation activities and the discovery phase of the buying cycle the customer will experience consistency in what they see and hear from sales and marketing. This appears to be reasonable and logical from the customer’s point of view.
In the second area, if sales and marketing understand what their customers expect at the various phases of the buying cycle, they can provide the right messages at the right time. They can also tailor the customer interactions, dialogues and conversations based on the vertical industry-market terminology, the size of company, and the compelling needs of the title-position of the individual making a buying decision.
Adding one and two together, sales and marketing will understand the “what and why”, as well as the “how and when” in the usage of core messages while facing prospects and customers. Helping prospects create a vision of a solution based on value in their mind, (not the seller), as they begin the discovery phase of the buy-sell cycle.
http://www.visiongroupmn.com/
The last area is a common sales method supported across the total company. Aligning the sales cycle with the buying cycle and creating an integrated buy-sell cycle. This allows sales and marketing to mutually agree upon numerous areas once the integrated cycle is created.
An example is at what sales stage or detailed step it makes the most sense to transition a marketing lead to a sales ready lead, based on the customers’ expectations. According to Aberdeen, many of the lagging companies had not mutually agreed upon what is a “sales ready lead”.
Adding the first 2 areas above with a common sales method, one can create a common sales-marketing funnel of the total buy-sell cycle. With proper measures, (which the best of breed have deployed), the common sales method can be monitored to improve the effectiveness at each stage of the combined funnel.
It begins to make one wonder, are the best of breed that much better? Regardless of the reasons for success, many companies are reviewing the alignment of sales and marketing as low hanging fruit in the current times.
# # #
About Vision Group: Our clients use consultative based sales and marketing aligned with how their customers buy. Focused on the shifting concerns of how individuals make buying decisions and their compelling business needs. This leads to the Best Buying Experience, the beginning of the Best Customer Experience.
http://www.visiongroupmn.com/
Customers tell us we help train and educate their personnel on what their best do naturally. Using behaviorally correct skills during the buy sell cycle to connect and build trust. While using the power of story with visual messaging to help new and existing customers develop a Vision of a Solution based on value.
With our continued association with Mike Bosworth we are offering training programs and consulting designed to help develop personnel to become more effective at consultative based sales, marketing and prospecting.
http://www.visiongroupmn.com
1. A common language built on core messages
2. The buying process, "how customers make buying decisions"
3. A Common sales method
Have the best of breed found a new secret or is it the 3 areas make too much sense for anyone to fight over turf wars between sales and marketing. Let's start with the first one.
If sales and marketing are using a common language built on core messages which resonant with their customers. The words leaving the sales peoples lips and the words used by marketing will be consistent.
During demand generation activities and the discovery phase of the buying cycle the customer will experience consistency in what they see and hear from sales and marketing. This appears to be reasonable and logical from the customer’s point of view.
In the second area, if sales and marketing understand what their customers expect at the various phases of the buying cycle, they can provide the right messages at the right time. They can also tailor the customer interactions, dialogues and conversations based on the vertical industry-market terminology, the size of company, and the compelling needs of the title-position of the individual making a buying decision.
Adding one and two together, sales and marketing will understand the “what and why”, as well as the “how and when” in the usage of core messages while facing prospects and customers. Helping prospects create a vision of a solution based on value in their mind, (not the seller), as they begin the discovery phase of the buy-sell cycle.
http://www.visiongroupmn.com/
The last area is a common sales method supported across the total company. Aligning the sales cycle with the buying cycle and creating an integrated buy-sell cycle. This allows sales and marketing to mutually agree upon numerous areas once the integrated cycle is created.
An example is at what sales stage or detailed step it makes the most sense to transition a marketing lead to a sales ready lead, based on the customers’ expectations. According to Aberdeen, many of the lagging companies had not mutually agreed upon what is a “sales ready lead”.
Adding the first 2 areas above with a common sales method, one can create a common sales-marketing funnel of the total buy-sell cycle. With proper measures, (which the best of breed have deployed), the common sales method can be monitored to improve the effectiveness at each stage of the combined funnel.
It begins to make one wonder, are the best of breed that much better? Regardless of the reasons for success, many companies are reviewing the alignment of sales and marketing as low hanging fruit in the current times.
# # #
About Vision Group: Our clients use consultative based sales and marketing aligned with how their customers buy. Focused on the shifting concerns of how individuals make buying decisions and their compelling business needs. This leads to the Best Buying Experience, the beginning of the Best Customer Experience.
http://www.visiongroupmn.com/
Customers tell us we help train and educate their personnel on what their best do naturally. Using behaviorally correct skills during the buy sell cycle to connect and build trust. While using the power of story with visual messaging to help new and existing customers develop a Vision of a Solution based on value.
With our continued association with Mike Bosworth we are offering training programs and consulting designed to help develop personnel to become more effective at consultative based sales, marketing and prospecting.
http://www.visiongroupmn.com
End
| Tags | : | Sales, Marketing, Selling, Business, Market Research, Vision Group, Consultative |
|---|---|---|
| Industry | : | Business, Marketing, Manufacturing |
| Location | : | Wayzata - Minnesota - United States |