Since many organizations have both a sales and marketing team, the term “smarketing” is becoming more well-known in the tech world. “Smarketing” is essentially how sales professionals and marketers work together to generate leads. If you’re a sales professional and new to working with a marketing team, here are some tips that will help you succeed in your efforts.
Shifting into a New Role
If you are a sales professional, you likely searched for sales recruiters that helped you land your current position with a new company. Working with a recruiter is a strategic approach for sales professionals, as they can connect talented people to suitable organizations. However, for any new position, you may be adjusting to how this company operates, especially when it comes to merging the sales and marketing teams.
How do Sales People and Marketers Work Together?
Many organizations have both a sales and marketing team. If you’re not used to this environment, here’s how it works: Generally speaking, the marketers are responsible for the production of content, which can include ads, visual, or resources. These types of content are then used to attract the most legitimate leads into the funnel.
The marketing team will analyze new leads until the data is ready for the sales team. Then, the sales team takes this qualified lead and uses their skillset to acquire the account.
Enjoy the Collaboration
Instead of working against the marketing team or competing with them, think about how this collaboration can help achieve your sales goals. If you work on a campaign that requires significant effort from both the sales and marketing teams, find a way to enjoy the process together.
For example, you could create a sales goal and then celebrate with your team once you hit that goal. Incentives can be an effective method for collaboration; one idea is that you could plan a company retreat if you reach your goals. That way, everyone feels like they are a part of a team and like they are making a meaningful contribution.
Stay on Track with Goals
When you’re collaborating with others, you’ll want to stay on the same wavelength as your other team members. One way you can make sure you all have the same goals is by having regular meetings to bring up any potential challenges or to create new ideas.
It’s essential to have both the marketing and sales teams share any updates and to provide feedback. Don’t be afraid to be open and honest – no one can tackle everything on their own, and teamwork is needed for marketing initiatives to succeed. If both teams are transparent about their expectations, then they will develop trust with each other, and be able to take their marketing and sales efforts to new heights.
It Takes Time
When the sales and marketing teams start collaborating at your organization, the process may be tumultuous at first. However, building these relationships and forming trust can take some time. Both departments need to be committed to the collaboration, and avoid blaming each other or trying to outshine the other team members.
If you are a sales professional and not used to working with a marketing team, the process can end up being a rewarding experience. When you embrace the collaborative environment, you will likely land more sales leads and improve your interpersonal skills.
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Interesting related article: “What is Marketing?“