7 Common Mistakes in Sales + Marketing Collaboration

by PETER STROHKORB CONSULTING INTERNATIONAL

“Sales and Marketing are two of the most customer-facing functions in any sales organization.

As the key revenue-generators they are what a customer gauges the business on, and they are the organization’s present and future growth engines.”

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There is a whole lot of evidence that closer Sales + Marketing Collaboration lifts Sales Productivity.

We can show you that a lift of just 5% in Sales

Productivity can yield a 20% increase in profit.

So, Sales + Marketing Collaboration should be a BIG DEAL.

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So, what stands in the way of getting Sales and Marketing teams to

support each other more effectively?

The 7 Common Mistakes in

Sales + Marketing

Collaboration

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1. Ignoring the Problem and Doing Nothing

The worst mistake one can make is to turn

a blind eye to problems. Yet, denying that

there is a problem, that there is room for

improvement, and merely accepting the

status quo can magnify issues that would

be otherwise manageable.

Show initiative, become the solution.

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2. Relying on Quick Fixes

Shortcuts rarely work when it comes to Sales

and Marketing Collaboration. When sales reps

do not make their targets, many organizations try

to fix the problem with short-term solutions.

Let’s look at some of these quick fixes:

• Provide more sales training

• Hire more sales reps

• Generate more sales leads

Fix the cause, not the symptom.

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3. Having no One Responsible for Improving Sales + Marketing Collaboration.

Sales and Marketing obviously need to work

together. For such cooperation to be possible,

cross-functional processes need to be in place

to make sure that both sides are in alignment.

Not having an someone in place to intermediate between Sales and Marketing is a gross oversight.

Be smart, get a referee.

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4. Neglecting the Human Element

Collaboration is a deeply inter-personal matter,

it relies on people doing the right thing. When

attempting to foster a cooperative relationship

between Sales and Marketing it is important to

address the human dimension as a priority.

People come first.

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5. Believing that Technology will Deliver a Miracle

I have nothing against technology, as long

as it is deployed properly. It seems though

that there are vendors out there that offer

their latest whizz-bang technology by

promising the world. “Just buy our solution and everything will be fine.” It won’t be fine if you don’t make your People part of the solution. Technology is good, if used wisely.

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6. Trying to Implement Change without Executive Support

When change touches on aspects of corporate

culture, implementing reforms can be an uphill

battle.

Get the boss involved.

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7. Expecting Immediate Results

Too often, we expect overnight results,

and sometimes even that’s not fast

enough. The fact is, any change must be

given time to work its way through the

system if it is to have any chance at

producing the hoped-for results.

Hasten slowly.

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Contact Us Now

This presentation is deliberately kept broad brush, see the full blog here.

Did you know there is a method that addresses the 7

Mistakes above, one that encompasses the People,

Processes and Technology collaboration elements

between Sales and Marketing, one that respects and

attends to the respective competencies and objectives

of both the Sales and the Marketing functions.

It is called The OneTEAM Method and it can be

successfully deployed in your organization.

Contact us now for a free consultation

Also, join our LinkedIn Group, the Sales+Marketing Collaboration Community

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