2. The Framework for Successful
Sales & Marketing Alignment
Pillar
approach
4
Strategy
alignment
• Programs, products and
campaigns
• Shared KPIs, goals and
objectives
• Target accounts and
ICPs
1.
Process
alignment
• Clearly defined lead
nurture + management
process
• Shared data sources
• End-to-end pipeline
management and
attribution
2.
Content and
messaging alignment
• Focus on customer
needs
• Includes sales feedback
in content planning
• Supports sales
conversations with clients
• Is timely, personalized by
buyer/prospect
• Helps customers move
through the buying
journey
Cultural
alignment
• Have mutual trust
• Attend each other’s
meetings, incl prospect
& sales
• Participate in joint
initiatives
• Have confidence in
each other
3. 4.
3. Strategy
Strategy alignment
1
.
Despite confidence that
there is good alignment
on strategy…
Marketing focuses efforts on the accounts
which sales is targeting
84%
Marketing and sales have
a common strategy and
plan for delivering
customer value
83%
Sales is on board with
marketing’s ABM (account-
based marketing) strategy
86%
96% admit there
are challenges with
strategy alignment,
including:
• Sales and marketing don’t report
to the same executive
• Marketing and sales don’t
measure success on the same
KPIs
• Marketing and sales don’t share
goals and objectives
4.
5. Process
Despite confidence that
there is good alignment
on process…
Marketing and sales use the same data pool
for customer targeting and insights
85%
Pipeline management is
managed as an end-to-
end process
85%
Sales is involved in the
planning of day-to-day
marketing initiatives and
events
89%
96% report issues
with process
alignment,
including
• Sales and marketing plan two
different processes for engaging
with customers
• Marketing and sales do not
cooperate on pipeline growth
• Sales and marketing tools and
systems are not well integrated
Process alignment
2.
6.
7.
8. Content
Despite confidence that
there is good alignment
on content and
messaging…
Marketing content establishes brand
awareness, product benefits, and value
propositions
86%
Marketing content
effectively supports the
conversations that sales
has with customers and
prospects
83%
Our content is effective at
inspiring customers to
engage with our sellers
87%
97% face challenges
with alignment on
content and
messaging, including
• Marketing creates content
without sales’ input
• Marketing content is too product-
led and does not focus on the
problem the customer is trying to
solve
• Marketing content does not help
the buyer through the buying
journey
Content alignment
3.
9.
10. Culture
Despite confidence that
there is good alignment
on culture…
Marketers and sellers have trust in one
another
86%
Marketing and sales
continuously collaborate
to deliver customer value
and collaborative culture
at our organization
83%
Marketing and sales
share a culture that is
customer obsessed
89%
When it comes to
cultural alignment,
93% identify
challenges,
including
• Marketing and sales don’t see
themselves as an active partner to
participate in each other’s planning
process
• There is antagonism between the
marketing and sales teams
• Marketing and sales don’t
communicate concisely with each
other
Culture alignment
4.
11. The Business And customers
Makes us less agile in
addressing marketplace
changes
Virtually all respondents say that misalignment between
marketing and sales hurts …
96% 97%
57%
43%
45%
Reduced revenue
Decreased efficiency and
redundant efforts
Reduced loyalty
49%
48%
46%
Reduced implementation of
customer feedback
Inaccurate view of the
customer journey
13. Sales & Marketing Alignment in a changing environment
The Covid-19 pandemic and macroeconomics have accelerated the already
emergent trend toward predominantly digital engagement strategies.
Customer demand for a connected experience across human and digital channels
will continue to increase. B2B companies need to:
Clarify the
structure and
make up of the
buying
committee and
partner with
sales to
continuously
update pipeline
tracking tool
1. 2. 3.
By investing in
customer insight
systems, go
beyond marketing
and sales
alignment and
calibrate to the
customer’s
buying journey to
deliver
exceptional
experiences
Develop content
designed to speak
specifically to
interests, pain
points, objections,
or previous pipeline
challenges
4. Adapt marketing
and sales
automation so
that actions and
recommendations
are fully informed
by the single view
of the customer’s
journey
5. Engage in
change
management to
make the mental
pivot from ‘our
processes’ to
‘our customer’s
journey’
leveraging a full
funnel strategy
when possible
What does strategic alignment look like? Well, it starts with the customer. To survive and thrive with today’s business buyers, organizations must make the customer the focal point of alignment, and then make sure the end-result of that focus is delivering customer value
But, it also requires a holistic, end-to-end approach where marketing and sales teams …
… align their programs and campaigns
… target the same accounts
… strive towards shared goals and objectives
… work with shared KPIs
The organizations we surveyed reported high degrees of confidence that they have good alignment on strategy.
But when we dug deeper, We found that 96% of them admit they face challenges with strategy alignment.
Some of the issues seem to be working in different timescales, a lack of clear metrics, and two different organizational reporting lines.
Our respondents told us that the core element of marketing and sales alignment in this dimension is a well-defined lead-to-revenue process tuned towards growing pipeline and generating revenue.
The organizations we surveyed reported high degrees of confidence that they have good alignment on Process.
But when we dug deeper we found that 97% report challenges with process alignment.
The thorny issues included the existence of different processes for engaging with customers and the fact that sales and marketing systems and date are still not well enough integrated.
Slide 6: Perception vs reality – Process
Despite confidence that there is good alignment on process
86% Marketing and sales use the same data pool for customer targeting and insights
85% Pipeline management is managed as an end-to-end process
85% Sales is involved in the planning of day-to-day marketing initiatives and events
97% report issues with process alignment, including
Sales and marketing plan two different processes for engaging with customers
Marketing and sales do not cooperate on pipeline growth
Sales and marketing tools and systems are not well integrated
One of the four pillars of marketing and sales alignment is content and messaging, and a pillar that mustn't be overlooked.
Effective messaging is all about focusing on customers needs, their problems, their goals and their aspirations. Effective messaging also ultimately, is designed to help customers move through the buying journey.
Our survey respondents reported high levels of confidence in their alignment on messaging.
But when we looked into the details, we found that 97% face challenges with alignment on content and messaging. The most common issues are rooted in the fact that content strategies are internally focused. Way too product-centric and too focused on converting leads.
Content and messaging should focus on customers' pains, needs and aspirations.
Now, sales people naturally focus this way in their 1-1 engagement with prospects and customers. B2B marketers still demonstrate an inside-out, capability-first approach. In addition to a laser focus on customer needs best practice practitioner include sales needs and requests when doing content planning
Slide 7: Perception vs reality – Content
Despite confidence that there is good alignment on content and messaging
87% Marketing content establishes brand awareness, product benefits, and value propositions
86% Marketing content effectively supports the conversations that sales has with customers and prospects
83% Our content is effective at inspiring customers to engage with our sellers
97% face challenges with alignment on content and messaging, including
Marketing creates content without sales’ input
Our marketing content is too product-led and does not focus the problem the customer is trying to solve
Our marketing content does not help the buyer through the buying journey
The fourth pillar of marketing and sales alignment is culture.
What does it take to achieve alignment on culture? Sales and marketing teams
… must have mutual trust and confidence in each other
… should attend each other’s meetings
… and participate in joint initiatives
… especially attending client and prospect meetings together
Organizations we surveyed feel overly confident that they have good alignment on culture. But when we dug deeper we found that 93% experience challenges with cultural alignment such as antagonism and miscommunication between the teams when they don’t see each other as an active partner.
This one has an easy fix. Attend each other’s meetings; participate in joint initiatives. Jointly celebrate each other’s successes.
Don’t focus on relationship building. Focus on understanding each other’s roles and how the actions and tasks of a ‘day-in-the-life’ contribute to shared goal attainment.
Slide 8: Perception vs reality – Culture
Despite confidence that there is good alignment on culture
89% Marketers and sellers have trust in one another
86% Marketing and sales continuously collaborate to deliver customer value and collaborative culture at our organization
85% Marketing and sales share a culture that is customer obsessed
When it comes to cultural alignment, 93% identify challenges, including
Marketing and sales don’t see themselves as an active partner to participate in each other’s planning process
There is antagonism between the marketing and sales teams
Marketing and sales don’t communicate concisely with each other
Slide 10: Impact of misalignment
Virtually all respondents say that misalignment between marketing and sales hurts …
… the business (98%)
57% Makes us less agile in addressing marketplace changes
43% Reduced revenue
45% Decreased efficiency and redundant efforts
… and customers (97%)
49% Reduced loyalty
48% Reduced implementation of customer feedback
46% Inaccurate view of the customer journey