Better Marketing and Sales alignment improves profits, customer services and internal relationships. Most organisations have already realised that traditional business unit divisions hinder more than they help and are now seeking to improve internal relationships between departments. For successful alignment between Marketing and Sales, employees need to be empowered by technology.

1. RETHINKING SALES
AND MARKETING
ALIGNMENT
HOW MARKETING
WILL HELP CLOSE
DEALS

2. Most organisations have already realised that traditional business unit divisions hinder more than they
help and are now seeking to improve internal relationships between departments. For successful
alignment between Marketing and Sales, employees need to be empowered by technology. By using
systems and technology that make data available across the organisation, businesses can:
Improve strategic
decision-making,
leading to increased
efficiency and
effectiveness
Apply automation
to improve
audience targeting,
engagement and
conversion
Boost ROI and close
more deals

3. Technology will improve the communication and collaboration between Marketing and Sales, but it can
only act as a facilitator once employees in both departments have aligned their goals.
Highly aligned organisations
achieved an average of
annual revenue growth,
according to Aberdeen Group.
32%

4. Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:
Using the same buyer profiles

5. Developing an integrated
messaging strategy, so content
and communication is consistent
Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:

6. Agree on common metrics and
definitions, ensuring teams are
working towards the same goals
Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:

7. Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:
Define and agree the criteria for
each stage of the sales funnel
and in particular, formally define a
Sales-Ready Lead

8. Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:
Establishing SLAs, with shared
commitments agreed upon for
monthly and quarterly goals

9. Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:
Create a process for handing-off leads -
define the point at which the handover
happens and how much information each
department needs

10. Marketing and Sales departments should put in place shared processes to align on common revenue
generation objectives:
Share a pipeline so both departments
have the same knowledge and understand
each other’s responsibilities

11. MARKETING AND
SALES ALIGNMENT
DELIVERING WHAT THE
CUSTOMER WANTS

12. CRM systems are instrumental in helping to support the self-service, pre-sales
activities of the modern customer.
Marketing is most likely to be the customer’s first point of contact making it crucial to furthering
the sales process. Marketing will need to align with Sales by passing over the relevant customer
information and data, enabling Sales to have full visibility of the process and close the deal.
“Buyers agree that
they navigate at least
the top third and, at
most, the first two-
thirds of the sales
cycle without sales.”
– John Neeson, Managing Director,
SiriusDecisions.

13. “Companies with “dynamic, adaptable sales
and marketing processes” reported an average
of 10% more sales people on-quota compared
to other companies.”

14. MARKETING AND
SALES ALIGNMENT
IMPROVED LEAD
QUALIFICATION

15. Sales Directors often
complain they get poor
leads from marketing.
Marketing Directors
complain Sales waste
the leads they do get.

16. CRM can help reduce squabbles by:
Track MQL & SQL conversion throughout the sales
cycle. Measure Marketing’s contribution to Sales and
Sales effectiveness.
Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL): Define and agree what
qualifies as an SQL, the lead management & ownership
process thereafter.
Marketing-Qualified Lead (MQL): Define and agree the
MQL qualification criteria and define the timeline to pass
to Sales.

17. MARKETING AND
SALES ALIGNMENT
INCREASED
AUTOMATION

18. The smoother the hand-off of leads from marketing to sales and the more efficient and defined the
sales process is, the more effective lead conversion and deal management becomes. Research shows
that closer alignment between the two departments can lead to:
Sales becoming
better at closing deals
67%
and generate
more revenue from Marketing.
209%

19. Using CRM, the Marketing department can:
Auto-score leads and use marketing automation
to nurture prospects automatically.
Push the “hottest” leads to sales automatically.
Provide valuable insight on each prospects
marketing response and activity prior to
sales engagement.

20. MARKETING AND
SALES ALIGNMENT
NOT EVIL, BUT
NECESSARY

21. Without closer alignment, lead conversion rates will never be fully maximised.
Using technology to work more closely together will:
Boost Marketing’s
contribution to Sales.
Marketing delivers
measurable value.Enabling Sales to
focus on better quality
leads.
Help your business
enrich customer
experience.

22. TAKEAWAYS
• Closer marketing and sales alignment has a
positive impact on revenue.
• Automation helps improve marketing
operational efficiency and improves sales
effectiveness.
• Leave no lead behind with automated
nurturing. Improve lead quality with scoring.
• Marketing plays a critical part in delivering an
exceptional customer experience through the
sales cycle.

23. Discover how to boost your own lead conversion
rates by downloading your free copy of
SALES, MARKETING
AND IT: YOUR CROSS
DEPARTMENTAL GUIDE
TO DESIGNING A
MARKETING OPERATIONS
STRATEGY
DOWNLOAD NOW
SALES,
MARKETING
& IT:
YOUR CROSS
DEPARTMENTAL
GUIDE TO
DESIGNING A
MARKETING
OPERATIONS
STRATEGY
TRANSFORMSTRATEGISE EXECUTE