This document provides a marketing assessment of an organization by evaluating various aspects of the relationship and alignment between marketing and sales across multiple categories. Overall, the assessment found room for improvement in understanding between marketing and sales, collaboration, metrics and goal alignment, demand generation, and leadership alignment. Key areas scoring lower included relationship definitions, marketing metrics maturity, and executive alignment.
Often times, corporate marketing departments find themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place when it comes to developing a strategic marketing plan and bringing it to fruition. While the desire to design a well-thought out strategic marketing plan exists, resource and time constraints curtail companies from putting their marketing efforts in the strategic framework needed to guide them in carrying out their plans thereby ensuring success.
A Survey of Sales Effectiveness: Global Research on What Drives Sales SuccessAchieveGlobal
To gain a better understanding of the sales practices required to succeed in today’s marketplace, AchieveGlobal conducted a worldwide survey of more than 1,000 sales professionals. Read our research to uncover important conclusions around sales activities that lead to success.
Marketing Operations (MO) is an emerging discipline with the potential to significantly increase performance and accountability in complex marketing organizations. It leverages a strong front-end infrastructure to reinforce marketing strategy and back-end programs and tactics. This article identifies the characteristics that signal your organization's readiness for MO.
http://trinityp3.com/
As marketing becomes more complex and diversified, driven by technology, marketers are finding themselves managing increasingly larger and more complex agency and supplier rosters. The traditional procurement approach of developing supplier panels based on capabilities and services no longer works in this complex environment. This presentation provides a strategic process for developing a roster of suppliers aligned to the marketing strategy which delivers alignment of the suppliers to that strategy.
Often times, corporate marketing departments find themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place when it comes to developing a strategic marketing plan and bringing it to fruition. While the desire to design a well-thought out strategic marketing plan exists, resource and time constraints curtail companies from putting their marketing efforts in the strategic framework needed to guide them in carrying out their plans thereby ensuring success.
A Survey of Sales Effectiveness: Global Research on What Drives Sales SuccessAchieveGlobal
To gain a better understanding of the sales practices required to succeed in today’s marketplace, AchieveGlobal conducted a worldwide survey of more than 1,000 sales professionals. Read our research to uncover important conclusions around sales activities that lead to success.
Marketing Operations (MO) is an emerging discipline with the potential to significantly increase performance and accountability in complex marketing organizations. It leverages a strong front-end infrastructure to reinforce marketing strategy and back-end programs and tactics. This article identifies the characteristics that signal your organization's readiness for MO.
http://trinityp3.com/
As marketing becomes more complex and diversified, driven by technology, marketers are finding themselves managing increasingly larger and more complex agency and supplier rosters. The traditional procurement approach of developing supplier panels based on capabilities and services no longer works in this complex environment. This presentation provides a strategic process for developing a roster of suppliers aligned to the marketing strategy which delivers alignment of the suppliers to that strategy.
ECR Europe Forum '08. Jointly Agreed Growth – driving the JAGECR Community
Jointly Agreed Growth – driving the JAG
This session will examine Jointly Agreed Growth, the new ECR Europe process aimed at changing the commercial relationship. We will hear from companies who are engaged in a three-year growth plan to drive demand and generate profitable, sustainable growth by better satisfying shopper and consumer needs.
Speakers: Phil Humphreys (Diageo), Sarah Bradbury (Tesco), Jens Weng (McKinsey&Company), Jean-Albert Nyssens (McKinsey&Company)
This Slideshare presentation is a partial preview of the full business document. To view and download the full document, please go here:
http://flevy.com/browse/business-document/sales-and-marketing-alignment-tool-314
This Sales & Marketing Alignment Tool can be used to identify gaps in alignment between the sales and marketing departments. This prescriptive self-assessment tool assesses the following alignment areas: organizational relationships, metrics & value-measurement, lead generation & pipeline management, culture, systems & technology, messaging & materials. -
Key benefits to using this tool include:
*Assesses relationship between sales & marketing
*Identifies gaps between the 2 departments
*Offers recommendations for relationship improvement
*Easy-to-use, customizable Excel format
*Save yourself time on formatting
ECR Europe Forum '08. Jointly Agreed Growth – driving the JAGECR Community
Jointly Agreed Growth – driving the JAG
This session will examine Jointly Agreed Growth, the new ECR Europe process aimed at changing the commercial relationship. We will hear from companies who are engaged in a three-year growth plan to drive demand and generate profitable, sustainable growth by better satisfying shopper and consumer needs.
Speakers: Phil Humphreys (Diageo), Sarah Bradbury (Tesco), Jens Weng (McKinsey&Company), Jean-Albert Nyssens (McKinsey&Company)
This Slideshare presentation is a partial preview of the full business document. To view and download the full document, please go here:
http://flevy.com/browse/business-document/sales-and-marketing-alignment-tool-314
This Sales & Marketing Alignment Tool can be used to identify gaps in alignment between the sales and marketing departments. This prescriptive self-assessment tool assesses the following alignment areas: organizational relationships, metrics & value-measurement, lead generation & pipeline management, culture, systems & technology, messaging & materials. -
Key benefits to using this tool include:
*Assesses relationship between sales & marketing
*Identifies gaps between the 2 departments
*Offers recommendations for relationship improvement
*Easy-to-use, customizable Excel format
*Save yourself time on formatting
http://www.trinityp3.com/
The role of marketing is increasingly complex and diverse and will vary greatly from organisation to organisation. How marketing is positioned within an organisation will impact greatly on how it is structured. This is a range of different strategic positions for marketing and the considerations and structures. There are some basic positions for marketing within an organisation based on the role marketing is to play within that structure. These positions are detailed with the considerations and strengths and weaknesses.
This webinar provide s insight on advancing the development of your sales team and specifically targeting where your sales team’s focus should be today! Hosted by Al Rainaldi, Executive Vice President and CSO of Profiles International, the webinar promises to be short, yet impactful.
What You Will learn:
How to identify the areas where each sales person has the greatest potential for immediate improvement.
How individual sales people perceive their own abilities and performance.
How to clearly identify where the area of focus should be for your sales team
Slides from the keynote I delivered at Richardson\'s Client Forum 2008: The current situation with selling (October 2008) and what it will take to achieve sales effectiveness in 2012.
Distribute as you like. But please, respect copyright. Thanks.
This presentation will provide excerpts from the new ebook “Promoted to VP of Sales: The Year 1 Toolkit”. The ebook is free and provides symptoms, causes, and cures for why the average Chief Sales Officer only lasts 19 months in their role. Authored by Matt Sharrers and Greg Alexander of Sales Benchmark Index.
So, how do Lebanese Marketers view and develop their brands? Is Branding in Lebanon Healthy ?
-A thorough study for marketing and non-marketing professionals on the current status of branding in Lebanon and the opportunities it brings with upgrading branding and brand management practices.
-One of the interesting findings is the lack of knowledge related to brand’s economic value creation and to brand’s relation to business strategy.
-Another interesting finding is that Lebanese Marketers' behavior is not always in line with their perceptions and attitudes.
The Impact of COVID-19 in B2B MarketingDemand Metric
In Q2 2020, we asked marketing leaders at mid-sized B2B companies in the USA abouthow the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their plans for the year.
Here’s what we found.
In 2018, Return Path and Demand Metric partnered to study the state of email marketing to equip marketers with data and best practices to improve the use of email.
Engagement is the key to getting email into subscriber inboxes. This relationship to deliverability made engagement a logical next candidate for the study. Return Path and Demand Metric partnered again to study engagement and its relationship to email deliverability.
Infographic Vidyard Video Marketing 2018Demand Metric
For far too long, the emphasis on video content marketing has been on production quality; the higher the quality, the more marketing value a video is presumed to have. While quality is certainly an important aspect of video content, producing quality video does not guarantee video content marketing success. Success is very much a function of how well video content and viewing data integrate with the marketing technology stack, and how the sales team leverages the intelligence. In this fifth annual video content marketing report, Demand Metric and Vidyard partnered on research to better understand the use of video for sales and marketing, how performance is being measured, and what impact video is having. This study’s focus is on the use of video in marketing, the maturity indicators such as measuring video content performance, and how video viewing data is integrated with marketing automation platforms (MAP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. This report shows what progress, if any, has been made in the fifth year of this study. These study results provide insights and data useful for helping marketers get the highest possible return on their video content investment.
Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/digital-marketing-best-practices-report
It has been said that “All Marketing is Digital Marketing.” And with good reason! In the last decade (or less), the marketing environment has been transformed.
Marketing has moved from an environment in which traditional marketing, brick and mortar storefronts and Digital Marketing options all competed for the time, attention and resources of the marketing department to one in which Digital Marketing reigns supreme – with an occasional nod in the direction of the storefront, or traditional marketing (direct mail, print advertising, etc.)
One of the biggest challenges of Digital Marketing is the speed of which it has taken over the marketing organization, often in an ad hoc, uncoordinated fashion.
Demand Metric’s research has consistently shown that Digital Marketing has a very significant and positive impact on the organizations that are employing it when they do so by following best practices and processes in a coordinated, holistic approach.
In this Best Practices Report on Digital Marketing we will cover the Digital Marketing landscape in five distinct categories - Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Video Marketing and Public Relations
Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-solution-study
Our Content Marketing Solution Study presents the insights, landscape and vendors within the content marketing space. Demand Metric defines content marketing as the strategies, processes and software technology that enable marketing departments to automate, measure and improve the performance of marketing strategies, activities and workflows.
These strategies and activities include: Email Marketing, Multi-channel Campaign Management, Inbound/Search Marketing, Landing Pages, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Scoring, Lead Nurturing, Social Marketing, Marketing Resource Management, Event Management, Engagement Marketing and Marketing Analytics.
The three foundation functions of marketing automation systems are – email marketing, campaign management and lead management. While the most advanced and sophisticated marketing automation systems have extending capabilities far beyond this base, these functions are core to a Marketing Automation system.
Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/seo-technology-overview
SEO is no longer just about search.
In fact, SEO, which in its early days focused primarily on keywords
(finding, optimizing, ranking), is now a baseline factor of a broader Internet
Marketing strategy across the Enterprise.
This new SEO-driven market segment that has been called Web
Presence Management (WPM) is based on the reality that keywords no
longer drive search results, but rather optimized content does.
As the SEO market matures, quality measures, such as reputation, trust,
content relevance and author authority, are replacing the old quantity
metrics, such as keyword rankings and link volume.
Advanced SEO solutions now weigh campaign performance metrics
(based on brand building, site traffic and conversion) more heavily than
keyword rankings.
This reality is based on changes in the way customers search, the
increasingly integrated omni-channel marketing environment and,
most notably, changes to Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
algorithms that favor page content freshness, density and content-rich
media over standard keyword search.
All of this means that Modern Marketing Organizations (MMOs) must
re-evaluate their SEO strategies, processes and campaigns.
In this report we will examine the state of the market, share results from the
SEO Benchmark Study, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of 15 top
SEO solutions in our vendor landscape to help organizations choose the
best solution for them, highlight the current trends in SEO that will have an
impact on Enterprise SEO initiatives and provide some recommendations
for the way forward as SEO is redefined right before our eyes.
Demand Metric defines Search Engine Optimization Platforms
as those frameworks, tools and technologies that use searchrelated
functionally to secure high visibility and web presence
for brands, products, services and companies through the use
and management of elements, such as keywords, links, content
relevance and social signals tracking.
In its fourth year, this report on video marketing metrics highlights best practices including video hosting to how video viewing integrates with the sales funnel.
Formalizing the Sales Support Function How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
At the highest level, the Sales Support function is responsible for ensuring that the Sales & Marketing departments have the tools, resources, and systems they need to achieve current and future sales revenue targets.
Read this brief 2-page guide to learn:
Director of Sales Support Roles & Responsibilities
Action Plan for formalizing the sales support function
Read this report to learn how to assess your current level of effectiveness, and if necessary, hire an experienced Director of Sales Support.Download our Director of Sales Support Job Description to get started!
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
How to Launch a Mobile App Guide How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
A mobile app is a software application designed for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices that has been built on a mobile operating system such as iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows.
Mobile apps were originally developed for productivity and information retrieval. Today, over 91% of all U.S. citizens have their mobile device within reach 24/7 (Morgan Stanley). The rising use and accessibility of mobile phones has influenced many companies to enter this growing market with new and innovative use cases.
This How-To Guide discusses the benefits of creating a mobile app, things to consider before building a mobile app and an action plan to help you launch your new app.
Read this brief 5-page guide to understand the following:
Benefits of creating a mobile app
Things to consider
Action plan for launching your mobile app
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Getting Started with Agile Marketing How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
Agile Marketing is a method for planning and executing a marketing plan borrowed from the world of software development. Instead of long, “waterfall” methods of development that too often result in delayed or out-of date products launching later than planned, the Agile method follows a simple process of build, measure, and learn. Marketers all over the world are adopting this method to the extent that 2013 has been dubbed “the year of Agile Marketing".
This How-To Guide defines why Agile Marketing is important and outlines its key principles and identifies and action plan for getting started.
Read this brief 5-page guide to understand the following:
How to apply agile methods to marketing
Important terminology
How Agile Marketing is currently being used
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Entering the European Market Successfully How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
Leaving your domestic comfort zone to operate in another country or even continent requires careful planning. Expanding into new geographical markets is very exciting, but also very nerve-wracking. Any firm considering entering into international business transactions must understand that doing business abroad is not a simple task. It is stimulating and potentially profitable in the long-term but requires much preparation and research prior to the first transaction.
Europe is probably the most heterogeneous continent on our globe, making understanding market potential more challenging than in more homogeneous markets. Because of the European Union, it’s tempting to view Europe as a single market. In reality, you must consider each country as a market, because each country has a different mix of history, culture, language and business etiquette.
This How-To Guide will describe the steps required to successfully expand into the European market.
Read this 7-page guide to understand the following:
Understand market potential
Identify product-market comibinations
Identify a local partner
Launch and start selling
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Driving SEO with Press Releases How-To GuideDemand Metric
This How To Guide will explain how press releases can boost SEO efforts, how to write press releases for SEO, the pros and cons of doing so and conclude with an action plan on using press releases in your SEO efforts.
For decades, press releases were the basic building blocks of a public relations strategy. A company that wanted press coverage would write and issue a press release. The more skilled the company was at media relations, the better this strategy worked. Press releases still serve this purpose, although a new and important use of press releases has evolved as a tool for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
For companies whose websites are key to revenue generation, the SEO benefits are the primary motivation for writing and issuing press releases. If releases also produce favorable media coverage, that’s viewed as a bonus. The benefits of this SEO strategy result from the links a press release can produce back to the issuer’s website. These links are known as backlinks. The more external, authentic backlinks a website has pointing to it, the higher it ranks on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). While this strategy is conceptually simple to grasp, executing it effectively requires some insider knowledge of both media relations and SEO.
Read this brief 8-page guide to understand the following:
How press releases boost SEO
Writing press releases for SEO
The pros and cons of a press release SEO strategy
Using press releases in your SEO efforts
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com to make a content request.
Calculating Customer Lifetime Value How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
This How-To Guide details the definition of customer lifetime value (CLV), the advantages of calculating CLV and the standard formula for calculating CLV.
Common sense tells us that the longer a customer is in relationship with a company, the more profitable that customer relationship is. However, many companies put the emphasis on new customer acquisition and not enough effort is made to retain existing customers. This is a mistake, because the financial impact of retaining customers is substantial: companies can increase profits by as much as 100% by retaining just 5% more of their customers. For these reasons, CLV is a crucial metric that most organizations overlook mainly because its definition and purpose are not entirely known. Understanding the monetary value each customer represents to your organization can help you budget correctly for your business needs, strategically plan your marketing initiatives and improve long-term relationships with your customer base.
Read this brief 4-page guide to learn about:
Customer Lifetime Value
The advantages of calculating CLV
The standard formula for calculting CLV
Use the Customer Lifetime Value Calculator to get started!
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Lead Scoring: Five Steps to Getting Started How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
This How-To Guide will help marketers score leads by showing how to set up a simple lead scoring system and then refine it over time.
Lead scoring applies mathematical formulas to rank potential customers. It is chiefly used to identify prospects that are ready for direct sales contact. Because the calculations are automatic, the scores are consistent, current, and can include more variables than any manual assessment. This saves marketers work, ensures that all qualified leads are sent to sales promptly, and keeps non-qualified leads out of the sales system.
Read this brief 11-page guide to learn about:
The case for lead scoring
Setting up a simple lead scoring system
Refinements to improve results over time
Companies that follow this process will quickly gain immediate benefits from lead scoring and have a solid foundation for future growth.
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com to make a content request.
Executive Summary
Social media are now part of every business and consumer activity, joining telephone, Web, broadcast, and face-to-face interactions as primary communication channels. This means that all marketing, sales, and service organizations should include social media as part of their basic activities. Yet social media are still new enough that many organizations are still struggling to learn how to use them, while others are learning how to use them most effectively.
This How-to-Guide provides an overview of social media applications and emerging best practices for deploying social media at your company.
Read this 9-page guide to learn:
The definition of social customer relationship management (CRM)
The main functions needed for social CRM
The vendor landscape for social CRM
Social CRM best practices
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Executive Summary
This How-To Guide will explain the components of a Marketing Resource Management (MRM) system, provide an action plan for deployment, and conclude with a plan for implementation.
Marketing Resource Management (MRM) systems control the administrative processes that support customer-facing marketing programs. This distinguishes MRM from marketing execution systems that store customer databases and deliver marketing messages through email, Web ads, and other channels. MRM may be sold independently or as a component of comprehensive marketing management systems which also provides execution.
MRM functions fall into two primary clusters. The first involves functions related to company-level marketing management, including program planning, scheduling, budgeting, and cost reporting. The other cluster relates to program management, including task lists, purchasing media and materials, and content creation, approvals, storage, and distribution. Some MRM systems specialize in a few of these functions. Others specialize in additional functions such as customizing content for local offices or dealers or in marketing reporting and analysis. Systems may also be tailored to specific industries or companies of a certain size.
Companies buy MRM systems when their marketing programs become too complicated to run in a less systematic fashion. This, along with the systems’ high cost, originally meant that MRM was used almost exclusively by large marketing organizations with hundreds of marketers in multiple offices. More recently, the growth of digital marketing has meant that even small marketing organizations need to manage many different programs and content versions across multiple channels, and to introduce new versions more quickly. This expanded complexity has rarely been accompanied by a corresponding expansion of staff, adding to the pressure for more efficient operations. At the same time, costs have decreased as MRM capabilities were added to integrated marketing suites and as stand-alone MRM products became available as vendor-hosted services (Software as a Service, or SaaS). The result has been increased use of MRM systems among companies of all sizes.
Read this 7-page guide to learn about:
The components of a Marketing Resource Management (MRM) system
An action plan to deploy an MRM system
How to implement an MRM system
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Welcome to the Program Your Destiny course. In this course, we will be learning the technology of personal transformation, neuroassociative conditioning (NAC) as pioneered by Tony Robbins. NAC is used to deprogram negative neuroassociations that are causing approach avoidance and instead reprogram yourself with positive neuroassociations that lead to being approach automatic. In doing so, you change your destiny, moving towards unlocking the hypersocial self within, the true self free from fear and operating from a place of personal power and love.
1. Marketing Assessment
Organizational Relationships
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Marketing management lacks understanding of sales function, process, and skills
2 Limited understanding of sales function by Marketing management
Understanding of Sales by Marketing 3 Good understanding of Sales by Marketing management, but less among staff 1
4 Understanding of Sales function encouraged among all Marketing staff
5 Understanding of Sales function/process required by all Marketing staff
1 Sales Management lack understanding of Marketing best practices
2 Limited understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management
Understanding of Marketing by Sales 3 Good understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management 3
4 Understanding of Marketing function & role encouraged among all Sales staff
5 Understanding of Marketing function & role required for all Sales staff
1 Casual conversations and meetings on ad hoc basis
2 Casual conversations and ad hoc meetings among select staff and managers
Organizational Development, Training,
& Learning
3 Newsletters, reports, emails are sent out, some formal meetings between groups 4
4 Formal alignment program sponsored by Senior Management
5 Formal alignment program required - widespread participation across Sales & MT
1 Marketing to Sales only, generally only when new materials/programs roll out
2 Marketing to Sales only, somewhat informal, occasionally asking for feedback
Communications Style and Ease of
Access
3 Consistent two-way, formal communications around specific activities & programs 3
4 Consistent blend of formal & informal among sales and marketing management
5 Two-way, formal and informal communications, continuous feedback loop
1 Undefined. Functions have developed independently and are focused on their own tasks
2 Starting to Define. Efforts underway to prevent disputes, establish common language, and clarify expectations
Relationship Definitions 3 Defined. Common language, few disputes, regular meetings to clarify mutual expectations 4
4 Aligned. Clear but flexible boundaries, common language, joint planning
5 Integrated. Share systems, performance metrics, and rewards together.
1 Two groups are at odds, open criticism, lack of cooperation, finger-pointing is common
2 Relationships are polite but strained, collaboration is rare, groups work in silos
Collaboration, Trust & Credibility 3 Relationships improving, but open sharing and collaboration is sporadic 3
4 Sales & Marketing Management work together well, staff less likely to collaborate
5 Trust is high. All staff in both groups work well together openly, productively.
Metrics & Value-Measurement
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Operational Marketing metrics only (email click thru rates etc.)
Campaign ROI Maturity 5
2. 2 Marketing metrics and some cost metrics; metrics rarely reviewed
Campaign ROI Maturity 3 Review and act on marketing, cost, and campaign ROI metrics 5
4 Metrics for each process/campaign are defined and measured
5 Marketing metrics analyzed to inform resource allocation decisions
1 Marketing campaigns & investments measured rarely, if ever
2 Cost/Lead, Cost/Sale measured, but rarely reviewed
Marketing Metrics Maturity 3 Review and act on ROI and cost metrics for all marketing efforts 2
4 Measure Return on Customer (net present value of customer base)
5 Balanced Scorecard to set objectives, measures, targets, initiatives
1 Value of Marketing investments rarely measured by Sales
2 Sales/Marketing metrics not linked, no cause-effect relationships
Link between Marketing and Sales
Metrics
3 Metrics becoming linked and understood by Marketing & Sales 1
4 Metrics formally linked, reviewed, major issues acted upon
5 Marketing/Sales metrics are used together to provide predictive insight
1 None
2 Sporadic projects/events in place to improve sales & marketing alignment
Alignment Improvement Practices 3 May benchmark alignment formally, but benchmarks are seldom acted upon 2
4 Routinely benchmark sales & marketing alignment and act upon insights
5 Alignment benchmarks, initiatives, & progress are required
1 Very little/no forecasting
2 Sales figures are dramatically higher or lower than forecast
Financial Performance 3 Sales forecasting is improving and variances are getting smaller 1
4 Sales figures are often close to the forecast, but not always
5 Sales figures are usually close to the forecast
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 No demand generation campaigns, Sales develops their own leads
2 Marketing demand generation and sales demand generation happen separately
Demand Generation 3 Marketing executes demand generation campaigns. Leads passed to sales & may/may not be followed up on 2
4 Marketing executes demand generation, qualified leads are passed on and sales follows up
5 Synchronized demand generation program managed dually by sales & marketing
1 No lead scoring or qualification - all leads get passed to sales
2 Leads are qualified by Marketing, but sales does not systematically work them
Lead Scoring & Management 3 Improving lead qualification and pass-along process, but leads are not always worked 1
4 Formal shared lead definitions and processes for passing leads to sales
5 Optimized lead scoring & management process with formal processes in place
1 We have no formal pipeline reporting
2 Sales informally reports pipeline information, but Marketing is not involved
Pipeline Reporting & Visibility 3 Sales management shares formal pipeline reports with marketing management 2
4 Sales & marketing staff have access to the same pipeline & use it sporadically to check lead gen. effectiveness
5 Marketing & Sales openly share pipeline and work together to improve the flow of leads in the sales process
3. Culture
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Marketing & Sales report up through siloed executives
2 Marketing & Sales executives report to the same senior leader, but do not collaborate
Executive Alignment 3 Marketing & Sales executives are starting to work more collaboratively 1
4 Marketing & Sales executives are close partners and collaborators
5 Marketing & Sales report to a common executive
1 Very little risk being taken on either side, rewards not tied to joint success
2 One side takes all the risk, rewards are shared
Shared Risks and Rewards 3 Marketing and Sales start sharing risks and rewards 2
4 Risks and rewards are always shared between Sales & Marketing
5 Managers on both sides share in risks and rewards
1 Finger pointing, blame and battles for power and resources are common
2 Marketing-business relationship isn't managed or is non-existent
Marketing-Sales Relationship 3 Marketing-Sales relationship managed on ad hoc basis, mostly conflict resolution 2
4 Mostly collaborative and cooperative relationship, proactively working together
5 Sales and Marketing share a strong "We rise or fall together culture"
1 Consistent conflict and mistrust between Marketing & business
2 Transactional relationship between Marketing & Sales, occasional conflict
Relationship/Trust Style 3 Marketing becoming a valued service provider and relationships are strengthening 1
4 Long-term partnership is emerging as credibility is increased on both sides
5 Marketing and Sales are trusted partners and collaborate closely on all fronts
Systems & Technology
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 No marketing automation, campaigns are ad hoc, project driven, or by request
2 Processes are becoming defined, technology is used sporadically
Marketing Automation 3 Technology is implemented to automate key marketing processes 2
4 Process metrics exist and are benchmarked and reviewed often
5 Real-time messaging, lead scoring & nurturing, closed loop systems
1 No Sales Automation system in place
2 Sales automation system in place (Salesforce.com, Right Now, etc.) but not widely/consistently used by sales
Sales Automation 3 Sales automation system in place, use required - some data is inconsistent, missing, outdated 1
4 System in place, widely used by sales, data is reliable and current
5 Sales automation system is required by sales mgmt., drives pipeline reports and revenue projection
1 Systems are disparate and siloed. Access is ad hoc and manual
2 Systems are siloed. Standard reports are automated, but rarely used
System Integration 3 Beginning to link systems to provide a shared view of customer & sales data 2
4 Major systems are integrated and key reports are automated & widely used for decision-making & forecasting
5 Shared view of customer for sales & marketing. Data is complete, current, and clean
4. 1 Customer and prospect data resides in multiple places, difficult to access, ad hoc data pulling
2 Processes are becoming defined, technology is used sporadically
Access to Data & Data Management 3 Technology is implemented to automate key marketing processes 1
4 Process metrics exists and are benchmarked and reviewed often
5 Sales & Marketing have a single, shared view of customer data and automated or formal processes
Messaging & Materials
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Collateral from marketing is often thrown away by sales. Lots of home-grown rogue materials in the field
2 Marketing collateral is distributed by marketing, sometimes used
Marketing Materials & Collateral 3 Marketing is beginning to seek sales input on marketing collateral, and rogue materials are diminishing 2
4 Sales has input on collateral, mostly satisfied -- collateral is consistently used
5 Sales and marketing collaborate on marketing materials. Collateral is highly valued and consistently used
1 Sales messaging in the field is completely different than the official marketing messages
2 Sales is aware of the official marketing message, but often chooses different/old messages in the selling process
Messaging & Brand 3 Sales is beginning to integrate marketing and brand messages into their sales discussions 1
4 Sales often echoes marketing messages, but not always
5 Sales and marketing messages are completely in sync
5. Sales Assessment
Organizational Relationships
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Marketing management lacks understanding of sales function, process, and skills
2 Limited understanding of sales function by Marketing management
Understanding of Sales by Marketing 3 Good understanding of Sales by Marketing management, but less among staff 5
4 Understanding of Sales function encouraged among all Marketing staff
5 Understanding of Sales function/process required by all Marketing staff
1 Sales Management lack understanding of Marketing best practices
2 Limited understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management
Understanding of Marketing by Sales 3 Good understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management 5
4 Understanding of Marketing function & role encouraged among all Sales staff
5 Understanding of Marketing function & role required for all Sales staff
1 Casual conversations and meetings on ad hoc basis
2 Casual conversations and ad hoc meetings among select staff and managers
Organizational Development, Training,
& Learning
3 Newsletters, reports, emails are sent out, some formal meetings between groups 4
4 Formal alignment program sponsored by Senior Management
5 Formal alignment program required - widespread participation across Sales & Mktg
1 Marketing to Sales only, generally only when new materials/programs roll out
2 Marketing to Sales only, somewhat informal, occasionally asking for feedback
Communications Style and Ease of
Access
3 Consistent two-way, formal communications around specific activities & programs 5
4 Consistent blend of formal & informal among sales and marketing management
5 Two-way, formal and informal communications, continuous feedback loop
1 Undefined. Functions have developed independently and are focused on their own tasks
2 Starting to Define. Efforts underway to prevent disputes, establish common language, and clarify expectations
Relationship Definitions 3 Defined. Common language, few disputes, regular meetings to clarify mutual expectations 2
4 Aligned. Clear but flexible boundaries, common language, joint planning
5 Integrated. Share systems, performance metrics, and rewards together.
1 Two groups are at odds, open criticism, lack of cooperation, finger-pointing is common
2 Relationships are polite but strained, collaboration is rare, groups work in silos
Collaboration, Trust & Credibility 3 Relationships improving, but open sharing and collaboration is sporadic 2
4 Sales & Marketing Management work together well, staff less likely to collaborate
5 Trust is high. All staff in both groups work well together openly, productively.
Metrics & Value-Measurement
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Operational Marketing metrics only (email click thru rates etc.)
2 Marketing metrics and some cost metrics; metrics rarely reviewed
Campaign ROI Maturity 3 Review and act on marketing, cost, and campaign ROI metrics 2
4 Metrics for each process/campaign are defined and measured
6. Campaign ROI Maturity 2
5 Marketing metrics analyzed to inform resource allocation decisions
1 Marketing campaigns & investments measured rarely, if ever
2 Cost/Lead, Cost/Sale measured, but rarely reviewed
Marketing Metrics Maturity 3 Review and act on ROI and cost metrics for all marketing efforts 5
4 Measure Return on Customer (net present value of customer base)
5 Balanced Scorecard to set objectives, measures, targets, initiatives
1 Value of Marketing investments rarely measured by Sales
2 Sales/Marketing metrics not linked, no cause-effect relationships
Link between Marketing and Sales
Metrics
3 Metrics becoming linked and understood by Marketing & Sales 2
4 Metrics formally linked, reviewed, major issues acted upon
5 Marketing/Sales metrics are used together to provide predictive insight
1 None
2 Sporadic projects/events in place to improve sales & marketing alignment
Alignment Improvement Practices 3 May benchmark alignment formally, but benchmarks are seldom acted upon 5
4 Routinely benchmark sales & marketing alignment and act upon insights
5 Alignment benchmarks, initiatives, & progress are required
1 Very little/no forecasting
2 Sales figures are dramatically higher or lower than forecast
Financial Performance 3 Sales forecasting is improving and variances are getting smaller 2
4 Sales figures are often close to the forecast, but not always
5 Sales figures are usually close to the forecast
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 No demand generation campaigns, Sales develops their own leads
2 Marketing demand generation and sales demand generation happen separately
Demand Generation 3 Marketing executes demand generation campaigns. Leads passed to sales & may/may not be followed up on 2
4 Marketing executes demand generation, qualified leads are passed on and sales follows up
5 Synchronized demand generation program managed dually by sales & marketing
1 No lead scoring or qualification - all leads get passed to sales
2 Leads are qualified by Marketing, but sales does not systematically work them
Lead Scoring & Management 3 Improving lead qualification and pass-along process, but leads are not always worked 5
4 Formal shared lead definitions and processes for passing leads to sales
5 Optimized lead scoring & management process with formal processes in place
1 We have no formal pipeline reporting
2 Sales informally reports pipeline information, but Marketing is not involved
Pipeline Reporting & Visibility 3 Sales management shares formal pipeline reports with marketing management 5
4 Sales & marketing staff have access to the same pipeline & use it sporadically to check lead gen. effectiveness
5 Marketing & Sales openly share pipeline and work together to improve the flow of leads in the sales process
Culture
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 Marketing & Sales report up through siloed executives
2 Marketing & Sales executives report to the same senior leader, but do not collaborate
Executive Alignment 2
7. Executive Alignment 3 Marketing & Sales executives are starting to work more collaboratively 2
4 Marketing & Sales executives are close partners and collaborators
5 Marketing & Sales report to a common executive
1 Very little risk being taken on either side, rewards not tied to joint success
2 One side takes all the risk, rewards are shared
Shared Risks and Rewards 3 Marketing and Sales start sharing risks and rewards 5
4 Risks and rewards are always shared between Sales & Marketing
5 Managers on both sides share in risks and rewards
1 Finger pointing, blame and battles for power and resources are common
2 Marketing-business relationship isn't managed or is non-existent
Marketing-Sales Relationship 3 Marketing-Sales relationship managed on ad hoc basis, mostly conflict resolution 4
4 Mostly collaborative and cooperative relationship, proactively working together
5 Sales and Marketing share a strong "We rise or fall together culture"
1 Consistent conflict and mistrust between Marketing & business
2 Transactional relationship between Marketing & Sales, occasional conflict
Relationship/Trust Style 3 Marketing becoming a valued service provider and relationships are strengthening 4
4 Long-term partnership is emerging as credibility is increased on both sides
5 Marketing and Sales are trusted partners and collaborate closely on all fronts
Systems & Technology
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
1 No marketing automation, campaigns are ad hoc, project driven, or by request
2 Processes are becoming defined, technology is used sporadically
Marketing Automation 3 Technology is implemented to automate key marketing processes 5
4 Process metrics exist and are benchmarked and reviewed often
5 Real-time messaging, lead scoring & nurturing, closed loop systems
1 No Sales Automation system in place
2 Sales automation system in place (Salesforce.com, Right Now, etc.) but not widely/consistently used by sales
Sales Automation 3 Sales automation system in place, use required - some data is inconsistent, missing, outdated 5
4 System in place, widely used by sales, data is reliable and current
5 Sales automation system is required by sales mgmt., drives pipeline reports and revenue projection
1 Systems are disparate and siloed. Access is ad hoc and manual
2 Systems are siloed. Standard reports are automated, but rarely used
System Integration 3 Beginning to link systems to provide a shared view of customer & sales data 4
4 Major systems are integrated and key reports are automated & widely used for decision-making & forecasting
5 Shared view of customer for sales & marketing. Data is complete, current, and clean
1 Customer and prospect data resides in multiple places, difficult to access, ad hoc data pulling
2 Processes are becoming defined, technology is used sporadically
Access to Data & Data Management 3 Technology is implemented to automate key marketing processes 2
4 Process metrics exists and are benchmarked and reviewed often
5 Sales & Marketing have a single, shared view of customer data and automated or formal processes
Messaging & Materials
Description of Best Practices Level of Compliance Score Notes/Comments
8. 1 Collateral from marketing is often thrown away by sales. Lots of home-grown rogue materials in the field
2 Marketing collateral is distributed by marketing, sometimes used
Marketing Materials & Collateral 3 Marketing is beginning to seek sales input on marketing collateral, and rogue materials are diminishing 5
4 Sales has input on collateral, mostly satisfied -- collateral is consistently used
5 Sales and marketing collaborate on marketing materials. Collateral is highly valued and consistently used
1 Sales messaging in the field is completely different than the official marketing messages
2 Sales is aware of the official marketing message, but often chooses different/old messages in the selling process
Messaging & Brand 3 Sales is beginning to integrate marketing and brand messages into their sales discussions 4
4 Sales often echoes marketing messages, but not always
5 Sales and marketing messages are completely in sync
10. Sales & Marketing Alignment Tool
Marketing Results Scores Recommendations
Organizational Relationships
Increase marketing exposure to sales process through sales ride-along, collaboration on
Understanding of Sales by Marketing 1 presentations, continued dialogue
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in
Understanding of Marketing by Sales 3 dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Organizational Development, Training, & Learning 4 0
Increase formal sales communication to marketing. Weekly debriefing calls, shared access to
Communications Style and Ease of Access 3 reports
Relationship Definitions 4 0
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in
Collaboration, Trust & Credibility 3 dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Organizational Relationships Maturity Average 3
Metrics & Value-Measurement
Campaign ROI Maturity 5 0
Marketing Metrics Maturity 2 Review ROI metrics regularly and adjust resource allocation accordingly
Link between Marketing and Sales Metrics 1 Create 2-3 shared metrics, targets and tie targets to shared rewards
Identify alignment measurements and benchmarks. Regularly assess alignment and create shared
Alignment Improvement Practices 2 action plans for improvement
Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve
Financial Performance 1 gaps between actual and forecast
Metrics & Value-Measurement Maturity Average 2
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management
11. Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement
Demand Generation 2 in lead follow-up during campaign periods
Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and
Lead Scoring & Management 1 workflow
Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns &
Pipeline Reporting & Visibility 2 leads
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management Maturity
Average
2
Culture
Executive Alignment 1 Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations
Shared Risks and Rewards 2 Establish shared reward system, and work to collaborate and share risk
Marketing-Sales Relationship 2 Create opportunities for pro-active sales & marketing collaboration projects
Relationship/Trust Style 1
Culture Maturity Average 2
Systems & Technology
Marketing Automation 2 Identify need and resources available to create marketing automation. Research best practices.
Identify need and resources available to create sales automation. Research vendors & best
Sales Automation 1 practices.
Find ways to open systems and create a unified view of customer data. Data warehouses can be
System Integration 2 powerful here.
Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions
Access to Data & Data Management 1 and maintaining data integrity.
System & Technology Maturity Average 2
Messaging & Materials
Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to
Marketing Materials & Collateral 2 understand what is actually being used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to
get a sense of how collateral is being used.
Messaging & Brand 1 Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.
12. Messaging & Materials Maturity Average 2
Increase marketing exposure to sales process through sales ride-along, collaboration on presentations, continued dialogue
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Establish a structured alignment plan. Use best practices to align goals, measurements, metrics and rewards
Increase formal sales communication to marketing. Weekly debriefing calls, shared access to reports
Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and define roles & handoffs
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI targets
Review ROI metrics regularly and adjust resource allocation accordingly
Create 2-3 shared metrics, targets and tie targets to shared rewards
Identify alignment measurements and benchmarks. Regularly assess alignment and create shared action plans for improvement
Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve gaps between actual and forecast
Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement in lead follow-up during campaign periods
Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and workflow
Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns & leads
Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations
Establish shared reward system, and work to collaborate and share risk
Create opportunities for pro-active sales & marketing collaboration projects
Work on relationships and shared rewards/risks to establish trust and dependency between groups
Identify need and resources available to create marketing automation. Research best practices.
Identify need and resources available to create sales automation. Research vendors & best practices.
Find ways to open systems and create a unified view of customer data. Data warehouses can be powerful here.
Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions and maintaining data integrity.
Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to understand what is actually being used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to get a sense of how collateral is being used.
Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.
13. Sales & Marketing Alignment Tool
Sales Results Scores Recommendations
Organizational Relationships
Understanding of Sales by Marketing 5 0
Understanding of Marketing by Sales 5 0
Organizational Development, Training, & Learning 4 0
Communications Style and Ease of Access 5 0
Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and
Relationship Definitions 2 define roles & handoffs
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in
Collaboration, Trust & Credibility 2 dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Organizational Relationships Maturity Average 4
Metrics & Value-Measurement
Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI
Campaign ROI Maturity 2 targets
Marketing Metrics Maturity 5 0
Link between Marketing and Sales Metrics 2 Create 2-3 shared metrics, targets and tie targets to shared rewards
Alignment Improvement Practices 5 0
Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve
Financial Performance 2 gaps between actual and forecast
Metrics & Value-Measurement Maturity Average 3
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management
14. Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement
Demand Generation 2 in lead follow-up during campaign periods
Lead Scoring & Management 5 0
Pipeline Reporting & Visibility 5 0
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management Maturity
Average
4
Culture
Executive Alignment 2 Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations
Shared Risks and Rewards 5 0
Marketing-Sales Relationship 4 0
Relationship/Trust Style 4 0
Culture Maturity Average 4
Systems & Technology
Marketing Automation 5 0
Sales Automation 5 0
System Integration 4 0
Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions
Access to Data & Data Management 2 and maintaining data integrity.
System & Technology Maturity Average 4
Messaging & Materials
Marketing Materials & Collateral 5 0
Messaging & Brand 4 0
15. Messaging & Materials Maturity Average 5
Increase marketing exposure to sales process through sales ride-along, collaboration on presentations, continued dialogue
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Establish a structured alignment plan. Use best practices to align goals, measurements, metrics and rewards
Increase formal sales communication to marketing. Weekly debriefing calls, shared access to reports
Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and define roles & handoffs
Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle
Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI targets
Review ROI metrics regularly and adjust resource allocation accordingly
Create 2-3 shared metrics, targets and tie targets to shared rewards
Identify alignment measurements and benchmarks. Regularly assess alignment and create shared action plans for improvement
Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve gaps between actual and forecast
Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement in lead follow-up during campaign periods
Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and workflow
Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns & leads
Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations
Establish shared reward system, and work to collaborate and share risk
Create opportunities for pro-active sales & marketing collaboration projects
Work on relationships and shared rewards/risks to establish trust and dependency between groups
Identify need and resources available to create marketing automation. Research best practices.
Identify need and resources available to create sales automation. Research vendors & best practices.
Find ways to open systems and create a unified view of customer data. Data warehouses can be powerful here.
Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions and maintaining data integrity.
Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to understand what is actually being used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to get a sense of how collateral is being used.
Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.
16. Sales & Marketing Alignment Tool
Weighting Scale
Organizational Metrics and Value- Lead Generation & Systems & Messaging &
Relationships Measurement Pipeline Management
Culture
Technology Materials Total
15% 15% 40% 10% 15% 5% 100%