[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Smarketing (noun…): The process of uniting the Sales and Marketing departments to form an overall integrated approach in common business processes.

The driving force behind a business lies in the Sales and Marketing departments. A company without sales is like a ship without sails. Ok, I know that was terrible, but in all seriousness: who generates the leads that sales use? The marketing team does. Sales and Marketing have different roles to play, but with an aim so closely intertwined, it seems illogical for the teams to war against each other.

So there’s the obvious difference in that the role is different. Marketing target a range of people from prospects to customers, all to maintain and enhance the brand image. The end goal: generating leads for the company.

Then Sales take over. They have a short-term involvement where they’re responsible for converting the specific, prequalified lead into a customer.

Clearly, the M.O. is different here. The processes, tools and methods used to name a few. These differences stop at the overall team aims. Both departments are responsible for generating revenue at the end of the day. Studies have shown that organisations with an effective Smarketing alignment achieved 20% annual revenue growth (Aberdeen Group).

Breaking down the barriers, which separate your teams is the first step to tackling the obstacles in place. Such as walls. So unnecessary… Really though, sit together. Whether that be on the same desk or in the same room, it means you can talk at every point in the marketing and sales processes. Throw ideas around, identify what qualifies an MQL and SQL, and get your killer values and personas down to a T.

And the result? The reason for working together? It falls back to the customer. Making their progression through the company as uninterrupted and fluid as possible. From their very first interaction, marketing will be there to give helpful hints and tips about the industries wider workings. Then they hit the heavier content. They begin to crave a conversation. At which point, the smooth transition to sales begins, without the hassle that usually accompanies a department change.

Overall, you’re not trying to merge the teams. They both have distinct and unique roles which each benefit the company in differing and critical ways. All we want to achieve is for the teams to see eye to eye, understand the other’s role, and how each influence the other. Separately the teams are good, but together they are great!

If you’re raring to get going, take a look through our Whitepaper on How Lead Scoring Bridges the Gap Between Sales and Marketing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]