It’s very common for people to dissociate sales and marketing; taking them as two separate departments that don’t have much to do with each other. This is a concept that we have to break away from. Marketing and Sales have more in common than we think and that also goes for the way they work.
The undeniable truth is that a business cannot survive without money to sustain it. The responsibility to keep your business going falls onto your sales and marketing team because they are the ones who do everything in their power to convince their prospects to subscribe and avail of your products and services. It’s a cooperation between the two departments and not just a one-man-army.
And so since they have to work hand-in-hand, it’s important that the tactics they use are beneficial to both departments. Let us give you some tips on how to improve your marketing and sales approaches.
Learn to Listen
Like with any other relationship, listening to the other party is always the key. In selling your services and products, you have to pay a good deal of attention to the person you’re trying to sell to. Maybe they are quite new or just at the beginning of the purchasing cycle and they don’t really know you yet. Therefore, they don’t understand the terms and product-specific lingo you’re using.
Take into consideration how you want to pitch your sale. Remember that marketing is all about telling stories. As a marketer and salesperson, it is your responsibility to tell your prospects how you can help them make their story a reality. Always listen to what they have to say and what concerns they have. You won’t be able to help them if you don’t know what their story is.
Personas and Recording The Journey
Your personas when you talk to your clients is generally the job of the marketing team and the mistake here is that this is usually ignored by the sales team.
Make it a point where the sales team is still involved in the making of influential strategies. The marketing team should interview the sales team throughout the process, asking for their approval and feedback in order to create personas that will benefit both teams in getting the results you strive for.
Now that you’ve established the personas you’re going to use for your sales pitch, it is also important to note that your client’s buying process is the basis of all sales and marketing efforts. Never skip this step!
For sales and marketing leaders, you should work together through each personal and examine how they connect and interact with the clients, guiding them through the process of becoming a sure-buyer. Keep a list of the needs and questions each persona will have when they interact with the clients. By doing this you are guiding your clients from one step to the next.
Review Website and Online Marketing
Although social media platforms are very important and essential in modern sales and marketing, may we also encourage that you regularly update and take care of your website as well. Is your branding consistent? Do you post and update regularly? Is your content relevant to your clients’ and prospects’ needs? Remember that your website should be designed to attract your audience as well as educate them.
Build Relationships
Customers lose up to about 10% of their buying power each month which means they might not come back as often to you as they did in the beginning. Here, you have to make the effort to build good relationships with your customers and possible prospects. By enriching your relationships with them, you secure them as your customers for the future. If your current connections are happy and feel cared for, they will also most likely recommend your products and services to other people.
Keep Up With Your Progress
Once you’ve got everything running efficiently and the way you want to, don’t forget to also think of a way to keep up and track your progress so that nothing slips past you. No matter how smooth your operations may be, it’s always good to be ready for any mishaps that may come your way. If they do, be sure to document any issues that you may discover as you review your processes, templates, etc. Be on the lookout for any possible black holes wherein your prospects or clients could fall into due to a lack of time or resources.
Conclusion
These are some simple tactics that we have found helpful and the most effective way to help your lead generation and lead nurturing along. Moreover, these tactics will help bridge the gap between the sales and marketing departments as it is always a matter of working together and coordinating in order to get optimum results.
Of course, as the business keeps evolving, our tactics must also. The work doesn’t stop here. There is always room for more improvement and tweaks here and there, but these tips should be able to give you a kickstart and serve as your guide as you move forward.
