How to End the War between Sales and Marketing?

The conflict between sales and marketing will end only when they understand each other’s needs and work in tandem.

The push and pull between sales and marketing have been going for ages. Management experts have devised various theories and the crux of each one of them is understanding mutual needs and working together. Every company desperately believes in ending the war between sales and marketing, but only a handful of them ever realize this dream. For others, it’s as far as the promised land. 

This article will shed light on the sales vs. marketing perspectives and what you can do to bridge them.

What is Marketing?

Marketing is an umbrella term that includes the following in general:

1. A mix of activities, including business planning, business intelligence, product/service promotion, sales, warehousing, and transportation.

2. Links the gap between the producers and the consumers.

3. Studies consumer needs and develops the required market products.

4. Focuses on making the consumer buying journey convenient

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Also Read: Best trends for digital marketing to watch in 2021

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Whats is Sales?

The following are the main objectives of sales:

1. Motivate the consumer to buy the product.

2. Increase the company’s revenue and profit.

3. Develop excellent customer relationships.

The conflict between Sales and Marketing

A. What sales think about marketing?

1. The marketing team sets exorbitant product prices.

2. The marketing team eats up most of the budget in doing consumer research.

3. The marketing team lacks first-hand consumer knowledge.

B. What marketing thinks about sales?

1. The sales team gives too much attention to a single customer. They avoid studying the market as a whole.

2. The sales team lacks a formidable strategy to execute their plans.

3. The senior management gives more importance to the sales team. Instead, the company should be marketing-led.

4 different relationships between sales and marketing

1. Undefined relationship

In an undefined relationship, both the sales and the marketing teams work independently in silos. They don’t share business-critical information and have no idea of what the other is doing. Both the teams participate in meetings only for conflict resolutions. 

2. Defined relationship

In a defined relationship, both the sales and the marketing teams form a set of rules and regulations to avoid conflicts. Their responsibilities are defined, so everyone knows who needs to do what. In most cases, they work together.

3. Aligned relationship

In an aligned relationship, both the sales and the marketing teams have defined boundaries. They hold joint brainstorming and training sessions. Both the departments concur on most points and work as a united force for the company’s benefit.

4. Integrated relationship

There is virtually no distinction between the sales and the marketing teams in an integrated relationship. They have common objectives, implement shared metrics, and have a similar reward structure. 

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Also Read: Why the sales forecast is an important metric to consider even before engaging your sales team in actual sales?

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5 ways for ending the war between sales and marketing

1. Both the sales and the marketing teams have common objectives.

The conflict between the sales and the marketing teams will end only when both of them realize that they have shared objectives. Although their approaches may be slightly different, they have the same goal, i.e., to increase the company’s profits.

2. Both the sales and the marketing teams must communicate regularly.

The sales and the marketing teams must communicate openly. Information silos should be destroyed so that critical business data is shared quickly and conveniently. Moreover, they should base their research on reliable data. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software will immensely help both the teams to communicate in the right manner. 

3. Both the sales and the marketing teams must have a standard hands-off process.

The conflict between sales and marketing teams will end when they use shared technology. CRM software plays a significant role by allowing both the departments to create a closed-loop reporting system where they share essential data.

4. Both the sales and the marketing teams should be transparent.

For ending the war between sales and marketing teams, they must behave responsibly and transparently. They should try to achieve the set targets and shouldn’t blame each other for mistakes and setbacks.

5. Both the sales and the marketing teams should cover up each other’s weaknesses.

For ending the war between sales and marketing teams, it’s essential that they supplement each other, resolve queries, and work for mutual benefit. Moreover, they should build a robust and last-lasting relationship by learning from each other and building their strengths. 

Conclusion

There is a long history of conflicts between the sales and the marketing departments. Two things can eliminate this antagonistic relationship. Firstly, by developing a strong will to work together to achieve shared goals. And secondly, by implementing top-notch technology, such as CRM software. 

At Sage Software Solutions (P) Ltd., we are home to world-class ERP software and CRM software that will solidify your business tech support fundamentals and enable you to build a customer-centric organization. To know more about it, SMS SAGE to 56767. You can also write to us at sales@sagesoftware.co.in

Disclaimer: All the information, views, and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and their respective web sources and in no way reflect the principles, views, or objectives of Sage Software Solutions (P) Ltd.