Getting Sales and Marketing to Work Together in a Business

We are aware that companies by default operate through the makeup of various functions such as

• Accounting
• Finance
• Supply chain / Logisitics
• Human resources

and of course that of Sales and Marketing. Now, both sales and marketing play vital roles in the running of the business. Without one, you are not going to be able to run a business successfully and see the results that you were hoping to see. They both require a lot of time and effort, which is why so many businesses are investing so much into them and rightly so. To gain even more, though, it may be a smart idea to get them to work together as we often see conflict between the two functions when we delve into the day to day operations of a company.
          Often the sales force blames the marketing department for not providing market intelligence that is of a high enough quality that will enable them to get the results that the business needs to grow. And on the other hand we see that the marketing department apportions blame towards the sales force for not developing the sales leads effectively as identified by the marketing plan.

When the business is working as one, instead of having everything separated, it is possible to work like an efficient, improved machine. There is a lot more to gain for future growth and there is a lot more money to be made.
          Having parts of your business separated, working on their own, will not allow the business as a whole to grow. While you still may be able to make the most out of them individually, they will not be as good as you want them to be when looking at the full picture. In order for a business to grow and truly shine, each area has to work together. The business has to bring each department together to have it working like a machine, perfect and as one. Doing so is vital in order to keep everyone on the same page and understanding the path that needs to be taken.
          By developing plans that bring both sales and marketing together, it is easier to gain more from the business. The plans will be on the same path and incorporate the same ideas, keeping everyone on the same page. This ensures that people are not lost because of differences in views or confused by how different the sales and marketing parts of the business are. The face of the business, the marketing, is going to give people the same feeling and idea that the sales portion does.
          In summary, in order to make this happen, there has to be a solid plan between both sales and marketing and there has to be communication. The plan needs to be set up with both in mind while still being unique to their individual needs. Communication is always vital when bringing together parts of a business, making it easier for people to understand what is going on and what is going to happen. When everyone is on the same path and talking, it is possible to make this work and to gain a lot more from the business.

          Stephen C Campbell conducts business strategy consulting on topics such as Business to Business Branding and Channel Marketing. From his discussions with management from different industries and countries he has seen various patterns that develop within organizations that either lead to excellence or less growth than the company would otherwise experience, one of which is outlined in this article.

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