The goal of marketing is to drive sales. The goal of sales is to increase revenue. But what happens when your sales team is more frustrated than helped by your marketing? This could be a little friction that can be sanded down or a major issue that’s wasting time and money. If your sales team is dealing with any of these three sales questions from customers, it may be time to address issues in your marketing.
1. Do You Actually Explain Your Products & Services?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but for many products and services, especially for businesses whose service is their expertise, you might not be providing the details customers need to make a decision. This means customers either click away, leaving the sales funnel, or have to ask these basic questions to sales, which can lead to frustration on both sides of the call or email.
2. Does Your Marketing Explain the Sales Process?
When a visitor on your website clicks a Call to Action, do they know what to expect yet? They should know what to expect, from where to buy your product to how to find out more information. If your website gets traffic but not phone calls, people might be unclear that they need to call, and your inbox might fill with unread info. If you’re call-based, make sure you’ve got the people to man the phones, especially when running new marketing. Customers need to be answered promptly (and if you can’t, you should mention that in marketing).
3. Does Your Marketing Include Outdated Sales Info?
Lastly, if your sales team is dealing with people who have the wrong information, you need to find out where they are getting it. Chances are it can be linked back to something on your website, social media, or even advertising that’s no longer true. Some examples include:
- Promotions and pricing that are no longer valid. Did you run a deal for your business? Make sure your promos include expiration dates and no longer show on advertising. Take them down on social media when they are no longer valid.
- Outdated contact information, including phone numbers and emails. Did your phone number, email, or address change? Make sure you’ve updated it—not just on your website, but across the internet.
- Different names for the products, services, or even business. Rebranding is harder than you think. From changing a product name to completely pivoting your company and brand, you need to sweep up everywhere that information exists and update or delete it.
Solving This Sales-Marketing Disconnect
If your sales and marketing teams are at odds, it’s time for you to solve it. First, it’s important that your sales and marketing teams talk to improve collaboration. If there are issues, it might be time for a new marketing plan with a focus on brand management and online presence so everything is aligned. Lastly, marketing can improve the sales process by identifying qualified leads so the sales team spends less time selling.
Learn more in our post, 3 Solutions to Stop Your Sales and Marketing Disconnect.
If you’re having trouble between marketing and sales, it might be time to change your marketing. That’s where Vision comes in: proactive marketing, communication, and reporting to help you get better leads. Even websites that are designed around lead generation. Contact us today to learn more. Looking for more expert marketing advice? Check out the rest of our Vision blogs, our enVisioning Success podcast, and our downloadable Marketing Strategies Playbook.
