🕵🏻‍♂️ 14 signs of marketing & sales misalignment

How to identify the root causes of this misalignment and get your marketing and sales team working in harmony?

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The Trenches Community
July 23, 2024

Hey there,

Do your marketing and sales teams work in silos instead of side-by-side? You're not alone. 

A surprising number of companies struggle with misalignment between these two crucial teams. 

This can lead to frustrated salespeople, and ultimately, missed revenue goals.

But fear not! This newsletter will equip you with the knowledge to identify the root causes of this misalignment and get your marketing and sales team working in harmony.

Let’s get right into it.

Spotting the Disconnect: 14 Signs of Marketing & Sales Misalignment

Here are some red flags to watch out for:

(RESULTS)

1. Lack of awareness in target accounts

2. Long sales cycles

3. Low win-rates

4. Leads are not sales-ready

5. Low conversion from MQL to SQO

6. Miserable marketing-sourced pipeline

(POSITIONING)

7. Commodity positioning

8. Multiple versions of the value prop

9. Marketing collateral collects dust

(COLLABORATION)

10. Marketing does "random acts of marketing" that sales is not aware of

11. Marketing leads remain ignored

12. Sales depends on outbound to drive pipeline

13. Blaming games between marketing and sales

14. Marketing becomes an order-taker

Beyond the Symptoms: The Root Causes of Misalignment

  1. Lack of Customer Research
    Conduct thorough research to understand your customers’ needs, pain points, and behaviors.

  2. Vague and Broad ICP
    Define a clear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to ensure both teams target the right audience with tailored messages.

  3. Messaging and Value Proposition are Not Targeted, Specific, and Validated
    Develop and validate specific, compelling messages that address your target audience’s needs.

  4. Misaligned Messaging in Ads, Content, on the Website, and Landing Pages
    Ensure consistent messaging across all touchpoints to set correct expectations and attract the right leads.

  5. Marketing and Sales Target Different Market Segments, Geo Markets, or ICP
    Align target markets and segments to avoid confusion and wasted efforts.

  6. Marketing and Sales Campaigns Are Not Aligned
    Coordinate campaigns to ensure marketing supports sales initiatives and both work towards common goals.

  7. Marketing Focuses on Vanity Metrics
    Shift focus from vanity metrics (likes, impressions) to meaningful metrics (conversions, revenue) that support sales.

  8. Marketing Doesn’t Provide Sales with Highly Engaged Target Accounts
    Use data and analytics to identify and prioritize accounts with high engagement and buying intent.

  9. Marketing Doesn’t Help Sales Accelerate Deals
    Provide sales with content and tools that help move prospects through the funnel faster.

  10. Lack of Demand Generation Programs
    Invest in demand generation to create a steady flow of high-quality leads for sales.

  11. Content is Based on SEO, Not on Buyer Journey Insights
    Develop content based on insights into the buyer journey and their informational needs, not just SEO keywords.

  12. Marketing Doesn’t Know the Sales Process and the challenges they face
    Educate marketing on the sales process and challenges to create more effective support strategies.

  13. There Are No Regular Pipeline Review, Campaign Progress, and Postmortem Meetings
    Hold regular meetings to review progress, identify issues, and adjust strategies as needed.

  14. No Clear Playbooks for Leads Handoff and Activation Processes
    Develop and follow clear playbooks for lead handoff and activation to ensure smooth transitions and follow-ups.

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Marketing and sales are two parts of a revenue team with the same goal: driving revenue and business growth. However, they each have distinct responsibilities.

Primary Marketing Goals:

  • Customer Research, Messaging, and Positioning

  • Creating Awareness

  • Generating and Capturing Demand

  • Supporting Sales with Engaged Accounts and Intent Triggers

  • Helping Sales Accelerate the Sales Cycle and influence the decision-making process

  • Customer Marketing and Advocacy

Primary Sales Goals:

  • Connect and Build Relationships with Target Accounts

  • Start Conversations with Engaged Accounts

  • Drive Consensus and Approval within the Buying Committee

  • Expand the Business with Existing Customers

  • Prevent Churn

Aligning both functions is key to achieving business and revenue growth. When marketing and sales work together seamlessly, they can create a cohesive strategy that drives better results, improves customer experiences, and ultimately leads to greater success.

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