How The Right Tools Help Align Sales And Marketing

John Follett

It is the rare company that can avoid the challenges that arise when sales and marketing are misaligned. If you are one of the lucky few, then no need to read on. However, if you're like most of us you know the havoc and frustration this can bring.

Getting sales and marketing on the same page is never an easy fix. Multiple issues are usually involved. You need targeted dialogue to first identify where the greatest disconnect is. This is where alignment tools can be of benefit.

View Our Sales and Marketing Alignment Tool

The basic purpose behind our sales and marketing alignment tool is to give both teams the chance to analyze their activities and goals objectively. Then compare your answers to the same set of questions to see where the sales and marketing departments are on the same page and where they have a major disagreement.

A good alignment tool will make it easy to spot and identify disconnects. Providing a numerical score for each part of the assessment is a great place to start. Our tool will also provide you with graphics and charts that are easy to see. This makes it simple to assess the situation and see at a glance where the biggest problems are. Your alignment tool will give you the information you need to begin an honest dialogue between the two departments. Ideally, this will help you get both departments onto the same page in every area of the business.

Sales and marketing alignment should be focusing on the same target audience and presenting products and services in the same way. Customers will only be confused if they're presented one view of the product in the marketing materials, but find that another side of it is being pushed by their sales contact.

You can return to your sales and marketing alignment tool again and again to make sure that these departments stay on the same page. It's a good idea to adopt an assessment like this as a regular practice that you perform every quarter, or each year. Identifying weak points within the company as they relate to these two departments is the first step toward making monumental changes that will ultimately result in more customers and an increased revenue stream.