4 Steps to a Better Sales & Marketing Relationship

So maybe you’re investing in a new brand position. Or you’re rolling out a new ad campaign. Or launching a new website.

In any of these processes, there’s one audience you should never overlook (besides your customers): your salespeople.

Marketing and messaging, after all, is meant to set the stage for easier and more effective selling. Plus, your sales team is often the main customer touch point, making it especially important that they’re on the same page as management regarding your brand and how to portray it.

That’s why it’s essential to incorporate sales in the branding process from the very beginning. For maximum ROI – and the most consistent and rewarding experience for your customers – your people must be empowered to take advantage of all your marketing efforts daily and consistently.

Here are four steps to getting your sales team properly involved.

• Kick it off. Sit down with the team to explore target customers’ situations and hot-button issues, as well as the sales team’s current use of marketing messages and materials. Find areas of improvement or confusion.
• Develop messaging. Apply key elements of the brand to craft specific messaging that meets sales’ unique challenges. Fill in missing pieces and ensure consistency across all messaging.
• Deploy it. Review new messages with the staff and practice use in common sales scenarios.
• Follow up. Review successful sales interactions that leveraged the messaging and address evolving issues.

Equipping your sales team with consistent, brand-based messaging will create the best sales experience for both your company and your customers, ensuring better relationships and results. So what are you waiting for? Plan a sales meeting today!