When it comes to sales and marketing alignment, most executives have the option of 'eat or be eaten.' Research shows that in companies where both teams work together, business gets more efficient. Where there is no sales and marketing alignment, companies lose money. These are two scenarios that make it impossible for business leaders to do nothing. Check out these 7 proven ways sales and marketing alignment is best for business.

1. Earn More Revenue

One of the most obvious reasons to align sales and marketing teams is to improve company revenue. Inefficient teams, by definition, can't produce top results. Studies show that when sales and marketing work together, company revenue increases by 32 percent. On the flip side, if the teams don't work together, revenue decreases by 7 percent. Getting your sales and marketing teams aligned means getting the best opportunities on the table. The sales team has information on low hanging fruit that can immediately improve company revenue. Getting support from marketing means getting the content and collateral they need to seal the deal. Allow your marketing team to be stronger support for sales as they find new ways to close new accounts with customers.

2. Create Better Content

It's critical to include sales and marketing on content development strategy. Good content affects the outcome of both teams. The sales team has an up-close and personal view of customer behavior, needs, and desires. Marketing has an informed insight into the overall direction of the marketplace. Both teams can work together to create content that is relevant to customers now and attracts new desired demographics. The alignment of sales and marketing creates better stories that customers can relate to and engage with.

3. Generate Better Leads

One of the biggest challenges for sales teams is the quality of leads given to them by marketing. If both teams don't agree on the desired target market, the sales team can feel slighted by the leads they are given. Quality leads should include customers who are ready to make an immediate decision on purchasing. The sales team can support marketing in keeping customer personas up to date. Marketing generally has only analytics to measure customer profiles. Sales should provide consistent feedback from customers that helps marketers understand which customers are raving fans. Customers who are raving fans are more likely to be loyal and share your product with others. Allowing sales and marketing to work together to uncover more customers that fit this same profile means stronger, better quality leads over time.

4. Create Stronger Long Term Strategy

Marketing focuses on strategies that keep the company successful for years to come. This strategy can be improved with regular communication with the sales team. In companies where sales rarely or never meet with the marketing team to discuss opportunities, marketing misses the chance to test whether data collected has matches reality. Sales teams provide a ripe opportunity to keep an eye on the market from the ground level. Sales and marketing professionals need a company culture that encourages communication and collaboration. In smaller companies, these relationships might be possible for teams to develop on their own. But in larger organizations with satellite teams working on different schedules, leadership has to take the reigns to guide teams toward improved strategy. Alignment can only happen through communication. Connect your sales and marketing teams regularly to share updates and concerns. The result will be a more dependable marketing strategy that aligns with the company vision.

5. Fewer Stereotypes

One major barrier to communication between sales and marketing teams is negative stereotypes. Sales and marketing teams that don't communicate are left to speculate about the priorities of the other. They can only see problems from one perspective and are more likely to place blame than understand the plight of the other team. Marketing assumes the sales team singular in focus and can't see the bigger picture. Sales won't see the value of the marketing team when they have outdated collateral that can't help them sell. Both sides are less likely to communicate with negative stereotypes lurking around. Helping each team understand the challenges and successes faced by each team encourages empathy. The ongoing communication created by sales and marketing alignment gives each department a peek into the other's world. Each team holds key information that can lead to solutions for the other. The best way to get them to share value with one another is to regularly highlight each team's value to the company.

6. Increased Accountability

Sales and marketing alignment is important in making both teams more accountable. Sales reps can't complain about wasting time chasing down bad leads if the teams work together to improve the process. This means that managers can raise expectations on performance and time management. Marketing teams that share their process with sales get the chance to hear challenges right away. Sales can voice concerns before getting out in the field and marketing can react to those challenges by improving their intelligence or better explaining why the target market was chosen. Sales teams must be accountable for understanding the product inside and out. Marketers must be accountable for providing the best resources.

7. Better Return on Marketing Spend

Marketing spend typically rises each year when sales and marketing teams are highly aligned. Managers who bring a great return on investment can justify the budget increase. Poorly aligned sales and marketing teams find themselves justifying mistakes and oversight. Making teams more accountable and more efficient gets a better return on your investment. It's the key to getting better funding for your department year after year. Aligned teams can help you follow up on lead generation and pipeline management. Sales and marketing teams that have to regularly answer to one another are forced to compete for more results meaning more efficiency for the company throughout the year.

The Sales and Marketing Connection

Sales and marketing is the lifeblood of any organization. These teams can work wonders to establish bonds with customers that last for decades to come. Getting your teams together regularly to share updates is a small move that creates a big impact. For more information on tools to help you align your sales and marketing teams, contact us today.