{"id":315,"date":"2019-05-20T23:57:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T23:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/321-growth-academy-2023.local\/challenges-in-aligning-sales-and-marketing-in-b2b-organizations\/"},"modified":"2023-11-02T21:12:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T21:12:06","slug":"challenges-in-aligning-sales-and-marketing-in-b2b-organizations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/321growthacademy.com\/challenges-in-aligning-sales-and-marketing-in-b2b-organizations\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenges in aligning sales and marketing in B2B organizations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Common<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Right hand, meet left hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many B2B organizations, there are real challenges aligning sales and marketing. We believe there are 3 key reasons why this happens, and 3 ways these organizations can work to address this misalignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this misalignment happening?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1.Lack of alignment on the customer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In many organizations \u2013 especially ones with large or distributed teams \u2013 there can be a lack of alignment as to the customer being served. Marketing is working on a great new campaign for enterprise customers, while sales is working on a sales blitz to farm existing accounts and drive renewals before year end. Getting clear on specifically who is the ideal customer, which are the \u201cbest\u201d projects, and how marketing and sales will treat prospects that fall outside that definition, is critical for gaining alignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.Lack of shared understanding of the buyer journey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sales typically has a strong sense of how the buyer buys \u2013 the steps or stages, timing, and who\u2019s involved in what stage. However, in my experience, few marketers take or have the opportunity to learn this first hand, and thus lack the critical context of where their marketing efforts can best be leveraged to support a buyer through their buying journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.Metrics that don\u2019t incent collaboration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In many large organizations, there are no shared metrics that assess sales and marketing success. Marketing may be focused on the number of leads delivered to sales (MQLs); while Sales fusses about the quality of those leads. Instead, ensuring that Sales and Marketing win (or lose) together is a key step in gaining alignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, then how to fix this misalignment?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1. Joint strategy and planning sessions \u2013 that start with the what (goals), who (customer) and how (buyer journey)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When preparing operational plans, have Marketing and Sales work together to define:<\/p>\n\n\n\n