7 Marketing Benefits Gained from Sales

A blog post from fellow marketer, Dylan Lake

Marketing and Sales have a bad reputation of not working well together and it’s easy to understand where the natural conflict comes from. When two departments work hard to drive revenue year round, the pressure to meet high numbers can cause tension. One of the reasons I came aboard my current company, Emgage, was being able to work directly next to our Sales department.

This blog post is part of "Your Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing" blog series. 

Here are 7 of the most valuable marketing benefits gained from Sales:

1) We are all members of the same team

It can be very easy to fall into the trap of blaming each other when numbers are not met; however, it is important to remember that everyone is working towards the same goal. Although each department has well defined objectives and targets to meet goals, revenue growth can not happen unless both departments work together.

2) Creativity increases

Working for a smaller company has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the best parts of being a part of a smaller company is the opportunity to bounce ideas off of people in different departments. Your Sales team is interacting with potential leads and current customers on a more personal level than your Marketing team. I’ve learned more about who our customers are and what they want by listening to my Sales team’s conversations. Collaborating closely with Sales helps createa better buying persona, targeted collateral, and an improved social media presence.

3) It strengthens your brand

Your company’s brand might fall under your Marketing department, but it is the responsibility of everyone in your company to uphold it. Collaborate with your Sales team to figure out the best way to present the way team members are representing your brand through social media. Get creative with profile pictures, backgrounds, and headers to keep your company looking united while still having fun!

4) Company culture improves

Company culture is one of the most important aspects of having a successful company thrive. Putting in the effort to work together not only strengthens a company, it improves overall satisfaction and happiness. As a Marketer, I found it can be easy to want to crawl into a silent cave in order to write content, but working near Sales can be a lot of fun. Take a small portion of your day to go over and see what they are up to. You haven’t really lived until you’ve implemented a marketing automation system, while electronic dance music is blasting in the background.

5) A better understanding of your customer

Your Sales team talks to each lead or customer on a very personal level. They know where someone spent Thanksgiving, what they ate for breakfast, and where they went to school. This information may not seem like it applies to Marketing directly, but it can be extremely valuable especially when creating targeted marketing campaigns.

6) Understanding the buying process

Take time to just sit back and listen to how your Sales team interacts with leads and customers over the phone. Make sure to take notes on how their interactions change depending on where the lead is in the buying process. This will help you tailor your nurture content and learn what vocabulary a potential customer uses.

7) Learning how to negotiate

A good portion of a Marketer’s day is spent negotiating with vendors. When my company purchased a new marketing automation product, the process was comprised of hours of negotiating. Being surrounded by my Sales team taught me how to speak, think, and negotiate like a Sales person. It was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had in my career.

Dylan Lake is currently a Marketing Manager at Emgage, a startup software company based out of San Francisco, California. Ms. Lake has worked hard at building her company's marketing strategies from scratch, and we are very honored to feature other hardworking startups on our blog. To read more from Ms. Lake, be sure to check out her company blog here.

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