Teaming Up Marketing and Sales

The Pitchers: Sales

Let's say you have a new baseball team in town and it's almost time for the first game of the season. Your sales force is ready to sell a variety of package deals for the season. However, there's a major stumbling block as they prepare to approach potential buyers. No one knows about the package deals or even the date of the first game.

No one tipped the local sports writer or the local TV news of the upcoming grand opening game. What happened to the marketing department? There's no marketing research, no publicity, and no idea where to begin targeting sales. Sales will flop and will make the sales department look bad, but it's marketing's fault since they didn't do their job.

The Batters: Marketing

Let's switch and see things from the marketing team's view. They do a grand job of posting banners of the first game in town. Marketing has pulled together piles of reports with data on the audience, their baseball attending habits, and game spending habits. Many people arrive for the game opener, buy a ticket for the game, and it's successful.

Or is it really? The sales team is invisible. There is no one to build a relationship with the fans. No one has sold them packages for attending more than just the opener. Sales could go far beyond than one game. They could even help build relationships that go beyond the season. Marketing did a great job, but with poor sales the team may not make it and everyone loses. Where was sales when marketing promoted the event?

Who gets the credit? Who gets the blame? In the war for profitable bottom line, turf issues should be put aside.

Who's on First?

Marketing and sales play for the same team in different positions. Marketing leads to sales by creating programs focused on direct marketing principles that are tied to the sales team's success. Marketing puts together a multi-step game plan to ensure each interaction with prospective fans lead to more and deeper interactions. Using shared business goals as a driver, the two work to meet those goals.

Marketing and sales should constantly communicate with each other to ensure effective timing, clear understanding of the company's message, and smoother handoffs. Sales can determine the target market by evaluating current and past sales. The results help marketing professionals sharpen their pitch so they can hook the right people.

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

---

The Lone Wolf is Blind

When Advertising, it's not always better to be the lone... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 4

Let's continue to discuss the various marketing principles that are... Read More

Attracting New Business on a Shoestring Budget

In a recent marketing workshop I attended, I discovered that... Read More

How to Measure the Benefit Your Product or Service Offers

Measuring the benefit of your product or service means putting... Read More

The Power of Thank You

Sometimes we loose site of the small things in life... Read More

Secrets of Trade Show Success

The ropers at Annie Oakley's Real Western Dudette Ranch were... Read More

Always Sell To New Eyes And New Ears

One of the hardest things for you to do as... Read More

Effective Use of Promotional Products and Ad Specialties

1. Determine the goals of your promotional products program. Do... Read More

How to Turn Your Promotional Products Expense Into a Profit Center

If you use promotional products you probably already know the... Read More

Receiving a Brochure Printing Quote

Brochures are a great way to get your message across.... Read More

Dont Use Yourself as Your Pricing Yardstick

"I wouldn't pay more than what I charge now."If you... Read More

Marketing to Success on a ZERO Budget

TOP 10 TIPS TO GET YOU MARKETING TO SUCCESS ON... Read More

Can Message Board Marketing Work For You?

One of the things that makes the Internet fun is... Read More

Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition or USP

Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition"Don't tell them what you do.... Read More

Small Business Marketing; Abstract Philosophical Discussion

Our bodies work like our small businesses. They work best... Read More

Stop Your Marketing Leaks

Thirty percent of all the drinkable water that runs between... Read More

Marketing Messages: Your 10 Most Important Business Principles

As a self-employed professional, you have two basic strategies for... Read More

Marketing on the Cheap: Write? Right!!

We all know the value of writing articles for promoting... Read More

Web Site Marketing: 10 Little Known Upsell Strategies That Will Magnify Your Profits

What is Upselling?It means pre-selling any additional features of your... Read More

5 Print Ad Essentials!

Writing an effective print ad, particularly a classified advertisement, requires... Read More

Fax Marketing : Reaching a New Niche of Customers

Traditional marketing and advertising assumes that all of your customers... Read More

Be Prepared for Marketing

For most businesses, making a sale is all important. However,... Read More

5 Tips on Establishing Yourself As An Expert In Your Community

Wondering how to get new patients into your practice? Wondering... Read More

How Your List Affects Postage Costs

HOW YOUR LIST AFFECTS POSTAGE COSTS AND WHAT YOU CAN... Read More

The Secret to Adding Credibility to Your Business ? Testimonials!

You may not realize it, but you already have a... Read More

How To Create A Complete Referral Marketing System

These steps are taken from the Referral Flood Marketing Program.... Read More

Marketing is More Than a Token Process

"Necessity is the mother of invention!" The first time I... Read More

Getting Your Services Used

Every day I talk with professional service providers who do... Read More

Signage for Mobile Car Wash Vehicles

If you are in the mobile car wash business and... Read More

Hispanic Market Reality and Purchasing Power

How many Hispanic people live in the US currently. Well... Read More

Case Study: How to Get a Big Boost in Response by Taking Your Marketing to the Extreme

Want a big boost in response and quick sales from... Read More

Sales and Marketing: Can One Exist Without the Other?

Simply put the marketing people and the sales people depend... Read More

How To Get New Business

Market, Market and then market some more. So many small... Read More