Are your marketing and sales functions aligned? It may depend on who you ask. Business and technology decision-makers who work in sales are almost twice as likely as those in marketing to say that marketing operates independently or is minimally aligned with other internal functions. Whether the disconnect is more perception or reality, the results of misalignment are dismal. Despite all the advancements in frontline marketing and sales technologies and processes, only 10% of B2B sales and marketing leaders say that their sales representatives have plenty of high-quality leads.
It’s Time To Change Your Approach To Sales And Marketing Alignment
I recently completed a research project that uncovered some fundamental issues and root causes of misalignment and dysfunction between sales and marketing. Aligning sales and marketing doesn’t happen through service-level agreements or aligned planning. It turns out that marketing and sales can’t fully align without resolving high-stakes trade-offs at the frontline leadership level. One of the most important trade-offs is the quality, quantity, and cost of sales opportunities. Another is eliminating double standards between sales and frontline marketing. There are a lot of trade-offs, and root causes, and each creates its own rift. Each trade-off needs to be addressed before planning and processes can be aligned and produce synergistic results.
Realize Frontline Marketing’s Growth Potential To Boost Sales And Marketing Alignment
My research found that there is a significant need for strategy at lower levels within marketing organizations, such as frontline marketing. There’s also a need for frontline marketing to align within itself, create and demonstrate more value, and ladder up to a B2B customer-obsessed growth engine. Making a stronger connection to a B2B customer-obsessed growth engine opens the door for bold frontline marketing leaders to help define a new growth era for their organizations and lay the groundwork for frontline marketing to evolve:
- From pipeline contributors to growth contributors.
- From identifying leads to increasing buying-group value.
- From alignment with sales to alignment with the customer and sales.
- From marketing tech dependency to revenue tech synergy.
Make Frontline Marketing A Linchpin And Enter A New Growth Era For Your Organization
My new report, available to Forrester clients with access, helps frontline marketing leaders objectively challenge the current state of alignment, reposition frontline marketing’s value, and solidify frontline marketing’s role as a strategic contributor to customer-obsessed growth. The report summarizes the root causes of sales and marketing misalignment and offers advice for forging a new alignment approach. Read the report and schedule a guidance session or advisory day to chart your course to better alignment and growth outcomes.
