Even though they share common objectives, sales and marketing teams have worked independently from each other for years. However, the industry has recently seen a shift in thinking. Many businesses are merging these two departments in the form of smarketing, an integration of the sales and marketing teams within the same company. By sharing goals and working together as a cohesive unit, the sky is the limit for any sales manager and business that introduces this concept.
An Introduction to Smarketing for the Inquiring Sales Manager
Service Level Agreement
In most businesses, it has become a fairly common practice to issue a service level agreement (SLA) to clients as a way to distinguish the exact services and amenities that they can expect will be provided to them.
Aside from outlining the specific business a customer has with a company, the service level agreement also serves to highlight the responsibilities of the sales and marketing team to the client.
The Benefits
If specific tasks aren’t mentioned by name, then the goals and benchmarks will require the sales and marketing team to work together to form a plan of action that everyone must adhere to.
Not only does this ensure both teams are always working on the right assignments, it also forces both of them to join forces and brainstorm together to figure out how they can assist each other. Things seem to work smoothly when everyone is on the same page within a single company.
Better Serving your Leads
In some cases, businesses will leave lead acquisition to the marketing team and nurturing to the sales team without any kind of collaboration or shared insights.
Mass Collaboration
While some teams are so experienced that it would only waste valuable time, others can stand to benefit from the group effort. Sometimes, each team might have insights and data points that would be of great significance to the other.
For instance, the marketing team may possess individualized data about specific leads that the sales team could use to modify and personalize their approach. A notification system that alerts the sales team of new leads can even be put in place, as well as an active prospect list that both teams can update and control.
What to Expect
The marketing team will be better suited to find more qualified leads, while the sales team will have the tools to conduct more thorough, educated follow-ups. When the sales team has the tools to succeed, there will be more revenue and funds available to upgrade the rest of the company.
If you are a marketing or sales manager looking to make the jump to smarketing through integration and collaboration, make sure that you factor in these few invaluable benefits and advantages into your decision.
