Whether an organization separates the business functions of marketing and sales (most don’t), both departments must work together to engage existing and prospective customers. Those that operate in silos are less effective. According to a joint Marketo and Reachforce research piece, businesses are 67 percent better at closing deals when sales and marketing are aligned.
But everything is not peachy in sales and marketing land. According to Hubspot’s State of Inbound 2017, 59 percent of marketers say they provide salespeople with very high-quality leads, but only 25 percent of salespeople agree.
This is likely because most organizations operate sales and marketing independently. Sales teams are ultra-protective of their customer relationships. Marketers are fanatical about making sure funnel activity is properly nurtured before passing leads on.
From a philosophical perspective, it is vital to get everyone on the same page. It is equally important to get the tools being used – CRM and marketing automation applications – in sync.
When the departments and their systems are integrated, everyone wins.