Sales and Marketing

Term Paper #4

Philip Burkhardt

Marketing and Sales functions in many cases are in conflict with each other. Sales thinks only they are worried about making their quarterly goals; Marketing thinks strategic thinking only resides with them. Sales want marketing to provide leads for them while Marketing complains that sales ignores or criticizes everything they generate.

What has to happen to bring these functions closer together and produce better results?

Sales and Marketing need to get common alignment on goals produce positive results for the overall corporation. This alignment needs to have significant impact to both functions in a financial and growth way. Bonus and incentives should be based on common measurements of performance for both functions. This alignment will drive ownership for both Sales and Marketing to make sure that both parties can capitalizes on favorable outcome. If this outcome is less than favorable, then both Sales and Marketing are held accountable for results.

Another way that both Sales and Marketing can function closer together is by both organizations to fall under the same leadership at a higher level. This forces both functions to align towards common goals and results. This is not a common structure in traditional organizations, but could function well if managed correctly. This structure would allow Sales to have a direct input on Marketing's strategies and create a more in depth knowledge for Sales to look at strategic sales versus just creating a sale. On the other hand, Marketing could get a truer position on actual sales and understand the strategy that Sales has to use to close deals.

What process design recommendations do you have?

The process design that is recommended is for Marketing to be involved on Sales calls to potential or existing customers. This would allow an on hand interaction of what the feedback is coming from the customer. This interaction can help aid in Marketing strategy