What is Smarketing?
Be it running a company or holding up a business; it takes a considerable amount of effort from all the parties involved. All the members have a specific role to play.
However, a great deal of emphasis has been laid on the Marketing and Sales section of any successful company and business. Before diving into the depth, let us first understand the functions these essential teams play in the organization's growth.
The role of the Sales team!
Sales are often referred to as the direct process which leads to the selling of the goods and services that are manufactured or offered by the respective business/company. A simple example would be a salesperson talking to potential customers and convincing them to make the purchase. The sales team works with the prospects directly.
It involves the concerned individuals engaging in either short or long conversations with potential customers. They try to know the pain points as well as the needs of the potential clients and try to explain to them how the goods and services provided by their company can do wonders for them.
You may have come across people trying to explain the benefits of having a particular product while you are passing by in a mall, or you may have received calls from executives of various companies or businesses. You may have even received messages and emails about various goods and services of the organizations you have subscribed to. Sounds familiar? Yes, this is precisely what the sales team does.
What is marketing?
Marketing, on the other hand, is a comparatively holistic process. It is designed in a specific way to impart an increased awareness of the products in the target population. The marketing team does not have in-person contact with the customers. The marketing team comes up with the tactics and methods that help promote the services provided by the organization.
The marketing strategies have evolved to a large extent over time. Earlier it was comparatively difficult to spread the word about the products, but now the advent of the internet and advancing technology have made marketing a piece of cake. However, with opportunities comes competition. The marketing team has a good amount of responsibility on their shoulders to come up with innovative strategies to make their place in the market.
Now that we know what the roles and responsibilities of both the teams in the company/business are, we can conclude that both are essential in their own right despite the difference between them. They also share the same goal, i.e. working towards the growth of the organization.
Can Sales and Marketing work together?
Many industries prefer Sales and Marketing to be separate entities. However, people tend to be neglectful towards the fact that their work is interconnected. Despite the differences, both the entities can make up a good team, leading towards an increased profit earned by the companies.
According to a number of researchers, if the Sales and the Marketing team are clubbed, the efficiency of the organization increases. There is a substantial improvement in the performance matrices. It could also lead to a jump in the market revenue. What else could an industry wish for?
The perks!
The alignment of Sales and Marketing within a company or a business that helps in giving out superior results is known as Smarketing.
Smarketing is an evolved concept.
It is not only a cool term to refer to the alignment, but also it is an ideology that was brought about by enthusiasts Dan Tyre and Myke Volpe in 2007.
They believed that the merging of both Sales and Marketing would do wonders for the companies.
The ideology!
Smarketing encourages the view that selling goods and services offered by the industry is comparatively easy when you know that the individual is actually a potential customer. He wants to listen to the information that is being shared about the products. Their response is positive and the chances of them investing in the goods are much more.
On the other hand, the probability of selling by calling strangers or dropping in messages to them every now and then is exhaustively less.
Smarketing helps you reach the target population who actually requires your goods and services. It saves one from the pain as well as wastage of time and energy.
Smarketing holds the ability to bring up the marketing qualified leads and sales qualified leads together. It is done through a process that helps the sales team find the potential leads for the purpose of selling.
Just the filter you need!
Smarketing acts like a filter that makes the life of the employees much more straightforward.
It filters out the people who are not interested in the services. Just imagine having a list of potential buyers.
Isn’t it a sheer blessing?
Of course, it is. It is a mere dream of all the companies to only invest time in people who have an intention to buy rather than just fool around.
How to bring Sales and Marketing to work together?
Both the teams have been functioning independently for an extended period of time. The collaboration process is not going to be a piece of cake. Certain steps are to be followed in order to bring them to work together.
- Firstly, hold up a meeting expressing the desire to merge both teams. The teams may have a number of queries then. Hear them out. Look into the matter and all their concerns. Without answering their questions, the process cannot be taken forward.
- After answering all the queries and concerns, come up with a strategy to bind them together. Every individual should be made clear as to what their role, as well as responsibility, holds for them. Certain ground rules should also be formed.
- The teams must be made aware of the leads they are looking for. For example, there must be an agreement on the persona of people who are considered as part of the target population.
- Even after being aware of everything that is to be done and also have enough experience in the respective work sector, a short training period must be organized. In this way, the individuals will get a better idea about how the bond will work out. It is to be assured that both the teams are working in the same direction.
- Several units can be divided, and work can be allotted accordingly to smoothen up the process.
- Both teams should be able to communicate transparently. Regular feedback can help in improving the work efficiency in their partnership.
- Regular check-ins must be made, and conflicts must be resolved by the department in-charges.
Final words!
Even though a number of industries prefer both entities as a separate work zone, they are, without any benefit of the doubt, missing an opportunity to benefit themselves. It is similar to them missing out on the ingredient to success. Sales and Marketing together work better than they do individually.
Smarketing is undoubtedly a boon for every organization. What are you waiting for? Add this idea to your business strategy and witness the incredible progress it makes.
