The 3 Gifts Sales Departments Can Give Their Marketing Teams
It’s the holiday season and we’re in the mood for gift giving! Usually, I talk about the things that marketers can do to better connect with sales, but in the spirit of the holidays, I’d also like to offer some gift ideas for our beloved sales teams (we know you’re shopping for us after all). So here goes – it’s not an exhaustive list, but I promise your marketing teams will be pleased!
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK
Ahhh feedback, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, and as your marketing team, it’s at the top of our wish list every year. Who knows our customers better than our sales team? Whether it’s objections you encounter frequently, or technical questions that just keep popping up, if you spot a trend, tell us! Better yet, join us in our planning meeting when we’re getting ready to lay out the themes and foundations for the content we’ll be building in the new quarter, and let us know what you see most, what you think it means, and what your accounts are telling you. The more we know, the more we can design content and campaigns that really do resonate with the customer, resulting in bigger wins for you.
TELL US ABOUT KEY ACCOUNTS
Got an account worth a ton? Want to make them feel special? Let us know! Now this gift comes with a caveat – it might depend a little bit on what kind of team set up you have, but we know the importance of high-value accounts, and we know that a little targeted marketing goes a long way. For accounts worth the most, we can do branded content, themed to the right industry and vertical, or create a special experience at an event. Every little bit helps, so if you’ve got some special accounts, make sure you keep us in the loop.
REGIFT COLD LEADS
You get a ton of leads, but sometimes they aren’t quite ready yet. It happens to everyone, but instead of abandoning cold leads, send them back to marketing! It’s a bit like a gift receipt, if this one isn’t ready to buy, then send those leads on back and we’ll nurture them back to a sales-ready state. This way you’ll get them when they’re hot and everyone will be happy. This is one gift that can also help sales out, since you won’t have to worry about keeping up with a lead that’s been put back on marketing’s radar for nurturing. If your marketing team has a marketing automation platform, it’s as easy as click, add, and done. We can build custom nurtures for any kind of cold lead, whether it’s a “Call me back in Q1 when we’ve got budget,” or a “We’re still deciding,” or even a “I’m not the one who’ll make the final decision,” your marketing team is equipped with the right nurture campaign to warm up those cold leads.
The holiday season brings parties, dinners, presents… and the end of Q4, and at this time of year, sales and marketing teams need to work together to finish of the fiscal year on a high note. Opening up those lines of communication and sharing metrics, as well as exchanging ‘gifts’ like these can really bring in the new year right. So what are you waiting for? Get gifting and high-five a marketer at your next office Christmas party!
Reference: Pardot Blog – 3 Gifts Sales Can Give Their Marketing Teams
