B2B sales and marketing shouldn’t be thought of as two distinct business elements that function separately. Their paths cross more often than you think, and when companies realize this, they can learn to leverage both to optimize the sales cycle.
These 3 stats will show you why B2B sales and marketing CAN be powerful partners.
1) Organizations with tightly aligned sales and marketing functions enjoyed 36% higher customer retention rates (MarketingProfs).
When it comes to sales and marketing, the whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts. I wanted to include this stat just to show you that, yes, synchronizing the efforts of these departments means fewer headaches and a more streamlined sales process that benefits everybody . . . including the customers.
2) 57% of the buyer’s journey is completed before the buyer talks to sales (Corporate Executive Board).
Things are changing thanks to the Internet, and salespeople no longer control the flow of information in the buying process. Customers are smarter than ever because they have access to more information than ever, and who usually controls that information?
Marketers.
The marketing department has a huge influence on the buying process because people aren’t contacting sales reps from ground zero anymore. They’ve already been exposed to information and brand messaging before ever picking up the phone.
3) 61% of B2B marketers send all leads directly to sales; however, only 27% of those leads will be qualified (MarketingSherpa).
This stat really sums up the communication gap that usually exists between sales and marketing. Marketers don’t understand why salespeople don’t close more of the leads they provide, and salespeople don’t understand why marketers keep sending them unqualified prospects.
Do you see where we could trim some excess fat in this process?
Working more closely and learning to weed out the unqualified leads before they get into the sales cycle means less wasted time for salespeople and fewer frustrations for the marketers.
If you haven't considered how sales and marketing relate to each other, I hope these three stats shed some new light on the topic.
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