Sales is From Mars. Marketing is From Venus.
A recent study by the Chief Marketing Officer Council revealed a few things we've suspected – and even encountered – about the relationship between sales and marketing organizations. Mainly, it's about disconnects. From the sales support materials developed by marketing to the criteria sales and marketing use to define something as vital as "prospect," there are still lots of gaps to close to get marketing and sales on the same page.
From sales' point of view:
- Marketers are seen as ivory tower strategists who are out of touch with the real world of customer thinking, acquisition and revenue generation
- Marketers don’t understand the customer, the market environment or how to effectively support sales efforts.
Ouch.
In Glen Petersen’s book, "The Profit Maximization Paradox," Petersen combined research from the CMO Council, the American Marketing Association and Booz Allen Hamilton to compile some facts that illustrate the reality of the sales/marketing relationship: 
- Salespeople spend ~ 40% of their time preparing customer-facing deliverables while leveraging less than 50% of the materials created by marketing.
- Only 10-20% of salespeople create deliverables that are both compelling to their customers and consistent with their corporate messaging.
- Almost 85% of a company’s brand image is determined by the direct interaction between the sales force and its customers, as is 85% of the purchase decision.
Scared yet?
What I found most interesting about the results of the CMO Council survey was that understanding and engaging with the customer is viewed as one of the most important ways in which both sales and marketing contribute to the end game – integrating sales goals and marketing activities. But often sales creates customer silos, "shielding" them from contact with marketing. And often customer research is the first thing to go when marketing budgets are strapped but initiatives need to move forward.
Obviously alignment has its benefits. In fact, a recent study of UK-based B2B firms confirmed that companies who enjoyed positive collaboration between sales and marketing performed better than those that did not. The use of CRM solutions is helping to bridge the divide. The elimination of siloed operations also helps. But until there is a clear understanding of the needs and requirements of each organization, and what they require of one another, the gap will remain.
Still, it's clear that aligning sales and marketing is more than simply an operational play, it's at the very core of the customer experience – from how they experience the brand to their experience during the sales process. That's why, when it comes to sales and marketing alignment, it pretty much comes down to partner or perish.
To read the complete findings of the CMO Council survey, go to http://www.cmocouncil.org/resources/form_closinggap.asp.
