In my experience, I’ve come across several best practices for helping Sales & Marketing teams perform well and one of the first, and most important keys to success is that marketing fully understands the sales process.

The best B2B marketers don't just create flashy campaigns and glossy content. They intimately understand the nuances of the multi-steps B2B sales process, what decision makers really care about, and how to best support the sales team.

Sales research (from Rain Group¹) on high performing sales teams reveals that the most successful salespeople connect personally with buyers, demonstrate deep understanding of their needs, and convince buyers they will achieve maximum return on investment (ROI) with minimum risk.

In other words, top salespeople sell outcomes and differentiate their company’s value versus emphasizing product features. They also proactively educate buyers on what's possible when working with your company.

TRANSLATING INSIGHTS INTO CONTENT

While this may not be new to sales teams, it is KEY for marketers to have these insights and know how to apply them. By truly knowing the sales process, the decision makers and motivations, marketers can create relevant content that speaks directly to buyer concerns and helps sales professionals persuade at each stage of the sales process.

Ideas for content:  

• Address specific buyer pain points with tailored messaging

• Provide ROI calculations and Total Cost of Ownership models that prove the value proposition.

• Feature client case studies showing how risks were mitigated.

• Offer implementation guides and adoption toolkits to build confidence

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DEVELOP DEEPER ENGAGEMENT

When marketing focuses on what matters most to buyers, it elevates the buyers’ view of the sales team and the company’s solutions. For example, during a recent win/loss engagement, we interviewed prospective buyers and learned the seller’s conversion plan seemed too time consuming as they proudly explained their “110-point conversion process.”  Meant to put clients at ease, the detailed conversion plan did just the opposite. We used that insight to rework the enterprise conversion program as well as the communication around it, and more than doubled their closing ratio.

The bottom line? Savvy marketers understand what it is they can do to enable sales. They apply their creativity and strategic thinking to give sales teams an edge. This allows them to stand out from the competition by tailoring compelling and consultative value stories that help prospects make good enterprise buying decisions.

What are your thoughts on how sales and marketing can align to create better buyer experiences?

Connect with me and let’s brainstorm on how to drive your sales. I welcome your insights.

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_{Source: 1What Sales Winners Do Differently, RainGroup}

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