There is both synergy and tension between sales and marketing departments in the world of business-to-business (B2B) products.

Marketing seeks to funnel as many potential customers as possible into the Sales department, while Sales has to focus more on the individual drives, interests and requirements of specific customers, and on turning potential leads into partners and customers. [social_quote duplicate=”yes” align=”default”]Only about half of B2B professionals surveyed believe that their Sales and Marketing departments were fundamentally in alignment[/social_quote], but those who did were much more effective, efficient and coordinated in their respective activities.

Key Points:

  • Classic battle between sales and marketing
  • Three words: lack of alignment.
  • Can better alignment between content marketing and sales serve as the key for a broader, more strategic alignment between sales and marketing – and drive more success?
  • Highly aligned content marketing and sales teams do things differently than those with low alignment
  • Today’s B2B buying process makes content more critical than ever
  • B2B buyers seek trusted advice among their peers. Today’s B2B buyer uses social media, search, and all manner of digital tools to connect with colleagues, other customers, and industry experts to acquire the information they need. And they are loath to encounter any pushy sales messaging or overt persuasion in the content they consume.
  • Thus, content that provides value to these buyers and avoids overt selling has become one of the most important keys to building customer trust.

Key Takeaways:

  • The B2B environment primarily works to bridge the gap between the sales and marketing departments and the tension involved.
  • When the two factors of sales and marketing do not run parallel and benefit one another, chaos is likely to emerge.
  • Those who specialize in B2B marketing realize that the leads have fully matured before reaching this strategical standpoint.

“Over the last few years, maintaining alignment between sales and marketing teams has become one of the most complex challenges for B2B enterprises. Today, B2B sales professionals face an environment where the relationship between them and their prospective customer has fundamentally changed.”

Image: ContentMarketingInstitute

Service: Lead Generation

Read more: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2018/05/marketing-sales-alignment-research/