TMSA Conference Attendees Learn How to Align Marketing, Sales

Jeff Davis, Founder of jd2 Consulting Group, laid out a compelling argument for S&M alignment at the TMSA Logistics Marketing & Sales Conference this week.

First, what does misalignment look like? There are 6 signs that could indicate your sales and marketing are misaligned:

1. Communication is one-way
2. When something goes wrong, finger-pointing starts
3. Content utilization by sales is low of non-existent
4. Pipeline revenue is stagnant or declining
5. Sales quotas continue to be missed
6. Low quality leads come from Marketing 

Digital has changed modern buyer behavior.
Yet most transportation and logistics organizations have not yet adapted. While most in commercial freight transportation and logistics are B2B, this space ultimately, at some point, “catches up” with trends in the B2C practices. So what does this mean?

Consider these trend statistics:

• 79% of shoppers research products prior to purchasing in-store, according to the 2017 SalesForce – Connect Shoppers Report.
• 10 sources of information are used to make a decision by the average shopper, according to the Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Macro Study
• 80% of shoppers make use of messaging apps, live chat, or voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa to enhance their shopping experience, according to Mojix
• 2020 will be the year that CX overtakes price and product as key brand differentiators, according to Walker Information
• 55% of shoppers say retail experiences are disconnected across channels, according to SalesForce – Connected Shoppers Report (2017)
• Most significantly, lost sales productivity and wasted marketing budget cost companies at least U.S. $1 trillion a year, according to Reach Force. 

“Considering this, transportation and logistics companies with strong sales and marketing alignment will achieve on average 20% annual growth rate,” said Davis. “Companies with poor alignment have a  4% revenue decline.” With estimated stats like these, can TMSA members afford NOT to ensure the alignment of their Sales and Marketing?

So what can be done to ensure proper alignment?
Davis suggests that you look at three “Pillars of Alignment:" Data, Process, and Communication

First, insights you can gain from data enable growth.

Second, make sure to map out your buyer’s journey to best understand what they’re going through and better determine how to impact that journey in your favor.

How do you accomplish this? Both Sales and Marketing teams should focus on their contribution to pipeline revenue. Ultimately it’s critical to agree on common goals (and the Percentage to Revenue should be the priority). Also, ensure both teams know and understand the company’s “why” (value proposition, customer personas, messaging, etc.)

In addition, make sure to create content that enables Sales to engage customers at every stage of the Buyer’s Journey in a meaningful way. Then map out the process to the buyer’s (non-linear) journey.

Finally, communication is key – but can only be accomplished through full collaboration. Davis suggests TMSA members follow these five steps:

1. Alignment must be CEO-driven and accountability focused
2. Develop a common vocabulary and definitions
3. Schedule regular leadership and/or colleague alignment meetings
4. Establish a formal feedback loop to gain market intelligence from Sales back to Marketing
5. Support true collaboration in the organization with the right resources and capabilities.

Follow these practical tips and you’re well on your way to align Marketing and Sales for business growth.

Interested in learning more?
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