What does marketing and sales have in common with marriage? Surprisingly more than you may think.
Have you ever met a couple that has been together for years? The way they work together and complement each other’s strengths make them seem as if they are a single entity. A healthy marketing and sales relationship can seem like that too, but if you look below the surface in either instance, you’ll notice the two work hand-in-hand, but are very much different.
The relationship between marketing and sales involves factors that keep the relationship strong and healthy, leading to happy -paying – clients/customers. Marketing is geared toward larger groups of people while sales focuses on smaller groups or individuals to “seal the deal.” Marketing is aimed at the long-term while the sales process has shorter term goals. You need both to have a thriving business.
So how does this marketing/sales marriage work?
Begin by identifying the business’ target market—who is interested in buying your product or service within a particular geographic area. This is the first step of marketing, finding your customer and where they are located. Once you know who your customer is, you can begin planning how to reach them.
How to reach your customer online and offline:
- responsive websites and blogs
- social media platforms
- promotional email marketing
- paid online ads
- printed brochures & business cards
- public relations
- television and radio ads
Year-round brand awareness campaigns are good, but alternating campaigns and promotions create sparks of interest as the year goes on. These should be rich with engaging content to broadcast messages in a creative and cohesive way. Have some fun with it!
The goal of these campaigns should be 80% awareness and 20% sales. Remember the marriage between marketing and sales? Let them build each other up. People need to know who you are and what you offer before they are going to make a purchase. Find ways to intrigue and engage them.
How to engage customers in your campaign:
- how-to tips they can learn from
- host events in your area or online
- share your knowledge
- hold contests/sweepstakes
- highlight area attractions/activities
- promote sales events (online or off)
- spotlight new products
Steps to take to continue the courtship once your customer is engaged:
- blogging
- speaking engagements/webinars
- podcasts/videos series
- encouraging customer reviews
Actions you can take to secure sales once your customer is engaged:
- talk to them!
- personalized emails
- one-on-one meetings
- networking
The ultimate goal for a successful business is to cultivate a healthy relationship between marketing and sales.
Both parties have to do their part to make it work. Marketing is responsible for building a positive brand image and awareness while sales is responsible for finding the ideal client and converting them into a happy customer. Neither marketing nor sales can reach their goal without the other.
