Article:  “CSO POV: How To Get Marketing More Involved in Sales”

From a podcast interview with Megan Howe, Chief Sales Officer at Oversight

Introduction

In an era when business-to-business (B2B) markets are evolving rapidly, understanding how to get marketing more involved in sales is essential. Megan Howe, Oversight’s Chief Sales Officer (CSO), discusses getting marketing more engaged in sales. Megan emphasizes aligning sales and marketing efforts to exceed new customer acquisition targets. She explores the need for quality content that sparks conversations and positions the company as a trusted advisor.

Understanding the Empowered B2B Buyer

In addressing the evolving integration of marketing into the sales funnel, Megan emphasizes the futility of secrecy or defensiveness. She advocates for collaborative efforts, stressing that neither winning nor losing a deal should be a solitary endeavor. Both sales and marketing teams exhibit genuine curiosity and appreciation for each other’s operations, laying the foundation for effective collaboration. During a sales cycle, especially at a disadvantage, sales leaders often turn to marketing for rapid solutions to accelerate the process.

The Consultative Sales Approach

In response to evolving marketing into the sales funnel, Megan discusses that nobody wins from being secretive or defensive. As a sales leader, they’ve been known to say that there’s no need to win alone, and they certainly don’t have to lose a deal alone. Both sides exhibit genuine curiosity for how the other operates and an appreciation for the intricacies behind the science of each role. The floodgates tend to open from there in a sales cycle — already on their heels. And that’s the danger point where sales leaders turn to marketing, urging them to drum up something that can help accelerate the process quickly.

Understanding the Why and How

Understanding the underlying motivations and strategies is crucial to achieving effective marketing and sales alignment. Megan emphasizes the need to go beyond the surface-level goals of generating more leads and improving demand generation. 

This perspective highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the purpose behind marketing and sales alignment. It is not solely about increasing the quantity of leads or improving qualification processes. Instead, it is about recognizing the changing dynamics of the modern buyer and adapting strategies to meet them where they are in their buying journey. Megan emphasizes the importance of meeting sophisticated buyers already in the mid to late sales cycle and understanding the content and communication collateral that can accelerate their decision-making process.

Overcoming Historical Stereotypes

Historically, stereotypes and misconceptions between marketing and sales teams have hindered effective collaboration. Sales teams often demand more leads and better demand generation, while marketing teams may question the sales team’s ability to act on those leads effectively. Megan acknowledges these challenges and emphasizes moving beyond these stereotypes. 

To overcome these stereotypes, marketing and sales leaders need to foster a culture of trust and collaboration. Open communication and a shared understanding of goals and expectations help bridge the gap between the two teams and create a more productive working relationship.

Leveraging Modern Technology

In today’s digital age, technology plays a crucial role in the marketing and sales process. Megan highlights the importance of leveraging modern technology to meet the needs of modern buyers. She mentions tools like ChatGPT and emphasizes marketing and sales leaders need to work together to capitalize on these technologies. By strategically utilizing tools and platforms, organizations can effectively reach buyers at different stages of their buying journey and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions.

Conclusion

Aligning marketing and sales is a pleasant addition and a strategic imperative for organizations aiming to drive revenue growth and exceed customer acquisition targets. Organizations can create a synergistic relationship between these two departments by understanding the why and how behind marketing and sales alignment, overcoming historical stereotypes, and leveraging modern technology.

Looking ahead, the future of marketing and sales alignment holds immense potential. As technology advances and buyers become even more sophisticated, the need for collaboration and alignment will only grow stronger. Organizations that prioritize marketing and sales alignment and invest in fostering a culture of collaboration will be well-positioned to thrive in the ever-evolving business landscape.