The sales team interacts with buyers every day.
This means they have a deeper understanding of buyer pain points.
The marketing team, on the other hand, creates compelling content.
When these two teams work together, the sales team can use that content to engage buyers more effectively, leading to more deal closures.
To make this possible, sales and marketing must align their efforts.
Here are six actionable steps to achieve that alignment.
1. Codify Buyer Persona.
Knowing what drives the buyer helps you sell better.
However, knowing the right buyer is of utmost importance.
The sales and marketing teams need to be on the same page,
If you wish to attract the right prospects,
and to convert more prospects into buyers.
Let’s observe the difference between:
Case 1: “I want a lollipop!”
Case 2: “I want a Chupa Chups brand, caramel flavor, small size lollipop!”
In case 2, I have made my choice very specific.
And whether the sales team brings this lollipop or the marketing team does, the chances of bringing the wrong lollipop are negligible!
There are various tools available to create buyer personas.
Try the “Make My Persona” tool by HubSpot.
Building a well-defined buyer persona isn’t just about demographics. It’s about understanding how the buyer’s journey shapes decisions and crafting a strategy that caters to their pain points effectively.
Source: Hubspot
2. A Knowledge Repository
There should be a digital knowledge repository.
This platform shall serve 2 main purposes:
- The instant accessibility of any content needed by the sales team.
- Example: Brochures, Ebooks, Presentations, Proposal Templates, Tutorials, etc.
- Every piece of content created in collaboration with both teams.
- Content request feature.
- Example: The sales team need a presentation on “Latest Technology trends in the entertainment domain”.
- One of the reps can put up the request.
- Any available resource from the marketing team can collaborate with the sales rep to create the needed presentation.
- Once the presentation is ready. It is added to the repository forever.
A seamless knowledge repository enables sales teams to use high-impact content marketing strategies effectively. Many B2B SaaS brands have mastered content marketing by aligning their content creation with sales enablement needs.
3. Weekly Smarketing Connect.
The sales and marketing teams should meet once a week.
The main agenda of such a meeting should be:
“Help Each Other”
Here’s what should happen in these meetings:
- Sales shares insights to help marketing create more relevant content.
- Marketing improves the content’s appeal and presentation.
- Clear goal setting: Example, Marketing needs to generate X leads per month.
- Lead follow-ups: Ensure the sales team has contacted each lead generated by marketing.
- Lead quality discussions: Address any issues regarding lead qualification.
4. A sales-driven content strategy.
Let me share a little story here:
A sales rep created the most useful piece of information for the buyers.
This piece of information was brilliant, yet ugly (just look-wise).
It was brilliant because the buyer’s pain-points drove its creation.
It was ugly because of an improper choice of colors or a lack of design sense.
The Marketing team made that piece of information visually appealing.
That piece of information then became the most successful lead magnet ever for their business.
Such great collaboration between the two teams is what you need to achieve success.
Here is the tip:
Step 1: Appoint a junior member in the marketing team to interview the sales team members over a coffee. (A junior member with excellent interviewing skills)
Step 2: The interviewer then shares the insights gained with the whole marketing team.
Step 3: The marketing team can then creates blog-posts, videos, e-books, podcasts, or any other content which attracts more qualified leads.
The best B2B SaaS case studies are created this way, through sales-marketing collaboration. Some of the best case study templates follow this exact format, leading to powerful storytelling and customer conversions.
5. Reflect
It’s a universal rule that works in every walk of life.
Act: You do something.
Reflect: Observe the consequences.
Improve: Change your actions by delta.
For example:
You solve a math problem.
Get an incorrect answer.
You try to find out where you went wrong.
You learn from your mistake.
And try not to commit it again.
Similarly, It’s important to know which content worked and which didn’t.
Based on the analytics, teams can together brainstorm on what works best for the business.
Tracking the right marketing metrics can transform how sales and marketing function together. Knowing how SaaS businesses measure content marketing success can help optimize performance and ROI.
6. CRM tool like HubSpot
A lead goes through different stages before converting into a customer.
- Subscriber
- Lead
- Marketing Qualified Lead
- Sales Accepted Lead.
- Buyer
Is there a way to identify which stage a lead is in?
Absolutely! Yes!
With wonderful tools like HubSpot’s CRM, you have a provision of lead scoring.
Based on site visits and posts read, a lead can be called:
Cold. Intermediate. Warm. Hot.
Until the lead becomes warm, sales have no part to play.
It’s time for marketing to nurture the lead.
Once, the lead gains some confidence in you through the content and become warm.
It’s time for sales to pitch in.
Sales can then play its role of discovering pain-points, suggesting solutions and converting into customers.
The biggest mistake that gets avoided with such a system in place is:
“Sales and Marketing reaching out to the same lead without knowing the lead status.”
Which is otherwise hazardous.
Pro tip: If you need 30 standout SaaS growth hacks to attain double the growth for your SaaS business, fill out the form below!
Want to Align Your Sales & Marketing for Maximum Impact?
At Concurate, we help businesses bridge the gap between sales and marketing with strategic, high-impact content.
Whether you need buyer-aligned content, lead nurturing strategies, or conversion-driven storytelling, we ensure your marketing drives real business results.
If you’re looking for a content strategy that actually works, let’s connect over a short call. Block our calendar today!
