The art of alignment: Three pillars of sales and marketing cohesion

­­­Another report on sales and marketing alignment? 

Although we’ve made great strides in bridging the gap between these two teams, the need for unification has intensified in the last few years due to:

• Digital, social, and business transformation reshaping markets, partners, and competition
• Cautious buyers demanding personalized, multichannel experiences with credible assurance of value
• Remote and hybrid work complicating operations
• AI transforming buyer-provider interactions

The art of alignment, sponsored by Demandbase, examines the ongoing challenges of achieving full alignment between sales and marketing teams in B2B companies. 

Drawing on interviews with CMOs and ABM leaders, the report outlines three key initiatives to foster better collaboration and drive market impact: strengthening organizational alignment, streamlining process integration, and building a collaborative culture.

1. Strengthen organizational alignment: It's important to align objectives, planning, and metrics between sales and marketing teams. Adopting a ‘Three Rs’ approach—Reputation, Relationships, and Revenue—helps create shared business objectives that bridge the gap between short-term sales goals and long-term marketing initiatives. Integrated planning, particularly through Account-Based Marketing (ABM), is essential for ensuring that efforts are aligned at both strategic and operational levels. Make sure to establish shared metrics that go beyond just revenue attribution to foster a holistic approach to growth and avoid internal conflicts over credit.

    

2. Streamline process integration: Focus on fixing broken processes rather than placing blame on individuals to improve collaboration. Shift from siloed handoffs to an integrated, client-centric collaboration throughout the buyer’s journey. Invest in unified tools and shared infrastructure, like common CRM and ABM platforms, to ensure seamless communication and data sharing between teams. It's crucial to develop and use resources jointly between marketing and sales to maintain alignment and responsiveness.

    

3. Build a collaborative culture: Remember that organizational tools and processes are not enough without a supportive culture. Nurture strong communication, empathy, and trust between teams. Align incentives across sales and marketing to emphasize the importance of collaboration. Establish ‘communities of practice’ to encourage continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, helping to create a culture of ongoing collaboration.

­­­To find out how Momenutm ITSMA and Demandbase can help elevate your go-to-market strategy, contact Rob Leavitt, Partner, Momentum ITSMA at rob.leavitt@momentumitsma.com