I was just reading John Jantsch's article on Those Idiots in Sales Just Don't Get It! on the Duct Tape Marketing blog.
Since he was clearly talking about me - and most likely you, if you're reading this - I felt an overwhelming need to respond quickly to set the record straight.
The issue is with MARKETING. That's right. They don't know what sales
needs. And the stuff they give us to do our job doesn't work in today's
business environment.
That's why I wrote this ebook, What Sales Really Needs From Marketing: 7 Strategies to Get More & Better Prospects in Your Sales Pipeline.
Make sure the Sales & Marketing leaders in your organization read this ebook today. It will definitely get them talking!
Download What-Sales-Needs-from-Marketing.pdf
(P.S. John also wrote a post on Those Idiots in Marketing Don't Get It. Both of us are trying hard to get sales & marketing together.)
Hey Jill,
In the spirit of full disclosure you failed to point out my similarly titled post - Those idiots in marketing just don't get it - had you, you would have discovered that both posts said the same thing with different titles - that was the real point of the post - getting sales and marketing on the same page with the organizationally created cultural divide creates an environment of animosity (and name calling). I'm afraid you walked right into my point - thanks for the lovely illustration!
By the way - had I actually been referring specifically to you I would have titled my post - those sharp, funny, brilliant, passionate, beautiful folks in sales just don't get it!
Posted by: John Jantsch | 03/26/2008 at 02:24 PM
John,
I know that! And I was driving people to your post so that they could discover that themselves. I thought that what you did was great fun and decided to play along.
You fooled me initially with the great title - and I guess I fooled you back with mine.
Jill
Posted by: Jill Konrath | 03/26/2008 at 11:12 PM
Jill,
I downloaded and read your e-book. You've absolutely hit the target with respect to listing what sales needs from marketing. That's as clear and concise a mandate as I have seen.
With that in mind, there are inhibitors in play at a higher level that prevent marketing teams from delivering on your list.
Many CEOs, COOs, GMs, and other executives have not yet figured out this: Sales and marketing alignment is more about culture, philosophy and business orientation at the department leadership level than it is about marketing providing sales with quality leads, value propositions and trigger event awareness or sales providing feedback about those leads and the impact of value propositions. If the leaders of those two teams do not have a common view of the goals, obstacles, enablers, strategies and tactics required for success, little of value will happen within the ranks.
Marketing leaders that have no respect for the sales function or for the people in their company that sell will not align with and deliver for them, no matter how many workshops they attend or white papers they read.
Companies with sales leaders who believe that "people who can't sell take jobs in marketing" will never gain and maintain a market leadership position.
So, the foundation for sales and marketing alignment begins at the CEO or COO level. Until they stop hiring and promoting sales and marketing executives who are not interested or capable of working with their counterparts for the good of the company, things will never get better and John, you and I will still be blogging about this in 2018.
Posted by: Dave Stein | 03/27/2008 at 09:23 AM
An old sales rep said to me once, "Mary, do you know the difference between salespeople and marketers? Marketers can't close a sale."
Many of the things you list demonstrate why that is true. Most marketers have never been in on the last 2 feet of a sale and can't begin to know what works and what doesn't. Thanks for bringing the two worlds together.
Posted by: Mary Hunt | 03/27/2008 at 10:05 AM
After using his products I wonder why he’s being called the bad guy. If he was one then he wouldn’t share his secrets with the open public. His products are the result of his hard work and dedication.
Posted by: Jeff Paul internet Business Ideas | 02/04/2009 at 01:08 AM