92% of senior business decision makers believe that sales and marketing should work closely together, according to a recent study by YouGov.
It is therefore surprising that 64% say that the two departments could be more aligned.
It is no secret that these two departments have not always worked well together, but this is a necessity if your company is to deliver a consistent and seamless customer experience.
Traditionally, it is the marketing department's role to create leads while the sales team turns those leads into clients. However, this is now changing. Of the 725 senior decision makers surveyed by YouGov, 71% agreed that the roles of these two departments are now merging due to digitisation.
The evolution of the Internet and other technologies has rapidly increased the number of possible touchpoints now available to customers, and has encouraged customers to educate themselves about a product before purchase. Both departments must be aware of these touchpoints if they are to successfully achieve their desired outcomes.
According to the YouGov survey the two key benefits of bringing sales and marketing closer together are:
Tony Hughes, CEO at Huthwaite International (who commissioned the poll from YouGov) stated: “It’s time for sales and marketing to come together and work as real partners. Working together to co-create will be hugely effective when it comes to closing more business, driving more revenue and growing their organisations more quickly."
Call tracking is the first step in bringing sales and marketing departments together.
By correctly attributing leads back to their first touchpoint, both teams can understand which content resonates with their target audience. Call tracking provides this information, and follows the customer throughout the entire journey. Sales can use this data to build a relationship with the client, and marketing can use it to replicate successful campaigns, eliminate unsuccessful campaigns, and find new budget efficiencies.
Call tracking can also be used to work out your return on investment (ROI) and cost per lead (CPL). These are two vital datasets as they inform strategic decisions on both sides.
Using the same call tracking software allows both teams to share information regularly and act upon it. It also engenders trust as marketing can be sure that sales are following up the leads, and sales can be sure that the leads are primed and ready.
The data provided by call tracking can be extremely valuable for both teams. It delivers unique insight into each lead that comes in, and can help to prepare all employees for interactions with future clients.
Infinity is the UK’s leading call tracking provider. Unsurprisingly, it has more to offer than your average call tracking solution.
Here are just some of the features that make it the obvious choice for helping to improve the sales and marketing relationship:
Attribution to both online and offline touchpoints
Infinity's call tracking system can attribute leads through all channels – from social media to a traditional print brochure – and can give both teams unrivalled insight into the customer's journey.
This makes the transition from 'marketing lead' to 'sales lead' much easier.
PPC keyword tracking
Infinity can measure exactly which PPC keywords are driving calls and can tell you which keywords are not working. Marketers can then use this data to influence campaigns in the future, and draw in similar clients.
Both sales and marketing teams will be able to see which keywords are the most effective, and which to avoid, therefore aligning their strategies, increasing their return on investment, and improving the chance of a successful outcome.
CRM integration
Infinity can integrate with several CRM systems, including Salesforce.
These integrations will present both marketing and sales data to each team, allowing them to see the effectiveness of each campaign and the end results.
If you use Salesforce, Infinity's Caller Insight feature delivers real time insights about the customer's interactions with the company straight to the sales operator. This can give the sales operative a huge advantage and has increased the close rate for many of our clients.
Post call rating
Sales operators can give marketers a helping hand by using this feature. By having the sales team rate each call, marketers will be able to determine whether the campaign it heralded from was of any value.
It's also possible to enter a sales conversion value so marketers can see exactly how campaigns deliver sales value, and can adjust their plans accordingly.
Infinity Eavesdrop
This brand-new feature allows PBX users to listen in on calls and whisper advice to the operator in real time – without the client or prospect knowing. This will inform pitching decisions and make sure any special offers are adhered to.
Marketing data provides the context for the call, and enables operators to handle the call efficiently. Another example of how marketing and sales can work together using Infinity.
By using Infinity's call tracking solution, you can bring your sales and marketing teams together and increase productivity, conversions and revenue by acting on the detailed insight provided.
Use Infinity's call tracking solution to align your sales and marketing teams today.