Curiosity
Smarketing
SMARKETING
WHAT IT IS AND WHY
COMPANIES NEED IT
Could you ever think of a salesperson who does not promote the company or a marketing manager who does not think about increasing sales? Find out here why sales and marketing must be closely related.
Smarketing is a blend of the words Sales and Marketing, underlining the importance of the joint, constantly aligned and effectively synergic work of the two departments. In many companies the two functions are anything but synergistic, rather antagonistic. Reality shows us that the conscious consumer demands the opposite if the increase of the company turnover is at stake.
Most companies are forced to make a paradigm shift at their communication level to talk to better prepared customers: no longer the proposing company with its solutions is at the centre of the presentation, but the potential customer with his intercepted needs. No more static and generic description of the offer, but active listening to every single need of the customer, both offline and online. Thanks to the listening experience and in-depth knowledge of its product, the company is able to predict and anticipate the customer’s reactions. Listening is normally the task of the salesperson, communicating is the task of the marketer. One cannot be separated from the other anymore. So, how does this fusion of roles take place in B2B? In large companies salespeople and marketers have to learn to communicate in a timely and transparent way via an information exchange platform, which in most cases is a CRM; this also means they meet frequently for brainstorming sessions on the content to produce and disseminate and the quality of leads to support during their decision-making journey.
In micro, small or medium-sized enterprises, where the salesperson is the owner and there is no marketers, a new figure playing the double role could be of great help: it would relieve the owner from many research and contact-making activities and would take care of the brand promotion in a more structured way. In any situation, the leads assessment and their reaction to the content would create a virtuous circle based on continuous improvement.
Most companies are forced to make a paradigm shift at their communication level to talk to better prepared customers: no longer the proposing company with its solutions is at the centre of the presentation, but the potential customer with his intercepted needs. No more static and generic description of the offer, but active listening to every single need of the customer, both offline and online. Thanks to the listening experience and in-depth knowledge of its product, the company is able to predict and anticipate the customer’s reactions. Listening is normally the task of the salesperson, communicating is the task of the marketer. One cannot be separated from the other anymore. So, how does this fusion of roles take place in B2B? In large companies salespeople and marketers have to learn to communicate in a timely and transparent way via an information exchange platform, which in most cases is a CRM; this also means they meet frequently for brainstorming sessions on the content to produce and disseminate and the quality of leads to support during their decision-making journey.
In micro, small or medium-sized enterprises, where the salesperson is the owner and there is no marketers, a new figure playing the double role could be of great help: it would relieve the owner from many research and contact-making activities and would take care of the brand promotion in a more structured way. In any situation, the leads assessment and their reaction to the content would create a virtuous circle based on continuous improvement.
An effective Smarketing action could lead to corporate presentations makeover, to the creation of more targeted web and technical-sales contents, to an optimisation of the lead scouting process and their conversion. Also a website visit tracking system or an inbound strategy to intercept those who are truly interested in us could be of great help, giving our website the right value as a business asset.
S If you wish to learn more about how to create a synergy between sales and marketing departments (Smarketing), implement a new process of demand generation, and a modern Business Development for your company, get in touch with me for a free chat by filling out the contact form.
GET IN TOUCH
Get in touch with me for a free chat by filling out the contact form.
