MMO 9: Embracing sales

In previous emails, we have touched on the importance of involving sales in marketing operations. This email discusses that issue in more detail. There are two essential parts of the sales machine: sales teams themselves, and sales operations or support. Both sides matter.

The role of sales teams is changing dramatically as customers do more research before ever making contact with a sales rep. Sales reps are now required to create demand, not respond to it—for example, by becoming experts on their customers’ needs. They need to exercise judgement, and focus on business growth. Above all, they need to build relationships with their customers and potential customers.

There is likely to be considerable overlap between sales operations and marketing operations—in fact, your organisation may already be aligning them.

Sales operations historically covers sales planning, forecasting, and managing sales teams and territories. It now also extends to managing CRM systems, and automation of other sales systems. Like marketing operations, sales operations requires a diverse set of skills and experience, but the ability to work with others is crucial. Alignment between sales and marketing operations is particularly crucial for planning, lead management, data generation and measurement.

Bringing together sales and marketing operations in a ‘revenue operations’ function can be the perfect solution. These functional hybrid teams can work across the whole customer lifecycle and journey, and provide strategic support to the entire business.