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How to solve the conflict between sales and marketing?

Sales’ usual complaints are that: - Marketing doesn’t generate enough leads - The leads that Marketing generates are not well-qualified, and therefor useless In turn, Marketing’s usual complaints are that: - The leads passed to Sales meet the qualification criteria provided by Sales - Sales isn’t closing the opportunities passed to them because they can’t close - Sales doesn’t provide feedback on the leads Marketing generates

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Question added by Ibrahim Hussein Mayaleh , Sales & Business Consultant and Trainer , Self-employed
Date Posted: 2014/08/13
Shazia Abbasi
by Shazia Abbasi , Sales Coordinator , NEDO CO

Mostly sales persons blaming marketing person when they failed to achieved their targets ...I think it's not difficult for companies to asses the quality of the working relationship  between sales & marketing.

companies should determine their  exsiting relationship ,then strengthening interconnection if conditions warrant:)

amer jayyousi
by amer jayyousi , Business Development Consultant , freelance

I believe it is the responsibility of the leader of the sales and marketing group to affect changes,train,mentor and monitor,influence and add value.

i believe it is a leadership issue and can be resolved through regular brain storming sessions to get new ideas,approaches and strategies.

it is the leaders job to close the gap between sales and marketing and deliver results.

What I think is below that :

There is no conflict between sales and marketing, becuase Marketing is a different platform and sales is another different platform.

Marketing is just like to prepare a base for home or we can consider marketing as foundation stones on which the sales building can be constructed. So the better strong marketing we have the better sales shall be there.

Now, the problem is that, often, sales and marketing are considered as same, where as Marketing in simple words is THE APPORACH and sales in simple words is REVENUE GENERATION, so how could both be same.

The causes for conflicts is due to improper analysis and forecasting of both marketing and sales. If the analysis is critically done, than there would be no conflicts.

What you say ? Let me know your views also.

syed Asif Ahmed Syed
by syed Asif Ahmed Syed , Senior sales executive , Mahindra

Marketing generate leads by common ways if its bad r good they do, but wen sales person goes out for the prsentation for the lead produce by marketing department , he doesnt see its bad r gud he just try to put is best and bring the target to the company

For this we first need to understand the reason why there is a conflict at all- even though both are working directly towards a single aim- getting more customers and business!!Having worked in both functions I would say the difference arises out of the corporate culture. Sales people and marketing people have been known to point fingers at each other and that has been deeply entrenched in the corporate culture  to such an extent that people take it as a fact for granted without ever questioning why!!! The marketing people, rely more on data and analysis and works towards a long term vision like brand image building. Sales people on the other work towards winning customers out in the field and filling those order books. Same goals, but different approaches- the conflict is inevitable. 

 

I believe the need is to change that corporate mentality and make sales and marketing functions trust and not underrate each other. This can be done by open communication that makes one aware of how much effort the other function is putting in and generates mutual trust & respect. Also wherever possible (mostly for interns/newcomers) the employees should be rotated within the two functions to understand what the visions of the respective teams are and how much work it takes to do what they do. This will lead to mutual admiration and respect. This in turn will gradually but surely help better the relationship between the two critical teams at the fore of any business.

Felix Balaccua
by Felix Balaccua , General Manager , Superhawk Logistics, Inc

Make them complement each other like bread & butter of like spoon and fork. Sell them the idea that they are equal in importance towards success and equal in accountability when failing. Sell to them the idea that they equally own every successful delivery as much as they equally responsible for a failed order. When this convictions are imbedded in them, conflict will be minimal.

Salma Ebrahim
by Salma Ebrahim , Teacher , Nottingham British School

Assign marketing and sales their jobs and keep a look upon each. Proper and increased marketing leads to increase in sales. it is the leaders job to close the gap between sales and marketing and deliver results. Sell to them the idea that they equally own every successful delivery as much as they equally responsible for a failed order. When this convictions are imbedded in them, conflict will be minimal.

 

 

Amir Khan
by Amir Khan , Regional Manager , Sanofi Healthcare India Pvt Ltd

This conflict is never ending as both sales and marketing play a crucial role in selling.

My experience in pharma selling says that when the product fails to generate enough sales the marketing guys blame the sales guys for poor execution of the strategy.The sales guys blame the marketing guys that strategies where implemented but sales couldn't be achieved with this kind of strategy.Ito all boils down to sales if sales are achieved everyone is happy if not both are unhappy and play blame game.

Yaseen Mujeerudeen Thaika
by Yaseen Mujeerudeen Thaika , Business Consultant , Magus Consulting DMCC

My personal belief is that there are no 'good' or 'bad' leads. It is only natural that some prospective clients identified as leads do not translate directly into revenues for the company. If we place added burdens on marketing or lead generation and highly specific criteria about the prospective leads, then we run the risk of losing some proportion of possible sales.

As for the problem of coordinating the two interlinked functions, the solution is fairly simple. All that is needed is to integrate the activities well and establish clear channels of communication. This has been made much easier in recent times through the use of IT solutions and software such as those related to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

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