sales and marketing alignment tool

8/8/2019 Sales and Marketing Alignment Tool

1/12

Instructions:

1. Weight the importance for each criteria in the matrix below. Be sure that your total weight equals no more or l

2. In the "Assessment (Mktg)" & "Assessment (Sales)" tabs below, rank each scoring criteria on a scale of 1-5 bas

*Note: The Marketing Department and Sales Department should take the Assessment separately

3. Review the "Alignment Index" and discuss gaps in perception

4. Review "Results & Recos (Mktg)" & "Results & Recos (Sales)" and discuss results and recommendations

Sales & Marketing Alignment Criteria

Weighting Scale 15% 15%

OrganizationalRelationships

Metrics and Value-Measurement


2/12

Sales and Marketing Alig

ess than 100%.

ed on your situation.

Culture Systems & Technology

40% 10% 15% 5%

Lead Generation &Pipeline Management

Messaging &Materials


3/12

ment Tool

Total

100%


4/12

Sales and Marketing Alignment Tool - Marketing Department Assessment

Use this tool to help you measure your organization's sales and marketing alignment.

Give your organization a score of 1-5 in the categories below to arrive at an overall alignment score (see the Results tab to find recommendations and the Index tab to check results).

Level 1 - Initial Ad/Hoc Process (poor alignment)

Level 2 - Repeatable/Intuitive Process

Level 3 - Defined/defining Process

Level 4 - Managed & Measured Process

Level 5 - Optimized Process (full alignment)

Organizational Relationships

Score Justification

Understanding of Sales by Marketing

1 Marketing management lacks understanding of sales function, process, and skills

5

2 Limited understanding of sales function by Marketing management

3 Good understanding of Sales by Marketing management, but less among staff

4 Understanding of Sales function encouraged among all Marketing staff

5 Understanding of Sales function/process required by all Marketing staff

Understanding of Marketing by Sales

1 Sales Management lack understanding of Marketing best practices

4

2 Limited understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management

3 Good understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management

4 Understanding of Marketing function & role encouraged among all Sales staff

5 Understanding of Marketing function & role required for all Sales staff

Organizational Development, Training, & Learning

1 Casual conversations and meetings on ad hoc basis

5

2 Casual conversations and ad hoc meetings among select staff and managers

3 Newsletters, reports, emails are sent out, some formal meetings between groups

4 Formal alignment program sponsored by Senior Management

5 Formal alignment program required - widespread participation across Sales & Mktg

Communications Style and Ease of Access

1 Marketing to Sales only, generally only when new materials/programs roll out

4

2 Marketing to Sales only, somewhat informal, occasionally asking for feedback

3 Consistent two-way, formal communications around specific activities & programs

4 Consistent blend of formal & informal among sales and marketing management

5 Two-way, formal and informal communications, continuous feedback loop

Relationship Definitions

1 Undefined. Functions have developed independently and are focused on their own tasks

3

2 Starting to Define. Efforts underway to prevent disputes, establish common language, and clarify expectations

3 Defined. Common language, few disputes, regular meetings to clarify mutual expectations

4 Aligned. Clear but flexible boundaries, common language, joint planning

5 Integrated. Share systems, performance metrics, and rewards together.

Collaboration, Trust & Credibility

1 Two groups are at odds, open criticism, lack of cooperation, finger-pointing is common

5

2 Relationships are polite but strained, collaboration is rare, groups work in silos

3 Relationships improving, but open sharing and collaboration is sporadic

4 Sales & Marketing Management work together well, staff less likely to collaborate

5 Trust is high. All staff in both groups work well together openly, productively.

Metrics & Value-Measurement

Score Justification

Campaign ROI Maturity

1 Operational Marketing metrics only (email click thru rates etc.)

3

2 Marketing metrics and some cost metrics; metrics rarely reviewed

3 Review and act on marketing, cost, and campaign ROI metrics

4 Metrics for each process/campaign are defined and measured

5 Marketing metrics analyzed to inform resource allocation decisions

Marketing Metrics Maturity

1 Marketing campaigns & investments measured rarely, if ever

4

2 Cost/Lead, Cost/Sale measured, but rarely reviewed

3 Review and act on ROI and cost metrics for all marketing efforts

4 Measure Return on Customer (net present value of customer base)

5 Balanced Scorecard to set objectives, measures, targets, initiatives

Link between Marketing and Sales Metrics

1 Value of Marketing investments rarely measured by Sales

4

2 Sales/Marketing metrics not linked, no cause-effect relationships

3 Metrics becoming linked and understood by Marketing & Sales

4 Metrics formally linked, reviewed, major issues acted upon

5 Marketing/Sales metrics are used together to provide predictive insight

Alignment Improvement Practices

1 None

5

2 Sporadic projects/events in place to improve sales & marketing alignment

3 May benchmark alignment formally, but benchmarks are seldom acted upon

4 Routinely benchmark sales & marketing alignment and act upon insights

5 Alignment benchmarks, initiatives, & progress are required

Financial Performance

1 Very little/no forecasting

4

2 Sales figures are dramatically higher or lower than forecast

3 Sales forecasting is improving and variances are getting smaller

4 Sales figures are often close to the forecast, but not always

5 Sales figures are usually close to the forecast

Lead Generation & Pipeline Management

Score Justification

Demand Generation

1 No demand generation campaigns, Sales develops their own leads

4

2 Marketing demand generation and sales demand generation happen separately

3 Marketing executes demand generation campaigns. Leads passed to sales & may/may not be followed up on

4 Marketing executes demand generation, qualified leads are passed on and sales follows up

5 Synchronized demand generation program managed dually by sales & marketing

Lead Scoring & Management

1 No lead scoring or qualification - all leads get passed to sales

1

2 Leads are qualified by Marketing, but sales does not systematically work them

3 Improving lead qualification and pass-along process, but leads are not always worked

4 Formal shared lead definitions and processes for passing leads to sales

5 Optimized lead scoring & management process with formal processes in place

Pipeline Reporting & Visibility

1 We have no formal pipeline reporting

2

2 Sales informally reports pipeline information, but Marketing is not involved

3 Sales management shares formal pipeline reports with marketing management

4 Sales & marketing staff have access to the same pipeline & use it sporadically to check lead gen. effectiveness

5 Marketing & Sales openly share pipeline and work together to improve the flow of leads in the sales process

CultureScore Justification

1 Marketing & Sales report up through siloed executives

2 Marketing & Sales executives report to the same senior leader, but do not collaborate


5/12

Executive Alignment 3 Marketing & Sales executives are starting to work more collaboratively 34 Marketing & Sales executives are close partners and collaborators

5 Marketing & Sales report to a common executive

Shared Risks and Rewards

1 Very little risk being taken on either side, rewards not tied to joint success

2

2 One side takes all the risk, rewards are shared

3 Marketing and Sales start sharing risks and rewards

4 Risks and rewards are always shared between Sales & Marketing

5 Managers on both sides share in risks and rewards

Marketing-Sales Relationship

1 Finger pointing, blame and battles for power and resources are common

3

2 Marketing-business relationship isn't managed or is non-existent

3 Marketing-Sales relationship managed on ad hoc basis, mostly conflict resolution

4 Mostly collaborative and cooperative relationship, proactively working together5 Sales and Marketing share a strong "We rise or fall together culture"

Relationship/Trust Style

1 Consistent conflict and mistrust between Marketing & business

3

2 Transactional relationship between Marketing & Sales, occasional conflict

3 Marketing becoming a valued service provider and relationships are strengthening

4 Long-term partnership is emerging as credibility is increased on both sides

5 Marketing and Sales are trusted partners and collaborate closely on all fronts

Systems & Technology

Score Justification

Marketing Automation

1 No marketing automation, campaigns are ad hoc, project driven, or by request

3

2 Processes are becoming defined, technology is used sporadically

3 Technology is implemented to automate key marketing processes

4 Process metrics exist and are benchmarked and reviewed often

5 Real-time messaging, lead scoring & nurturing, closed loop systems

Sales Automation

1 No Sales Automation system in place

4

2 Sales automation system in place (Salesforce.com, Right Now, etc.) but not widely/consistently used by sales

3 Sales automation system in place, use required - some data is inconsistent, missing, outdated

4 System in place, widely used by sales, data is reliable and current

5 Sales automation system is required by sales mgmt., drives pipeline reports and revenue projection

System Integration

1 Systems are disparate and siloed. Access is ad hoc and manual

3

2 Systems are siloed. Standard reports are automated, but rarely used

3 Beginning to link systems to provide a shared view of customer & sales data

4 Major systems are integrated and key reports are automated & widely used for decision-making & forecasting

5 Shared view of customer for sales & marketing. Data is complete, current, and clean

Access to Data & Data Management

1 Customer and prospect data resides in multiple places, difficult to access, ad hoc data pulling

2



4 Process metrics exists and are benchmarked and reviewed often

5 Sales & Marketing have a single, shared view of customer data and automated or formal processes

Messaging & Materials

Score Justification

Marketing Materials & Collateral

1 Collateral from marketing is often thrown away by sales. Lots of home-grown rogue materials in the field

32 Marketing collateral is distributed by marketing, sometimes used3 Marketing is beginning to seek sales input on marketing collateral, and rogue materials are diminishing

4 Sales has input on collateral, mostly satisfied -- collateral is consistently used

5 Sales and marketing collaborate on marketing materials. Collateral is highly valued and consistently used

Messaging & Brand

1 Sales messaging in the field is completely different than the official marketing messages

2

2 Sales is aware of the official marketing message, but often chooses different/old messages in the selling process

3 Sales is beginning to integrate marketing and brand messages into their sales discussions

4 Sales often echoes marketing messages, but not always

5 Sales and marketing messages are completely in sync


6/12

Sales and Marketing Alignment Tool - Sales Department Assessment

Use this tool to help you measure your organization's sales and marketing alignment.

Give your organization a score of 1-5 in the categories below to arrive at an overall alignment score (see the Results tab to find recommendations and the Index tab to check results).

Level 1 - Initial Ad/Hoc Process (poor alignment)

Level 2 - Repeatable/Intuitive Process

Level 3 - Defined/defining Process

Level 4 - Managed & Measured Process

Level 5 - Optimized Process (full alignment)


Score Justification

Understanding of Sales by Marketing

1 Marketing management lacks understanding of sales function, process, and skills

2

2 Limited understanding of sales function by Marketing management

3 Good understanding of Sales by Marketing management, but less among staff

4 Understanding of Sales function encouraged among all Marketing staff

5 Understanding of Sales function/process required by all Marketing staff

Understanding of Marketing by Sales

1 Sales Management lack understanding of Marketing best practices

2

2 Limited understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management

3 Good understanding of Marketing function & role by Sales Management

4 Understanding of Marketing function & role encouraged among all Sales staff

5 Understanding of Marketing function & role required for all Sales staff

Organizational Development, Training, & Learning

1 Casual conversations and meetings on ad hoc basis

2

2 Casual conversations and ad hoc meetings among select staff and managers

3 Newsletters, reports, emails are sent out, some formal meetings between groups

4 Formal alignment program sponsored by Senior Management

5 Formal alignment program required - widespread participation across Sales & Mktg

Communications Style and Ease of Access

1 Marketing to Sales only, generally only when new materials/programs roll out

1

2 Marketing to Sales only, somewhat informal, occasionally asking for feedback

3 Consistent two-way, formal communications around specific activities & programs

4 Consistent blend of formal & informal among sales and marketing management

5 Two-way, formal and informal communications, continuous feedback loop

Relationship Definitions

1 Undefined. Functions have developed independently and are focused on their own tasks

2

2 Starting to Define. Efforts underway to prevent disputes, establish common language, and clarify expectations

3 Defined. Common language, few disputes, regular meetings to clarify mutual expectations

4 Aligned. Clear but flexible boundaries, common language, joint planning

5 Integrated. Share systems, performance metrics, and rewards together.

Collaboration, Trust & Credibility

1 Two groups are at odds, open criticism, lack of cooperation, finger-pointing is common

2

2 Relationships are polite but strained, collaboration is rare, groups work in silos

3 Relationships improving, but open sharing and collaboration is sporadic

4 Sales & Marketing Management work together well, staff less likely to collaborate

5 Trust is high. All staff in both groups work well together openly, productively.


Score Justification

Campaign ROI Maturity

1 Operational Marketing metrics only (email click thru rates etc.)

1

2 Marketing metrics and some cost metrics; metrics rarely reviewed

3 Review and act on marketing, cost, and campaign ROI metrics

4 Metrics for each process/campaign are defined and measured

5 Marketing metrics analyzed to inform resource allocation decisions

Marketing Metrics Maturity

1 Marketing campaigns & investments measured rarely, if ever

1

2 Cost/Lead, Cost/Sale measured, but rarely reviewed

3 Review and act on ROI and cost metrics for all marketing efforts

4 Measure Return on Customer (net present value of customer base)

5 Balanced Scorecard to set objectives, measures, targets, initiatives


1 Value of Marketing investments rarely measured by Sales

2

2 Sales/Marketing metrics not linked, no cause-effect relationships

3 Metrics becoming linked and understood by Marketing & Sales

4 Metrics formally linked, reviewed, major issues acted upon

5 Marketing/Sales metrics are used together to provide predictive insight

Alignment Improvement Practices

1 None

2

2 Sporadic projects/events in place to improve sales & marketing alignment

3 May benchmark alignment formally, but benchmarks are seldom acted upon

4 Routinely benchmark sales & marketing alignment and act upon insights

5 Alignment benchmarks, initiatives, & progress are required

Financial Performance

1 Very little/no forecasting

3

2 Sales figures are dramatically higher or lower than forecast

3 Sales forecasting is improving and variances are getting smaller

4 Sales figures are often close to the forecast, but not always

5 Sales figures are usually close to the forecast


Score Justification

Demand Generation

1 No demand generation campaigns, Sales develops their own leads

1

2 Marketing demand generation and sales demand generation happen separately

3 Marketing executes demand generation campaigns. Leads passed to sales & may/may not be followed up on

4 Marketing executes demand generation, qualified leads are passed on and sales follows up

5 Synchronized demand generation program managed dually by sales & marketing

Lead Scoring & Management

1 No lead scoring or qualification - all leads get passed to sales

2

2 Leads are qualified by Marketing, but sales does not systematically work them

3 Improving lead qualification and pass-along process, but leads are not always worked

4 Formal shared lead definitions and processes for passing leads to sales

5 Optimized lead scoring & management process with formal processes in place

Pipeline Reporting & Visibility

1 We have no formal pipeline reporting

1

2 Sales informally reports pipeline information, but Marketing is not involved

3 Sales management shares formal pipeline reports with marketing management

4 Sales & marketing staff have access to the same pipeline & use it sporadically to check lead gen. effectiveness

5 Marketing & Sales openly share pipeline and work together to improve the flow of leads in the sales process

CultureScore Justification

1 Marketing & Sales report up through siloed executives

2 Marketing & Sales executives report to the same senior leader, but do not collaborate


7/12

Executive Alignment 3 Marketing & Sales executives are starting to work more collaboratively 44 Marketing & Sales executives are close partners and collaborators

5 Marketing & Sales report to a common executive

Shared Risks and Rewards

1 Very little risk being taken on either side, rewards not tied to joint success

4

2 One side takes all the risk, rewards are shared

3 Marketing and Sales start sharing risks and rewards

4 Risks and rewards are always shared between Sales & Marketing

5 Managers on both sides share in risks and rewards

Marketing-Sales Relationship

1 Finger pointing, blame and battles for power and resources are common

4

2 Marketing-business relationship isn't managed or is non-existent

3 Marketing-Sales relationship managed on ad hoc basis, mostly conflict resolution

4 Mostly collaborative and cooperative relationship, proactively working together5 Sales and Marketing share a strong "We rise or fall together culture"

Relationship/Trust Style

1 Consistent conflict and mistrust between Marketing & business

5

2 Transactional relationship between Marketing & Sales, occasional conflict

3 Marketing becoming a valued service provider and relationships are strengthening

4 Long-term partnership is emerging as credibility is increased on both sides

5 Marketing and Sales are trusted partners and collaborate closely on all fronts


Score Justification

Marketing Automation

1 No marketing automation, campaigns are ad hoc, project driven, or by request

4



4 Process metrics exist and are benchmarked and reviewed often

5 Real-time messaging, lead scoring & nurturing, closed loop systems

Sales Automation

1 No Sales Automation system in place

5

2 Sales automation system in place (Salesforce.com, Right Now, etc.) but not widely/consistently used by sales

3 Sales automation system in place, use required - some data is inconsistent, missing, outdated

4 System in place, widely used by sales, data is reliable and current

5 Sales automation system is required by sales mgmt., drives pipeline reports and revenue projection

System Integration

1 Systems are disparate and siloed. Access is ad hoc and manual

5

2 Systems are siloed. Standard reports are automated, but rarely used

3 Beginning to link systems to provide a shared view of customer & sales data

4 Major systems are integrated and key reports are automated & widely used for decision-making & forecasting

5 Shared view of customer for sales & marketing. Data is complete, current, and clean

Access to Data & Data Management

1 Customer and prospect data resides in multiple places, difficult to access, ad hoc data pulling

5



4 Process metrics exists and are benchmarked and reviewed often

5 Sales & Marketing have a single, shared view of customer data and automated or formal processes


Score Justification

Marketing Materials & Collateral

1 Collateral from marketing is often thrown away by sales. Lots of home-grown rogue materials in the field

12 Marketing collateral is distributed by marketing, sometimes used3 Marketing is beginning to seek sales input on marketing collateral, and rogue materials are diminishing

4 Sales has input on collateral, mostly satisfied -- collateral is consistently used

5 Sales and marketing collaborate on marketing materials. Collateral is highly valued and consistently used

Messaging & Brand

1 Sales messaging in the field is completely different than the official marketing messages

1

2 Sales is aware of the official marketing message, but often chooses different/old messages in the selling process

3 Sales is beginning to integrate marketing and brand messages into their sales discussions

4 Sales often echoes marketing messages, but not always

5 Sales and marketing messages are completely in sync


8/12

Sales & Marketing Alignment Marketing

Organizational Relationships 4.3

Metrics & Value-Measurement 4.0

Lead Generation & Pipeline Management 2.3

Culture 2.8

Systems & Technology 3.0

Messaging & Materials 2.5

Weighted Sales & Marketing Alignment Score (out of 100) 65.06

5 19.75


9/12

Sales a

Sales Sales & Marketing Alignment

1.8

1.8

1.3

4.3

4.8

1.0

46.84

19.75


Me

Le

Culture



0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0


10/12

d Marketing Alignment Tool

Index

trics & Value-Measurement

ad Generation & Pipeline Management


11/12

Sales and Marketing Alignment Tool - Marketing Results and Recommendations

DO NOT ENTER VALUES INTO THIS SPREADSHEET. Scores Recommendations


Understanding of Sales by Marketing 5 0

Understanding of Marketing by Sales 4 0

Organizational Development, Training, & Learning 5 0

Communications Style and Ease of Access 40

Relationship Definitions 3 Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and define roles & handoffs

Collaboration, Trust & Credibility 5 0

Organizational Relationships Maturity Average 4.33


Campaign ROI Maturity 3 Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI targets

Marketing Metrics Maturity 4 0


40

Alignment Improvement Practices 5 0

Financial Performance 4 0

Metrics & Value-Measurement Maturity Average 4.00


Demand Generation 4 0

Lead Scoring & Management 1 Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and workflow

Pipeline Reporting & Visibility 2 Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns & leads

Lead Generation & Pipeline Management Maturity Average 2.33

Culture

Executive Alignment 3 Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations

Shared Risks and Rewards 2 Establish shared reward system, and work to collaborate and share risk

Marketing-Sales Relationship 3 Create opportunities for pro-active sales & marketing collaboration projects

Relationship/Trust Style 3 Work on relationships and shared rewards/risks to establish trust and dependency between groups

Culture Maturity Average 2.75


Marketing Automation 3 Identify need and resources available to create marketing automation. Research best practices.

Sales Automation 4 0

System Integration 3 Find ways to open systems and create a unified view of customer data. Data warehouses can be powerful here.

Access to Data & Data Management 2

System & Technology Maturity Average 3.00


Marketing Materials & Collateral 3

Messaging & Brand 2 Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.

Messaging & Materials Maturity Average 2.50

Increase marketing exposure to sales process through sales ride-along, collaboration on presentations, continued dialogue

Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketing cycle

Establish a structured alignment plan. Use best practices to align goals, measurements, metrics and rewards

Increase formal sales communication to marketing. Weekly debriefing calls, shared access to reports

Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and define roles & handoffs


Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI targets

Review ROI metrics regularly and adjust resource allocation accordingly

Create 2-3 shared metrics, targets and tie targets to shared rewards

Identify alignment measurements and benchmarks. Regularly assess alignment and create shared action plans for improvement

Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve gaps between actual and forecast

Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement in lead follow-up during campaign periods

Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and workflow

Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns & leads

Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations

Establish shared reward system, and work to collaborate and share risk

Create opportunities for pro-active sales & marketing collaboration projects

Work on relationships and shared rewards/risks to establish trust and dependency between groups

Identify need and resources available to create marketing automation. Research best practices.

Identify need and resources available to create sales automation. Research vendors & best practices.

Find ways to open systems and create a unified view of customer data. Data warehouses can be powerful here.

Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions and maintaining data integrity.

Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to understand what is actually being used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to get a sense of how collateral is being use

Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.

Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions and maintaining dataintegrity.

Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to understand what is actuallybeing used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to get a sense of how collateral is being used.


12/12

Sales and Marketing Alignment Tool - Sales Results and Recommendations

DO NOT ENTER VALUES INTO THIS SPREADSHEET. Scores Recommendations


Understanding of Sales by Marketing 2 Increase marketing exposure to sales process through sales ride-along, collaboration on presentations, continued dialogue

Understanding of Marketing by Sales 2

Organizational Development, Training, & Learning 2 Establish a structured alignment plan. Use best practices to align goals, measurements, metrics and rewards

Communications Style and Ease of Access 1 Increase formal sales communication to marketing. Weekly debriefing calls, shared access to reports

Relationship Definitions 2 Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and define roles & handoffs

Collaboration, Trust & Credibility 2

Organizational Relationships Maturity Average 1.83


Campaign ROI Maturity 1 Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI targets

Marketing Metrics Maturity 1 Review ROI metrics regularly and adjust resource allocation accordingly

Link between Marketing and Sales Metrics2


Alignment Improvement Practices 2

Financial Performance 3

Metrics & Value-Measurement Maturity Average 1.80


Demand Generation 1

Lead Scoring & Management 2 Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and workflow

Pipeline Reporting & Visibility 1 Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns & leads

Lead Generation & Pipeline Management Maturity Average 1.33

Culture

Executive Alignment 4 0

Shared Risks and Rewards 4 0

Marketing-Sales Relationship 4 0

Relationship/Trust Style 5 0

Culture Maturity Average 4.25


Marketing Automation 4 0

Sales Automation 5 0

System Integration 5 0

Access to Data & Data Management 5 0

System & Technology Maturity Average 4.75


Marketing Materials & Collateral 1

Messaging & Brand 1 Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.

Messaging & Materials Maturity Average 1.00

Increase marketing exposure to sales process through sales ride-along, collaboration on presentations, continued dialogue


Establish a structured alignment plan. Use best practices to align goals, measurements, metrics and rewards

Increase formal sales communication to marketing. Weekly debriefing calls, shared access to reports

Introduce regular meetings btw. Sales & mktg. , collaborate to establish common language and define roles & handoffs


Define processes and key metrics for each campaign type, track all campaign costs and create ROI targetsReview ROI metrics regularly and adjust resource allocation accordingly


Identify alignment measurements and benchmarks. Regularly assess alignment and create shared action plans for improvement

Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve gaps between actual and forecast

Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement in lead follow-up during campaign periods

Sales & Marketing collaborate on common lead definitions, scoring thresholds for passing leads, and workflow

Allow pipeline report access by both sales & marketing. Tie pipeline activity back to campaigns & leads

Engage senior management in directing collaborative work sessions, projects, and expectations

Establish shared reward system, and work to collaborate and share risk

Create opportunities for pro-active sales & marketing collaboration projects

Work on relationships and shared rewards/risks to establish trust and dependency between groups

Identify need and resources available to create marketing automation. Research best practices.

Identify need and resources available to create sales automation. Research vendors & best practices.

Find ways to open systems and create a unified view of customer data. Data warehouses can be powerful here.Research technology solutions, best practices, and critical metrics for sharing data across functions and maintaining data integrity.

Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to understand what is actually being used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to get a sense of how collateral is being use

Communicate brand messaging, rationale, and related research to sales regularly and consistently.

Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketingcycle

Increase dialogue btw. Sales and marketing regarding the marketing process, include sales in dialogue earlier in the marketingcycle

Identify alignment measurements and benchmarks. Regularly assess alignment and create shared action plans forimprovement

Develop a process to forecast responses/sales from key marketing programs. Identify and improve gaps between actual andforecast

Involve sales early, and develop a demand generation campaign calendar. Seek sales involvement in lead follow-up duringcampaign periods

Involve sales early in the collateral development process. Sample "home grown" sales collateral to understand what is actuallybeing used in the field, and why. Ride along with sales on sales calls to get a sense of how collateral is being used.

sales and marketing alignment tool

Documents