Is Marketing the driving force behind your business?
In 2011, marketing is everything. Due to changes in the buying process, it will also be everything next year, and the year after that.
In fact, its importance is only going to grow.
The internet has enabled the consumer across the entire purchasing cycle, meaning that would-be customers are more powerful - and informed - than ever before.
This has drastically changed the roles of both sales and marketing.
We’ve discussed in previous blogs the importance of employing a marketing-led lead nurturing strategy to reflect the changes in the buying process.
We’ve also written about the importance of Sales and Marketing working together, as opposed to seeing one and other as competition, or a hindrance.
But one question we’ve not yet asked is: Just where does marketing rank in the grand scheme of your company?
Is it a supportive element? Or is it at the heart of your business?
While on LinkedIn, I recently came across an excellent blog written by Marketing expert Gareth Case, which explained, as we have previously, why more Sales and Marketing teams should work closely together.
Of particular interest though, was a point Gareth made about marketing: Why isn't it the driving force behind more businesses?
Many businesses see marketing as a supporting function – a department that is an organiser, a background function.
Meanwhile, for SME’s, it is something that requires time and money that many feel they can ill afford. Marketing is therefore often ignored in favour of more traditional, direct sales.
But do more traditional direct sales really work anymore?
In bigger companies, Sales and Marketing are often completely separate departments. This can lead to rivalry, with the two blaming each other, rather than complementing each other.
For success to occur, bridges need to built and the two divisions needs to understand – and listen – to each other.
If the Sales team don’t listen to Marketing and use their material, then what’s the point? The two need to be hand-in-hand from the very start.
For bigger companies, that means giving marketing a seat at the top table, and a real say in any major decisions.
For smaller businesses, who may not have the resources to plan fully-fledged campaigns, embracing marketing means networking; it means utilising social media and above all, it means getting your brand out there as much as possible.
Today, getting known, recognised and ultimately trusted, is the first step towards any potential sale.
If you’re interested in boosting marketing efforts, our upcoming FREE seminar will show you how this can be done, regardless of the size of your business.
At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers. And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it is easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.
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