5 Ways Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy Drive Business Growth

Understanding the distinction between marketing strategy and sales strategy tends to be a conundrum for a lot of business owners and salespeople from my experience. As a tool for driving growth, I would say that both strategies are essential, although they are so distinct from one another and meant to achieve very different outcomes. What marketing does, is own and build brand awareness, manage and execute the development of brands, develop and monitor the financial needs analysis for brands across all processes of the business, manage brand theme, manage internal and external events, manage messaging and communication, manage customer complaints, manage new product development and let’s not forget manage lead generation and sales enablement.

Sales on the other hand is a front facing business mechanism meant to take action on all the work marketing has done to drive the leads towards interest, which involves investigating the level of interest and identify whether it is strong enough to move towards a purchase decision. When comparing a marketing strategy and sales strategy some of the activities of sales are attending internal and external events, cold calling, account management, canvasing, appointment setting, proposal preparation, quotation preparation, developing service level agreements, negotiating terms, managing customer and prospect interactions, managing customer satisfaction, developing prospects into leads and leads into customers, constant following up with prospects, leads and customers, along with following up with various departments relative to the brand.

Though when I think about a marketing strategyI see it as an umbrella more than just a funnel. If you think about the bones that extends and makes the frame of the umbrella, you can think of those as components such as direct marketing, social media marketing, radio marketing, television marketing, email marketing etc. Each of them as you may already know would have their advantages and limitations regarding reach. How much you can measure is another discussion on its own. Though, in an ideal setting, the salesperson has this marketing umbrella which protects them from all the hailstorm of negative questioning or statements most prospects make on their first interactions.

Even though marketing has an edge in some of these examples my hypothesis is that the initial awareness built, and branding established, during the marketing phase creates a level of trust and credibility. They educate the prospect on what the product or service may be beforehand. Such that if marketing channels are used correctly, there would have incentives for prospect built-in for them to be interested in making a purchase at a later date. So, by the time there's an interaction with the salesperson, the protection created by marketing campaign would have taken effect, allowing the prospects to be much more open minded towards considering a purchase or at least listening to a pitch. Let's look at a few of the elements and see which comes out on top between marketing strategy and sales strategy (even though I've already shown you how different they are).

Marketing Strategy: One of the differences between marketing strategy and sales strategy that marketing is the architect of brand awareness. Marketers strive to establish a trustworthy and easily identifiable brand using various channels such as social media, content marketing, and advertising. In my experience, a brand may become well-known in a short amount of time with a steady and interesting marketing campaign. Imagine if you take a brand that already has generated trust and credibility in the market over time, that consistently provides insightful content and engages with its audience over a 2 year period, the familiarity developed would firmly be set in the audiences’ mind. Statistically, 24% of businesses that invest heavily on social media see a notable increase in brand recognition and awareness.

Which Wins?: I think marketing is in the lead here. Without a robust brand awareness, your sales efforts a sure to be challenging. The vast amount of people are naturally more inclined to engage with a brand they recognize and trust.

Marketing Strategy: A marketing plan or strategy evidently provides step by step guidance when embarking on lead generation, whether its through inbound or outbound marketing tactics. Some tactics when differntiating a marketing strategy vs sales strategy include content marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and social media campaigns can generate leads who are already interested in what the business offers. From my experience, businesses that use inbound and outbound marketing strategies see a 55% increase in leads. You might have noticed this yourself, when you come across content that piques your interest.

Sales Strategy: Sales strategies on the other hand can also focuses on outbound and inbound lead generation. Usually it is dependent on the business category and the niche, because all businesses have different sized and structures. Sometimes businesses require salespeople to do all of the above based on financial constraints or be hyper focused on new business development, or focus on customer retention management. Either way, when putting marketing strategy vs sales strategy side by side, the common trait across any sales strategy and tactics which sets it apart involves some form of outreach, to spark attention from prospects or leads. Techniques like cold calling and emailing are common, but they often result in lower conversion rates. Analytically, only 1-3% of cold calls result in an appointment, highlighting the challenge of this approach.

Which Wins?: Marketing again has an edge. Inbound leads generated through marketing are typically warmer and more likely to convert compared to outbound leads.

Marketing Strategy: Marketing nurtures prospects through automated email campaigns, informative content, and personalized messaging. The goal is to keep the brand top-of-mind and gradually move prospects down the sales funnel. Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost. I’ve seen this play out time and again, where a well-timed email or relevant piece of content nudges a prospect closer to making a decision.

Sales Strategy: Sales teams nurture prospects by building relationships and providing tailored solutions. They address specific pain points and offer personalized demonstrations and consultations. Think about a time when a sales rep took the time to understand your unique challenges and then presented a customized solution – that level of care can significantly enhance the likelihood of closing a deal.

Which Wins?: Sales takes the win here. Personalized interactions and relationship-building are often more effective in nurturing prospects and addressing their unique needs.

Marketing Strategy: Marketing supports the closing of deals by providing sales teams with the tools and content they need to finalize a sale. This includes case studies, testimonials, and detailed product information that can help persuade a prospect to make a purchase. For example, businesses that use case studies in their marketing see an average increase in conversion rates by 185%. You’ve probably come across a compelling case study that swayed your decision.

Sales Strategy: Sales strategies are directly responsible for closing deals. Sales professionals use negotiation skills, overcome objections, and provide the final push to convert a lead into a customer. A study found that 60% of buyers are more likely to consider a purchase after a sales representative has addressed their concerns and answered their questions thoroughly. I can’t stress enough how important this personal touch is in sealing the deal.

Which Wins?: Sales has a clear advantage. While marketing sets the stage, it’s the sales team that ultimately closes the deal.

Marketing Strategy: Marketing success is measured through metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, and lead generation. Tools like Google Analytics and CRM software help track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and strategies. According to HubSpot, businesses that measure their marketing ROI are 1.6 times more likely to achieve higher marketing returns. From my perspective, having these insights is invaluable for refining strategies and improving outcomes.

Sales Strategy: Sales success is measured by the number of deals closed, revenue generated, and customer retention rates. Sales metrics provide a clear picture of the effectiveness of sales strategies and the performance of the sales team. Companies that prioritize measuring sales performance can improve their sales outcomes by 20%. You’ve likely seen how tracking these metrics can highlight areas for improvement and drive better results.

Which Wins?: It's a tie. Both a marketing strategy and sales strategy metrics are crucial for understanding the overall success of business strategies and identifying areas for improvement.

Having a Marketing strategy vs sales strategy are both indispensable for driving business growth. Marketing lays the groundwork by building brand awareness and generating leads, while sales take over to nurture prospects and close deals. Rather than pitting these strategies against each other, businesses should aim to integrate them, leveraging the strengths of both to achieve sustained growth.

In my experience, the synergy between a marketing strategy and sales strategy can create a powerful engine for business success, ensuring that each step of the customer journey is optimized and effective. Imagine a world where marketing and sales teams work seamlessly together, each playing to their strengths – the results could be transformative for any business.