True or false: the marketing department is more important to a company than sales, or vice versa: the sales department is more important than marketing.
They’re both false.
If you ask us, trying to identify which department has the greatest impact on the success and future of an organization or business is like asking a mother to pick a favorite child. It can’t be done. They’re both important. They both have special skills and talents. They both have unique roles in the family.
Like most siblings, however, marketing and sales tend to bicker. They want to prove they’re the “favorite.” They don’t realize there’s no reason to compete against one another. They don’t want to acknowledge that they both have special skills and talents, both have unique roles in the family, and both ultimately share the same goal: to support the organization and improve the bottom line.
Still need convincing? Here’s our short list of what makes each department so special.
Why companies need marketers:
They make decisions based on data and analysis. Marketing costs time and money. Marketers understand that they need to scrutinize all the details before, during, and after a campaign so they can learn from their successes and mistakes and never wonder if they’re moving in the right direction.
They understand that there’s a difference between quality contact and quantity contact. They know it’s better to send targeted, well-researched offers than to mass-mail a generic one.
They can communicate persuasively about a product or service clearly and with authority.
Why companies need salespeople:
They make decisions based on an individual’s needs. Great salespeople understand the importance of a personal connection. They listen—and retain—each client’s concerns and issues and use that information to present tailored offerings to them.
They’re persistent and patient. They learn how many leads it takes to create a sales opportunity. They know how many times they have to leave a message for a prospect before they actually speak on the phone.
They emphasize value, benefits, and solutions. Sure, customers need to know the nitty gritty details of something they’re investing in, but they don’t want to know them up front. Salespeople understand this and can appeal to customers from other angles.
The next time you find yourself pitting your sales and marketing departments against another, remember this: Mom loves you all equally.
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