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Are YOur Sales & Marketing teams Aligned? Use This Checklist to Find Out

4/2/2023

A group skydives together, representing the importance of teamwork between sales and marketing departments.

If you've read our previous posts on this subject, then you know why sales and marketing alignment is such an important component of sustainable business success. Perhaps the main question you're wondering now is: To what extent are my sales and marketing teams aligned right now?

It's important to understand how your business is currently doing in this regard. After all, if you don't know where you are, then you'll never get to where you're going! With that in mind, here's a checklist to determine just how aligned your two departments really are, and how far they may have to go:

The Sales and Marketing Alignment Checklist

Company Leadership

Top-level leadership understands the value of sales and marketing alignment and has made it a priority initiative for the company.
Leadership has "spread the word" that alignment and integration are keys to sustainable success.
Leaders and managers don't ignore or downplay one department or the other, either in words or actions.
All of your sales and marketing leaders and team members understand that alignment between the two departments is a new and ongoing priority.

Team Leadership

Leaders on both the sales and marketing teams have revised their own job descriptions to reflect how they will work together to achieve sales and marketing alignment.
There are now built-in processes within both departments for ongoing communication and collaboration between the two teams. (In other words, the "silo mentality" has been rooted out.)
Sales and marketing leaders both agree to structure integrated sales funnels that clearly define marketing and sales processes and tasks, team member roles and responsibilities, and corresponding KPIs.

Team Players

Team members on both the sales and marketing teams have revised their job descriptions to reflect how they will cooperate with each other in the integrated sales funnel.
Team members from both departments agree to listen to one another, providing feedback and ideas about how processes within the integrated funnel can be improved.
Members of both teams have already started to "bridge the communication gap" through regular exchanges over internal channels, participation in joint meetings, etc.

Roles and Responsibilities in the Integrated Sales Funnel

Team members from sales and marketing have worked together to create ideal customer personas, and then map corresponding buyer's journeys for each persona. Both teams have had a significant and meaningful share in the creation of these personas and buyer's journeys.
Sales and marketing team members have worked together to build an integrated sales funnel that tracks each step in each agreed-upon buyer's journey. The sales funnel also tracks the buyer's journey for each product or service offering provided by the company.
Members of both teams have also worked together to develop and optimize strategies and processes within the integrated sales funnel. These strategies and processes effectively meet each prospect where they are within the funnel and guide them toward the bottom of the funnel.
Everyone on both the sales and marketing teams — and we do mean everyone — understands what their roles and responsibilities within the integrated funnel are. If any questions arise about their roles and responsibilities, there are clear processes in place for receiving the guidance and feedback needed to successfully execute their tasks.
Sales and marketing team members have determined which KPIs to track for each process and tactic within the integrated sales funnel.

Collaboration and Feedback Loop

Leaders from the sales and marketing teams have agreed to hold regular meetings in order to review data from both sales and marketing activities throughout the funnel, and identify bottlenecks in the overall process. Leaders from both teams are able to contribute to each meeting's agenda by suggesting items, talking points, etc.
Leaders from both departments have committed to holding regular meetings to provide feedback, brainstorm, and process ideas to improve sales processes and tactics within the integrated funnel. These meetings may or may not include team members from one or both of the two departments.

How Is Your Company Doing With Sales and Marketing Alignment and Integration?

After reviewing the checklist above, do you see specific areas in which your company could improve? Perhaps top-level leadership could take a more proactive approach to the alignment and integration process; or maybe team managers need some more encouragement to schedule collaboration time with their counterparts in the other department. Whatever the case may be, this checklist can be a great starting point to figure out which areas deserve the most attention.

It's really hard to overstate how important alignment and integration are to your organization's long-term success. These are key drivers for growth and productivity across the board, for both your sales and marketing teams. When your teams are well-integrated, and in alignment, they'll communicate and collaborate effectively, come up with innovative solutions together, and ultimately engage with customers in the most effective way, at the right time, and with the perfect message.

Alignment Creates Momentum

Simply put: sales & marketing alignment creates momentum. That's why all the major stakeholders within your organization need to work towards this goal. From your executive suite down, every member of your team must rally around this concept that sales and marketing are not separate entities, but two halves of the same whole. While internal conflict can kill momentum and stifle performance, the momentum generated by sales and marketing alignment will continue to build with each passing day, and add exceptional value for your company.

At the end of the day, sales and marketing alignment and integration are huge factors in improving your business' overall sales performance. So review this checklist, compare the items with what your company is currently doing, and look for ways to bridge any gaps. You and your team members will be happy you did so!

Learn More

A healthy relationship between sales and marketing is vital to an organization’s success. Dive deep into this effective strategy in a new book called Sales & Marketing Alignment. If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us. Or sign up for our newsletter for more valuable resources.

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Are YOur Sales & Marketing teams Aligned? Use This Checklist to Find Out

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