what advice would you give to align Marketing
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2024 4:32 am
I suggest two approaches. One is to create a mini startup within the company to test new strategies outside of traditional processes. The other is to introduce gradual changes to existing processes to embrace new marketing strategies. But the most important thing is that the company's management supports and believes in these changes so that they can be implemented effectively.
I like how you highlight two aspects, Alvaro. First, the importance of the long term. How do you approach the sustainability of processes at Sales Layer?
Exactly. It is crucial to think that the processes we establish must be sustainable in the long term to be effective . Sometimes, what we do may not yield immediate results, but it is essential for the future of the company.
And you also mentioned that you are constantly reviewing MQL criteria. What do those discussions look like and how do you ensure alignment between marketing and sales?
Yes, indeed. As the company has grown, our sales process has been refined many times. We identified two key signals to re-discuss MQL criteria: friction in qualification, such as when teams spend too much time reviewing leads and agreeing, and anomalies in the sales funnel. This happens when we see that the pipeline is getting too fat on one side or too narrow on the other.
For example, if we are having an abnormally high conversion rate, that is never a bad thing. But our funnel is getting too narrow at the top and, therefore, in the coming months we will not have enough pipeline to reach our commercial objectives, no matter how hard we try to increase the conversion rate.
It may mean that we are missing out on many leads that have the potential to become a business opportunity. Maybe not in the short term, but in the long term. And, therefore, we should relax the qualification criteria a little. Again, it is important to move beyond the immediate to think about what is sustainable.
Interesting. How do you handle differences in timing of purchasing decisions among potential customers?
We always play with two stages. There are companies that are already prepared, that already have the budget and have decided that they are going to do it in the next three months. And others that are still in an evaluation phase. They know that they need it, the person you speak to has decision-making power, but they are not ready yet. That does not mean that we should rule them out. On the contrary, there are opportunities there too.
And what do you do when a lead comes with a not-so-immediate purchase?
In these cases, we split the responsibility between Marketing and Sales. Marketing is db center.uk responsible for nurturing and maintaining the lead's interest over the long term, while Sales focuses on more immediate business opportunities.
In any case, you always have to keep in touch . And it's not difficult, it's just that it's often not done. It's a matter of being consistent and very clean and organized in the follow-up process.
Here you also mention, again, very important things. On the one hand, consistency. But I think there is also a key tool, which is having a CRM or an automation tool.
Yes, without a platform like this, it is practically impossible to remember the status of each lead, when to send them certain content, when to contact them again... I know that many companies hesitate to invest , but not investing ends up being a questionable decision .
The first thing we have to think about is the value, what it has cost us to generate a certain volume of leads and commercial opportunities. That is, after several years, you have invested millions of euros in content, advertising, tools, staff...
Therefore, it is very important to understand that each lead is an asset . It must be given the love it deserves to turn it into business for the company. Therefore, automation tools are essential to manage our pipeline efficiently and ensure that no lead escapes.
I like how you highlight two aspects, Alvaro. First, the importance of the long term. How do you approach the sustainability of processes at Sales Layer?
Exactly. It is crucial to think that the processes we establish must be sustainable in the long term to be effective . Sometimes, what we do may not yield immediate results, but it is essential for the future of the company.
And you also mentioned that you are constantly reviewing MQL criteria. What do those discussions look like and how do you ensure alignment between marketing and sales?
Yes, indeed. As the company has grown, our sales process has been refined many times. We identified two key signals to re-discuss MQL criteria: friction in qualification, such as when teams spend too much time reviewing leads and agreeing, and anomalies in the sales funnel. This happens when we see that the pipeline is getting too fat on one side or too narrow on the other.
For example, if we are having an abnormally high conversion rate, that is never a bad thing. But our funnel is getting too narrow at the top and, therefore, in the coming months we will not have enough pipeline to reach our commercial objectives, no matter how hard we try to increase the conversion rate.
It may mean that we are missing out on many leads that have the potential to become a business opportunity. Maybe not in the short term, but in the long term. And, therefore, we should relax the qualification criteria a little. Again, it is important to move beyond the immediate to think about what is sustainable.
Interesting. How do you handle differences in timing of purchasing decisions among potential customers?
We always play with two stages. There are companies that are already prepared, that already have the budget and have decided that they are going to do it in the next three months. And others that are still in an evaluation phase. They know that they need it, the person you speak to has decision-making power, but they are not ready yet. That does not mean that we should rule them out. On the contrary, there are opportunities there too.
And what do you do when a lead comes with a not-so-immediate purchase?
In these cases, we split the responsibility between Marketing and Sales. Marketing is db center.uk responsible for nurturing and maintaining the lead's interest over the long term, while Sales focuses on more immediate business opportunities.
In any case, you always have to keep in touch . And it's not difficult, it's just that it's often not done. It's a matter of being consistent and very clean and organized in the follow-up process.
Here you also mention, again, very important things. On the one hand, consistency. But I think there is also a key tool, which is having a CRM or an automation tool.
Yes, without a platform like this, it is practically impossible to remember the status of each lead, when to send them certain content, when to contact them again... I know that many companies hesitate to invest , but not investing ends up being a questionable decision .
The first thing we have to think about is the value, what it has cost us to generate a certain volume of leads and commercial opportunities. That is, after several years, you have invested millions of euros in content, advertising, tools, staff...
Therefore, it is very important to understand that each lead is an asset . It must be given the love it deserves to turn it into business for the company. Therefore, automation tools are essential to manage our pipeline efficiently and ensure that no lead escapes.