Marketing’s Wish List to the Sales Department

Posted by James Obermayer on Oct 16, 2012 8:12:00 AM

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James Obermayer, Executive Director and CEO of the Sales Lead Management Association and President of Sales Leakage Consulting is a regular guest blogger with ViewPoint.

"So what do you want from your salespeople?” I asked the marketing manager.

Little did I know that she would launch into a stream-of-consciousness, pre-Christmas/New Year’s/birthday gift list that she had apparently been holding back to regurgitate at just the right moment. It was awesome. I could not write fast enough. She said, in no particular order:
 

“Just once I’d like salespeople to admit they made a sale from a marketing-generated lead.”

“I wish that salespeople would use the CRM system instead of spreadsheets for a sales forecast.”

“That they would follow up all sales leads until the prospect buys or dies.”

“That they treat Marketing as a co-equal.”

“That sales managers stop trying to go it alone without help from Marketing.”

“That they would completely fill out the trade show lead forms.”

“That salespeople enter in all of the proper prospect/customer notes within the CRM system.”

“That they follow up 100% of the inquiries and leads Marketing gives them.”

”That at trade shows, they stop pocketing leads from their area and avoid giving them to Marketing.”

“That when salespeople are at a show pulling booth duty, they stop disappearing and leaving an area uncovered.”

“That I had a sales manager who insisted the sales reps use the CRM system.”

“That they follow up every inquiry within 24 hours after they get it.”

“That they stop ignoring a lead just because the prospect inquired in the past without buying anything.”

“That my sales manager liked the CRM system enough to use it himself.”

“That sales management would think of me as the person who will help them make quota.”

“That the sales reps would not give up calling a lead after one call or email.”

“That the salesperson would close out all the sales leads as ‘lost’ or ‘won’ in the CRM system.”

“That at trade shows, the sales reps would get off their cell phones long enough to do a proper demo.”

“That salespeople admit when a big sale came from Marketing instead of saying, ‘Oh, I knew about them before you sent me their name.’”

“That sales managers share their quotas with me instead of having me beg for the information so I know how many qualified leads they need.”


I am sure I missed a few of her wishes because she was letting out a year’s worth of frustration. Wow, I couldn’t write fast enough.

But how about you add to this list? This isn’t a list of complaints; it’s a wish list from Marketing to the sales reps and sales managers. As a marketing manager, what do you want from your firm’s sales reps and sales managers?

Also check out the sales wishlist for marketing.


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Topics: B2B Marketing, Marketing & Sales Alignment, B2B Sales, Guest Blogs


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