Inside Sales Lead Management Featured Article

 

  By Michelle Amodio, TMCnet Contributor

 

What should be the core objective of every business? Ask around, and you might get mixed results. Many might lean toward customer satisfaction, as a happy customer means a loyal customer, which means a consistent revenue stream, which in turn leads to a thriving business. What if the strategy focused on a “sales first” approach? Does that mean a business should focus solely on sales? Not exactly.

While the term might seem to indicate that this is the be-all end-all of a business, it is actually the hub from which the rest of the spokes come, thus creating overall success. This is what the folks at MarketingProfs have highlighted in a recent post, saying that “…your customers will experience world-class engagement — from the first meeting with a sales rep through to a won deal and beyond.”

What that means is that the “sales-first” mentality will create the glue that holds it all together; sales, customer satisfaction, success.

Using tools in the sales toolbox can help pull it all together. Think in terms of CRM software and the like.

“The sales-enablement function adds processes that track the data provided by marketing automation tools and reconcile that information with CRM systems while pulling the content and collateral most relevant to the prospect based on previous behavior. That way, we stay involved in the conversation throughout the sales cycle and can ensure the success of our investment in lead-generating campaigns,” according to MarketingProfs.

Essentially, sales kicks off the relationship, and from there, the journey begins at the happy customer, to the loyal customer, to lead generation. This also means that the marketing folks are involved in the process, instead of sales doing one thing while marketing does another. These two departments are not mutually exclusive, nor should they be. When approaching a sales-first strategy as a cohesive unit, the end result is certainly favorable.

Integrated marketing has offered many businesses a new approach, where sales and marketing intersect, thus leading to decreased expenses and an increase on the bottom line. These are two very good things for the business with an excellent product or service. 

What kind of revenue do you want to see coming in? Make the goal clear and concise. Being willy-nilly about the sales goal can only spell disaster. Budgets are adhered to, employees feel a sense of accomplishment, and of course prosperity means the show can go on.

So, where does one start? Start at the beginning -- which in this case means suiting up your sales team with the right sales armor -- including coaching and marketing materials. Give only the goods that work, and you’ll see a flourishing bottom line that can’t be beat. 


Edited by Rory J. Thompson