About This Episode
Every company dreams of seamless collaboration between marketing and sales. Yet, as LinkedIn reports, 96% of marketers and sales professionals identify misalignment as a persistent challenge.
Why is it so hard for these two crucial teams to work together?
This was the central theme of the latest episode of Endless Customers featuring John Becker, a content trainer at IMPACT. John joined Alex Winter to share actionable strategies to bridge the divide and create a more cohesive, effective strategy where sales and marketing thrive together.
By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why friction between these teams persists, how content can act as a bridge, and more steps your business can take to improve collaboration.
Understanding the Marketing-Sales Divide
“Why do these teams feel like they’re speaking different languages?” Alex asked early in the episode.
John broke it down: marketers often focus on broad goals like brand building and lead generation, while sales teams are laser-focused on closing deals. The problem? These goals don’t always align, leading to frustration on both sides.
Sales teams often feel that marketing doesn’t deliver leads ready to buy, while marketers feel sales ignores or misuses the materials they’ve worked so hard to create. “Breaking down silos is easier said than done,” John acknowledged, “but it’s absolutely essential.”
A Common Language
The solution starts with fostering collaboration. Sales and marketing need to attend each other’s meetings, share goals, and develop a shared language. Most importantly, they need to recognize their shared mission: attracting and converting ideal customers.
One practical step? Marketing should shadow sales calls. As John explained, recorded sales calls offer invaluable insight into the real questions prospects are asking. Watching and listening to these conversations enables marketers to create content that directly addresses buyers’ concerns.
The Power of Content in Sales
Content isn’t just for attracting leads—it can be a powerful tool for closing deals. John highlighted this shift in thinking: “The way to have the biggest impact most quickly is by creating content salespeople can use to speed up the process or improve their close rates.”
This isn’t about creating viral videos or blog posts that rack up views. It’s about focusing on quality over quantity.
“Creating content that attracts views isn’t the hard part. What’s hard—and valuable—is creating content that moves the needle,” John said.
This means developing articles, videos, and guides that answer the specific questions sales reps hear in every meeting. John referred to these as “assignment selling tools“—resources sales can share with prospects to address concerns before meetings, ensuring the conversation is more productive.
Step One: Record Your Sales Calls
One of John’s tips was simple yet transformational: start recording your sales calls.
For many businesses, this feels intimidating. “What if prospects are uncomfortable?” is a common concern. But as John pointed out, customers are already used to being told, “This call may be recorded for quality assurance.”
“Once you start recording and sharing sales calls with marketing, the insights are incredible. You can identify recurring questions, concerns, and objections,” he explained.
This data provides marketers with a ton of information to create highly targeted content that drives sales. It also highlights where sales reps might benefit from training or additional resources.
Step Two: Conduct Collaborative Content Brainstorms
Bridging the gap isn’t just about gathering data—it’s about creating space for collaboration. John recommended content brainstorming sessions as a way to bring teams together.
During these sessions, marketers can ask sales:
What are the top questions prospects ask in calls?
What objections do you hear most often?
Are there specific resources you wish you had?
Marketers then use this feedback to develop content that serves both teams. This might include FAQ pages, pricing guides, or comparison charts that empower sales reps to have better, more informed conversations.
One IMPACT client even built a custom content repository using ChatGPT. This tool allows sales reps to quickly search for relevant content, ensuring they always have the right resources at their fingertips.
Measuring Success
How do you know if these efforts are working?
John emphasized the importance of tracking metrics like:
Content engagement: Are prospects spending time on the pages and videos you’ve created?
Sales outcomes: Is content associated with faster sales cycles or higher close rates?
Feedback from the sales team: Are reps finding the content valuable and easy to use?
When marketing and sales teams see tangible results from collaboration, it fuels further alignment.
A Story of Success
John shared a compelling example from a company that adopted these practices.
Initially, their sales team was skeptical about content’s role in closing deals. But as they started using targeted resources—like pricing guides and buyer’s guides—they saw a dramatic shift.
Reps reported shorter sales cycles and higher conversion rates. Even better, they spent less time answering repetitive questions and more time discussing prospects’ unique needs.
The One Thing to Remember
At the end of the episode, Alex asked John for his parting advice:
“The key is recognizing that sales and marketing are on the same team. When these groups start collaborating and sharing insights, it transforms the entire business.”
By focusing on alignment, leveraging content, and fostering collaboration, your business can create a marketing-sales partnership that drives real results.
Next Steps
If your teams are struggling to collaborate, take a page from John Becker’s playbook:
Start recording and analyzing sales calls.
Hold regular content brainstorms between sales and marketing.
Shift your focus from vanity metrics to meaningful outcomes.
Want to learn more? Reach out to IMPACT to explore how our coaching and training programs can help your business finally achieve seamless sales-marketing alignment.
Connect with John
John Becker is a coach, trainer, marketer, speaker, and writer. A New Haven-area native, John studied at UPenn, Middlebury, and UMass, and has previously worked in both corporate and nonprofit settings.
Connect with John on LinkedIn
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