SALES-BASED MARKETING

The idea behind “sales-based marketing” is simple. As veteran marketing expert Tom Hogan explains it, the role of demand generation can be boiled down to three words: make sales easier. “If it doesn’t initiate new sales opportunities, shorten the sales cycle, or make repeat sales easier, don’t do it.”

But implementing—and sticking to—a sales-based marketing philosophy is not as easy as it might seem.

First of all, it means getting as much input from Sales as from Product Marketing before you launch new programs. This ensures that Marketing’s objectives are aligned with Sales—and it gives Marketing more credibility with Sales once these objectives are attained.

It means developing a relationship with key executive stakeholders and guiding their expectations. Many times, executives want to see a large volume of leads to assure them that their investment in marketing is working. However, that might not be the best model for effectively supporting sales. In fact, a lower volume of higher quality leads might help Sales best meet their numbers.

It means setting up to track and measure the factors most closely related to Sales’ success, and holding yourself accountable to a bottom-line mentality that is often foreign to marketing. That involves the sales and marketing infrastructure (CRM/SFA system and sales ops) and the underlying data that is critical to long-term success.

For Catapult clients focused on improving their overall support of sales, Sales-Based Marketing is a common-sense set of principles we use to create programs that will thaw the typical “cold war” between Sales and Marketing.

Did you know?
Catapult delivered over $10 million in sales and 50X ROI on an integrated direct response program.

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