Skip to main content
  • Media

    • Solutions >
    • Products
    • CRN Media Kit
    • Brand Awareness
    • CRN Online Display Ads
    • CRN Smartphone
    • CRN Magazine
    • CRN CloseUp
    • ChannelCasts
    • Partner Recruitment
    • ChannelCasts
    • Content Syndication
    • CRN360
    • CRN Online Display Ads
    • Thought Leadership
    • CRN360
    • ChannelCasts
    • CRN CloseUp
    • CRN Snapshot
    • Custom Microsites
    • Partner Enablement
    • Learning Centers
    • Custom Microsites
    • Virtual Partner Conferences
    • Virtual Training Centers
    • ChannelCasts
    • Partner Communications
    • Account Based Marketing
    • CRN Newsletter Sponsorships
    • CRN Online Display Ads
    • Solutions
    • Products >
    • CRN Media Kit
    • Digital Advertising
    • CRN Online Display Ads
    • CRN Newsletter Sponsorships
    • WOTC Online
    • CRN Snapshot
    • CRN Smartphone
    • Print
    • CRN Magazine
    • Custom Print Products
    • Native Advertising
    • CRN360
    • CRN CloseUp
    • Learning Centers
    • Custom Microsites
    • Online Events
    • Virtual Partner Conferences
    • Virtual Training Centers
    • ChannelCasts
    • Inbound Marketing
    • Content Marketing Services
    • Content Syndication
    • Social Media
    • Email Marketing
    • CRN Newsletter Sponsorships
    • Account-Based Marketing
  • Events
    • Best of Breed (BoB) Events
      • Best of Breed Conference 2021
      • Best of Breed Virtual Spring 2021
    • Midsize Enterprise Summits
      • MES Digital Connections 2021
      • MES+ Fall 2021
      • MES+ Spring 2021
    • NexGen+ 2020
    • Women of the Channel Events
      • Women of the Channel West 2021
      • Women of the Channel East 2020
    • XChange Events
      • XChange+ March 2021
      • XChange+ August 2021
    • Custom Events
    • On-Demand Webinar Series 2020
    • Health and Safety
    • 2021 Events Calendar (.PDF)
  • Services
    • Audienz
    • IPED Consulting
      • Channelytics
      • Channel Masters
      • Channel Leadership Forum
      • Education
    • Partner Demand Services
      • Technology Suppliers
      • Solution Providers
  • Company
    • About
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • Media
  • Events
    • Midsize Enterprise Summits
      • Midsize Enterprise Summit Spring
      • Midsize Enterprise Summit Fall
        • MES IT Security Workshop
    • Women of the Channel Events
      • Women of the Channel West
      • Women of the Channel Europe
      • Women of the Channel East
      • Women of the Channel Singapore
      • 2019 WOTC Calendar
    • BOB 2019
    • NexGen 2019
    • IoTConnex Virtual Event
    • Custom Events
    • 2019 Events Calendar (.PDF)
    • 2020 Events Calendar (.PDF)
    • 2019 Past Events
  • Insights
    • IPED Consulting
    • Channelytics
    • Channel Masters
    • Channel Leadership Forum
    • Education
  • Marketing
    • PartnerDemand Services
      • Solution Providers
    • Marketing Automation
    • Partner Experience Platform (PXP)
  • Company
    • About
    • Management
    • Careers
    • Newsroom
    • Contact
  • Resources
    • Partner's Journey
    • The Partner Experience
    • Newsletters
  • Blog
    • Channel Advocate
 

Search form

Blog

Home / Blog / Channel Advocate / Vendors Can Help Channel Partners Close The Sales and Marketing Gap
01 May

Vendors Can Help Channel Partners Close The Sales and Marketing Gap

Phil Harvey Channel Advocate 0 Comment(s)
Body: 

Sales and marketing teams inside solution providers aren't seeing eye to eye on money, methods and motivation, according to a recent survey by The Channel Company.

The survey, highlighted at The Channel Company's XChange Solution Provider event in March, pointed out that sales and marketing teams have different views on what marketing can do for their organizations. Sales teams tend to think marketing should be driving more traditional activities, like telesales and events. Marketing folks see their job, and its influence on the company, very differently.

Marketing execs see their value in leading digital marketing efforts, with 76 percent looking to drive spend on digital marketing and just 29 percent on events, The Channel Company CEO Bob Skelley told a crowd of several hundred solution provider and vendor executives at XChange. "Marketers know that digital marketing has to be core to what you are doing today, whereas only 58 percent of sales teams see that as a core capability," he said.

The traditional sales funnel – where the prospective buyer follows a cycle of awareness, interest, decision and action on their way to a purchase – has marketing at the top of the funnel (creating awareness and interest) and sales at the bottom (turning interest into revenue). If the two groups aren't working together, customers won't move smoothly through the buying process and might become frustrated along the way. Sales and marketing might, for instance, having differing views on how they define a qualified sales lead; that lingering gap in understanding could slow down revenue growth.

"If we don't figure out how to bring these two organizations together in terms of how they look at success and evaluate ROI, we are never going to have as impactful and robust marketing strategies as we could," Skelley warned the crowd.

He further pointed out that The Channel Company's survey showed that the ROI measures as defined by sales and marketing diverge, with 76 percent of marketing executives seeing ROI as building awareness compared with just 43 percent on the sales side. "We need to bring these two organizations together, get them working together, communicating better together, getting on the same page in how they measure and look at success and evaluate ROI," Skelley said.

For vendors, the sales and marketing gap can be closed with education, marketing resources and increased communication with the channel. By working closely with channel partners, vendors can be proactive by providing marketing messaging, content and materials for their solution providers to use during every step of the sales process.

By helping solution providers better understand the buyers journey and ideal sales prospects, vendors can help close the sales and marketing gap. Vendors can also enact a bonus structure tied to common goals that could motivate sales and marketing teams to work together, according to Jeremy MacBean, director of marketing and communications at IT Weapons, who spoke after Skelley at XChange.

Buyer behavior is changing and sales and marketing teams need to adjust. "People are purchasing in ways that were not the same as 20 years ago," said MacBean. "Don’t just ask for a meeting," he added. "Share a blog article, share a white paper or an e-book when you email a prospect. Do a little marketing."

 Share this post

Posted by Phil Harvey

Leave a comment


Recent comments

  • digital marketing plan 3 years 4 months ago
  • Social media marketing 4 years 6 months ago
  • agree 4 years 9 months ago

Categories

  • Business Transformation 4
  • Channel Advocate 23
  • Channel Chatter 1
  • Channel Marketing 13
  • Channel Strategy 2
  • Channel Voices 5
  • Partner Programs 2
  • PartnerDemand Services 3

Tag Cloud

Security IT security HPE Scale Computing leadership National Center for the Middle Market MES fall 2018 MES fall 2017 CIO midsize midmarket enterprise MES spring 2018 Midmarket MES IT leadership MES spring 2019 MES IT Security internet of things IT cloud gartner middle market midmarket cio midmarket IT Iot midsize enterprise cybersecurity it leader Midsize Enterprise Summit mes board

Blog

  • May 2018 (1)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (1)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • October 2017 (2)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (1)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (4)
  • April 2017 (2)
  • March 2017 (2)
  • February 2017 (2)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (2)
  • October 2016 (2)
  • September 2016 (3)
  • August 2016 (3)
  • July 2016 (2)
  • June 2016 (2)
  • May 2016 (2)
  • April 2016 (3)
  • March 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (1)
  • December 2015 (1)
  • November 2015 (1)
  • October 2015 (3)

Blog

  • Recent
  • Popular
  • Vendors Can Help Channel Partners Close The Sales and Marketing Gap
  • IoT Investment Expands The Channel Opportunity
  • Spectre and Meltdown Spotlight Vendor Opportunity
  • Vendors Can Help Channel Partners Close The Sales and Marketing Gap
  • IoT Investment Expands The Channel Opportunity
  • Spectre and Meltdown Spotlight Vendor Opportunity
The Channel Company
The Channel Company, All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Email Preferences

About Us

  • Who We Are
  • Management
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Contact

Our Brands

  • CRN
  • Events
  • IPED Consulting
  • Partner Demand Services

Connect With Us

x
Email Preference Center

Thank you for your interest in updating your email preferences at The Channel Company. In order to provide you with the most appropriate listing of available communications, please select the option below which best describes you/your business:

Technology
Vendor
Solution
Provider
Technology
Buyer