How Salespeople Can Get the Most Out of Marketing – Or Anyone Else in the Organization

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This is a blog about marketing and not about sales, but as many companies start a new fiscal year, I thought I'd share a tip that I wish all salespeople understood.

As a salesperson, you are trying to get your prospects to do something – buy your product. But, have you ever thought about the rest of your colleagues in your organization? You spend your days trying to get them to do something too. You want accounting to process an order. You want shipping to ship your product. You want marketing to generate more leads.

When you are selling to your prospects, you try to figure out their motivations. Part of the equation is the business motivation. For example, they may want to improve the bottomline of the organization with your product. But, there’s a personal motivation as well. Perhaps they want your product because it will look good on their resume. Or, maybe if the project succeeds, they believe they can get promoted. If you are successful at determining motivation your chances of closing the deal are much greater.


The same goes for your internal customers as well. So what motivates a marketing professional? Or, that accountant, or the shipping clerk? It’s obviously not money for most of these people or they wouldn’t have chosen the careers they did. It’s often not to stand out through achievement – or at least not the way the salesperson does when they achieve their quota for the year.

These are people in roles of service to others in the organization. What motivates them? In my opinion, it’s gratitude for the role that they play in your success. It starts with a polite request to process your order so that you can get the deal in before the end of the quarter. A simple thank you when something goes right is important too.

You can think bigger too. Perhaps a sales sponsored pizza party after accounting and shipping stays at the office until midnight on New Year’s Eve processing your orders so you can afford your Lexus for another year. A small personal gift to show your gratitude for those who really go above and beyond is really appreciated.

Same goes for marketing. Yes, they are hired to create the leads and sales support materials that help you reach your goals. Maybe you shouldn’t have to say thank you. But, there’s an old saying. You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.

There’s a big difference between going through the motions of your job because you have to and doing it because you want your salespeople to succeed. Make your colleagues feel like part of the success and chances are they will put in the extra effort needed to help you succeed – without you even having to ask.