Presented to Renaissance Executive Forums (Chicago)

December 2, 2008

Don DrewsPresident, Courageous Marketing

The Yin of SalesThe Yang of MarketingManaging your enterprise for revenue today and growth tomorrow

Why don’t these folks play well together?

A chronic question:

The concept of yin and yang describes two opposing and, at the same time, complementary (completing) aspects of one phenomenon . . . yin and yang are in dynamic equilibrium.

Wikipedia

3

The Yin of Sales; the Yang of Marketing

4

Sales = Today Marketing = Tomorrow

Sales = Revenue Marketing = Growth

Sales = Local Marketing = Global

Marketing = Planning Sales = Execution

Marketing = Strategy Sales = Tactics

Marketing = Optimism Sales = Pragmatism

The Eureka:

5

Every business needs both—

Revenue and Growth

Planning and Execution

Local and Global

Why don’t these folks play well together?

Back to our question . . .

Part of the answer:

7

They’re wired differently.

How good sales people are wired:

• Operate in the present moment. Now. Today.• Action oriented—”Ready, fire, fire, aim.”• Listen. Find opportunity, then react, create, improvise.• Verbal.• Hungry. Determined. Persistent.• Relationship first, profit second.• Instinctive. Impatient with administrivia.• Local: “My customer is the market.”

How good marketing people are wired:

• Operate in the future. Tomorrow.• Planning oriented—”Ready, aim, aim, fire.”• Listen. Synthesize lots of data, then formulate a plan.• Visual.• Diplomatic. Persuasive. Take the long view.• Profit first, flexibility second.• Curious. Analytical. Have a restless, probing mind.• Global: “I am the voice of The Customer.”

Yin and Yang:

• Today.• Action oriented.• Listen, then improvise.• Verbal.• Persistent.• Relationship first.• Instinctive.• “My customer is right.”

• Tomorrow.• Planning oriented.• Listen, then synthesize.• Visual.• Diplomatic.• Profit first.• Analytical.• “My plan is right.”

Sales Marketing

Traits good sales & marketing people share:

• Self-confident.• Self-motivated.• Goal oriented. • Want to be accountable for results.• Positive outlook.• Creative.• Externally focused.• Play offense vs. defense.

Part of the answer:

12

They’re measured differently.

How Sales and Marketing are measured

13

• Concrete• Binary: “Win/Lose”• One-dimensional

• Abstract• Complex• Multi-dimensional

Sales Marketing

Revenue vs. Quota Share GrowthProfitabilityNew ProductsLead GenerationGrowth Strategies

Part of the answer:

14

They’re led differently.

Leading the Sales function

If the leader of your Sales Department came up throughthe sales ranks, he or she is wired like a sales person.

• Today• One dimensional emphasis: Revenue vs. Quota• Instinctive. Opportunistic.• Lots of little locals usually don’t add up to “tomorrow”

Leading the Marketing function

If the leader of your Marketing Department came upthrough the marketing ranks, he or she is wired like a marketing person.

• Conceptual, analytical, abstract• Emphasis is on orchestrating a growth plan• May be perceived as detached or arrogant• Focus on tomorrow may not link to “revenue today”

Why don’t these folks play well together?

One last time . . .

A big part of the answer:

18

We promote Either/Or thinking.

The costs of Either/Or are high:

• Ambiguity and tension drain organizational energy

• Focuses attention inward instead of forward• Disjointed, piecemeal selling• Wasted marketing spending• There is a winner, and a loser

(Do we want revenue today or growth tomorrow?)

There is another way . . .

20

The Advantages of Yin and Yang

21

• A bigger idea: cooperation and collaboration multiply energy

• Team play—everybody wins

• Everybody gets to be who they naturally are

• Everybody is valued for their unique contributions

• The business takes off

So how do we get there?

22

The Goal:• Cooperation• Collaboration• Mutual respect• A powerful, integrated offense

The basic building blocks:

23

• Role clarity

• Hire the right type of people for each role

• Promote mutual respect

• Formalize interdependence

• Measure differently

• Lead differently

Building blocks of Yin and Yang

Role Clarity

Role clarity—Sales and Marketing

25

• The role of Sales

Everybody thinks they know what Sales is, but . . .

• The role of Marketing

Nobody knows what Marketing is, but . . .

Role clarity—Sales and Marketing

26

The role of Sales• Make personal contact with the prospect or customer, when they

are ready, to jointly develop a specific, customized solution.

• Develop and grow the company’s customer relationships.

The role of Marketing• Develop a growth plan for the company based on evaluation of

the company’s market, customers, competitors and capabilities.

• Generate demand and qualified leads.

• Develop tools for each stage of the selling conversation.

Yin and Yang:

• Today.• Revenue.• Listen, then improvise.• Build relationships.

• Tomorrow.• Growth• Listen, then synthesize.• Build profits.

Role of Sales Role of Marketing

Add—• Team Play

Add—• Feed Sales

Building blocks of Yin and Yang

Hiring for each role

Putting the right people in each role

Sales people and marketing people are wired differently . . .

. . . but you want it that way—their tasks and contributions are different.

Implications for hiring—Sales People

1. Confident. Self-motivated. Wants to produce results.

2. Bias for action—”Ready, fire, aim.”

3. Relationship focused. Listens. In the present moment.

4. Positive outlook. High likeability. Sociable.

5. Strong service orientation.

6. Hungry. Determined. Persistent.

7. Instinctive. A simple, pragmatic approach.

Implications for hiring—Marketing People

1. Optimistic. Self-assured. Wants to challenge the market.

2. Strong growth orientation.

3. Conceptual thinker. At ease with complexity & ambiguity.

4. Good communicator. Can simplify & clarify ideas.

5. Curious. Analytical. An eagerness to engage problems.

6. Creative. Brings new ideas & solutions.

7. Organized. Persuasive. Diplomatic. Persona of a leader.

Implications for hiring

Add one to the list of sales qualifications:

• Team Player

Add one to the list of marketing qualifications:

• Customer contact experience

Involve both sides in the hiring process.

Building blocks of Yin and Yang

Promote Mutual Respect

The dynamic equilibrium of Yin and Yang

• By focusing on the bigger picture• By recognizing everyone’s contributions• By helping each understand how the other is wired• By helping each deliver value to the other• By reinforcing teamwork

The company can move from Either/Or to Yin and Yang

Promoting mutual respect & appreciation:

Where Marketing provides value in the view of Sales:

• Generating high-quality leads• Providing effective selling tools• Incubating prospects while they “ripen”• Bringing new products and service improvements• Preparing analyses of market trends and competition

Promoting mutual respect & appreciation:

Where Sales provides value in the view of Marketing:

• Carrying the message to the far corners of the marketplace• Moving customers through any desired change• Managing & growing customer relationships• Gaining distribution for new products• Collecting feedback from the channel• Collecting competitive information

Building blocks of Yin and Yang

Formalize Interdependence

Opportunities for interdependence:

38

• Team selling (customers actually prefer it)• Key account management• New product development & introductions• New Business Development• Planning and executing price changes• Responding to competitive threats• Improving the lead generation and qualification process

Building blocks of Yin and Yang

Measure Differently

Measure for the role, and for Yin and Yang:

40

Sales should still be measured on• Today / Revenue / Building customer relationships

Marketing should still be measured on• Tomorrow / Share growth / Profitability / Strategy

plus

• Team selling—getting the rest of the company involved

plus

• Lead generation / Selling tools / Contact with customers

Building blocks of Yin and Yang

Lead Differently

42

Role clarity for leaders of Sales & Marketing:

• Promote mutual understanding & appreciation

• Formalize more interaction and mutual dependency

• Coach Sales leaders for more “tomorrow” and strategy: vision and a plan for improving sales effectiveness

• Coach Marketing leaders to deliver value to Sales “today” and have more direct touch with customers

• Joint responsibility for New Business Development

• Model Yin and Yang vs. Either/Or

43

Access points for change:

Given how marketing people are wired, explain

• Sales is a component of the chain between your idea and the consumer. In effect, they are another audience.

Given how sales people are wired, they will accept help

• When they are behind quota

• When their customer is mad

• Generating new leads and incubating slow prospects

Moving forward:

Encouragement for those beginning the journey

45

Thank you!

Don Drews

708.528.0925d.drews@courageousmarketing.com