The Yin of Sales The Yang of Marketing

The Yin of Sales The Yang of Marketing Managing your enterprise for revenue today and growth tomorrow Presented to Renaissance Executive Forums (Chicago) December 2, 2008 Don Drews President, Courageous Marketing

A chronic question: Why don’t these folks play well together?

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 Sales = Today Marketing = Tomorrow Sales = Revenue Marketing = Growth Sales = Local Marketing = Global Marketing = Planning Sales = Execution Marketing = Strategy Sales = Tactics Marketing = Optimism Sales = Pragmatism 4

The Eureka: Every business needs both— Revenue and Growth Planning and Execution Local and Global 5

Back to our question. . . Why don’t these folks play well together?

Part of the answer: They’re wired differently. 7

How good sales people are wired: • • Operate in the present moment. Now. Today. Action oriented—”Ready, 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, 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: • • Sales Today. Action oriented. Listen, then improvise. Verbal. Persistent. Relationship first. Instinctive. “My customer is right. ” • • Marketing Tomorrow. Planning oriented. Listen, then synthesize. Visual. Diplomatic. Profit first. Analytical. “My plan is right. ”

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: They’re measured differently. 12

How Sales and Marketing are measured Sales • Concrete • Binary: “Win/Lose” • One-dimensional Revenue vs. Quota Marketing • Abstract • Complex • Multi-dimensional Share Growth Profitability New Products Lead Generation Growth Strategies 13

Part of the answer: They’re led differently. 14

Leading the Sales function If the leader of your Sales Department came up through the 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 up through 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”

One last time. . . Why don’t these folks play well together?

A big part of the answer: We promote Either/Or thinking. 18

The costs of Either/Or are high: • Ambiguity and tension drain organizational energy (Do we want revenue today or growth tomorrow? ) • • Focuses attention inward instead of forward Disjointed, piecemeal selling Wasted marketing spending There is a winner, and a loser

There is another way. . . 20

The Advantages of Yin and Yang • 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 21

So how do we get there? The Goal: • Cooperation • Collaboration • Mutual respect • A powerful, integrated offense 22

The basic building blocks: • Role clarity • Hire the right type of people for each role • Promote mutual respect • Formalize interdependence • Measure differently • Lead differently 23

Building blocks of Yin and Yang Role Clarity

Role clarity—Sales and Marketing • The role of Sales Everybody thinks they know what Sales is, but. . . • The role of Marketing Nobody knows what Marketing is, but. . . 25

Role clarity—Sales and Marketing 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 qualified leads. • Develop tools for each stage of the selling conversation. 26

Yin and Yang: • • Role of Sales Today. Revenue. Listen, then improvise. Build relationships. Add— • Team Play Role of Marketing • Tomorrow. • Growth • Listen, then synthesize. • Build profits. 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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Confident. Self-motivated. Wants to produce results. Bias for action—”Ready, fire, aim. ” Relationship focused. Listens. In the present moment. Positive outlook. High likeability. Sociable. Strong service orientation. Hungry. Determined. Persistent. Instinctive. A simple, pragmatic approach.

Implications for hiring—Marketing People 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Optimistic. Self-assured. Wants to challenge the market. Strong growth orientation. Conceptual thinker. At ease with complexity & ambiguity. Good communicator. Can simplify & clarify ideas. Curious. Analytical. An eagerness to engage problems. Creative. Brings new ideas & solutions. 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: • • 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 38

Building blocks of Yin and Yang Measure Differently

Measure for the role, and for Yin and Yang: Sales should still be measured on • Today / Revenue / Building customer relationships plus • Team selling—getting the rest of the company involved Marketing should still be measured on • Tomorrow / Share growth / Profitability / Strategy plus • Lead generation / Selling tools / Contact with customers 40

Building blocks of Yin and Yang Lead Differently

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 42

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 43

Moving forward: Encouragement for those beginning the journey

Thank you! Don Drews 708. 528. 0925 d. drews@courageousmarketing. com 45