When it comes to customer acquisition and retention, sales and marketing are almost one, says Jeremy Ellis, marketing and customer experience director at holiday group TUI.

“We are both working in the same funnel. Marketing tends to work at the top, where our objective is to attract the right customers, and then, once we’ve got hold of those customers, the sales job is to convert as many of them as possible. So we’re both effectively working to the same end, just approaching it in slightly different places,” he explains.

Ellis says it is imperative for marketers to understand which tactics convert best, while sales must appreciate the importance of staying top of mind with customers, even if they’re not in the market to make an immediate booking. This means working to the same set of objectives and customer segments.

Full alignment does not, however, eradicate the natural tension between the marketing and sales functions, and nor should it.

“Any tension is good in business because it gets you to think carefully about what you’re doing and I think you should always challenge everything you do,” says Ellis.

“There has to be a balance of long term and short term all the time, but clearly the pendulum swings from one side to the other depending on time of year, channel and customer type. We need to manage that pendulum swing appropriately between the two functions.”

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.marketingweek.com