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Smarketing for Entrepreneurs: The Pitfalls & Opportunities

Posted by Carole Mahoney on 4/25/12 11:48 AM

If you are both the Sales & Marketing person in one, how can Smarketing help you?

This is a question I am asked frequently, most recently at the Maine Marketing Association lunch and learn where Rick Roberge and I talked about common sales and marketing myths and how to debunk them.

Smarketing, or sales and marketing alignment, is the integration of the sales and marketing process. Typically, this is necessary when you have a separate sales team and a marketing team interacting with prospects.

It is similar to trying to get right-brained people to understand and work with left-brained people.

The Smarketing Opportunity for Entrepreneurs

For start-ups and entrepreneurs who are both sales and marketing (as well as bookkeeper, secretary, IT and whatever else is needed) getting one side to talk the same language as the other side of the aisle is a lot easier. There is not a lot of translation and integration needed during the sales and marketing process to get on the same page.

The Smarketing Pitfall for Entrepreneurs

The biggest problem for entrepreneurs is the isolation of being on your own. How do you gain perspective? Who can you bounce ideas of off? Is your perception skewed by your own weaknesses? How can you keep yourself accountable to do what it takes to succeed?

The Solution to Avoid the Pitfall and Capitalize on the Opportunity

Two years into starting MiM, I had myself evaluated with a sales assessment test. 2 years later, I still refer to it. There is no better way to gain perspective of your weaknesses, strengths and ability to do what it takes to succeed. It is scientifically impossible to objectively evaluate ourselves.

With the evaluation I hired a coach to keep me accountable, push back on my weaknesses and support me when I doubted my abilities.

You can do the same. Whether you are an entrepreneur, sales manager, marketing executive or sales representative, the solution is the same- how it is applied will vary.

Oh, and the left-brain, right-brain metaphor? Who is the left, and who is the right? Sales or marketing? Help me settle a debate amongst my smarketing counterparts.

Topics: smarketing, marketing strategy, sales strategy, sales assessment test