The Top 5 Questions Marketing Should be Asking Sales 

Have you ever felt that frustrating gap between your sales and marketing teams, like they’re just not on the same page? Sales teams often view their marketing colleagues as detached from the real action. Meanwhile, marketers might roll their eyes at sales, thinking of them as overly simplistic or out of touch with the strategic picture. This disconnect isn’t just an office quirk – it’s a serious business challenge.  

According to a study by Genius.com, a staggering 66% of buyers say that consistent and relevant communication from both sales and marketing is crucial in their decision to choose a solution provider.  

The reality is, when sales and marketing clash, it’s not just team morale that takes a hit; it directly impacts your company’s ability to attract and retain customers.  

Bridging this divide starts with something as simple yet powerful as communication.  

What if we told you that there are five key questions your marketing team could start asking your sales team, that could begin to transform this frustrating divide into a dynamic partnership? 

In this article, you’ll learn about these five questions, how to ask them, and why to ask them.  

Question 1: What Does a Typical Sales Process Look Like?  

If you’re part of a marketing team, understanding your company’s sales process is not just helpful – it’s essential.  

You might think it’s basic knowledge, but taking a closer look at how sales operates can make a world of difference in the way you craft your marketing messages.  

If you don’t know the answers to the below questions, then you probably need to better understand your sales process:  

• How much time do sales reps spend on the phone with a lead? 
• How do your sales reps begin a conversation? 
• How long does it take the sales rep on average to get your product in front of the decision maker at the lead’s company? 

Here are some other sub-questions to consider to better understand the sales process:  

• For Product Knowledge: How is product knowledge communicated to prospects? How is product knowledge updated and shared within the sales team? 
• For Prospecting: Do they focus on certain industries or company sizes? What qualities make a lead a ‘good fit’ for your product or service? 
• For Decision-Making: How long does it typically take for a sales rep to present your product to the decision-maker at a lead’s company? 

Knowing these details can significantly influence how marketing materials are crafted. 

Ultimately, diving into the intricacies of your sales process isn’t just a review session; it’s a strategic move.  

By understanding these fundamentals, your marketing material can not only align with but also enhance the sales process, leading to a more cohesive and effective approach. 

Question 2: Which Sources and Content Topics Generate the Best Leads?  

Understanding the effectiveness of different lead sources is like having a roadmap for your marketing efforts. It’s crucial to know which channels – be it social media, organic search, direct traffic, email campaigns, paid search, or referrals – are actually converting leads into customers.  

But how do you figure out which of these sources is your golden ticket? 

This is where a conversation with your sales team becomes invaluable. They’re on the frontline, directly engaging with leads from these sources.  

Here’s some questions to consider to help you dive deeper into finding an answer: 

• Which content source consistently delivers the highest quality leads?  
• What’s the lead-to-customer conversion rate like for each channel?  

This information is gold dust for focusing your efforts more effectively. For instance, if only a minuscule percentage of your traffic and conversions are coming from paid search, then it may be time to reconsider the extent of resources allocated to this channel. 

The nature of the content you’re producing also plays a pivotal role. It’s not just about generating leads; it’s about attracting the right kind of leads.  

Analyse your current content offerings. Are there certain topics or types of content that are bringing in higher quality leads?  

Your sales team can provide critical insights here. They can tell you if leads showing interest in specific topics are more likely to convert into customers. 

For example, if your sales team observes that leads interested in a specific service or product feature are more engaged and likely to convert, this is a signal to tailor your content strategy accordingly. Conversely, if certain topics are consistently attracting leads that don’t align with your ideal customer profile, it may be time to shift your content focus. 

Liaising with your sales team to understand the most effective lead sources and content topics helps you do a better job at supporting your sales team, and that’s what it’s all about. 

Question 3: What Leads Do and Don’t Like About Offers? 

When it comes to the effectiveness of your offers – whether that’s a product demo, a free trial, or an assessment – your sales team holds invaluable insights. It’s one thing to create an offer; it’s another to ensure it resonates with your leads. That’s why it’s essential to get feedback directly from the sales representatives who present these offers daily. 

Ask your sales team this question: Are the leads finding these offers helpful and beneficial?  

This question opens up a dialogue about what’s working well. Perhaps your free trial is a huge hit, or the product demo is consistently converting leads into customers.  

Understanding what aspects of your offers are appealing to leads can help you replicate this success in future campaigns. 

But it’s not all about the positives.  

Equally important is understanding any criticisms or negative feedback. If there are aspects of your offers that leads consistently dislike or find unhelpful, this is crucial information. Constructive criticism can be a goldmine for improvement. It provides an opportunity to refine and tailor your offers more closely to the needs and interests of your leads. 

Asking your sales team about the reception of your offers gives you the chance to enhance what’s working and revise what isn’t. This two-pronged approach ensures your offers remain dynamic and continually evolving to meet the changing preferences of your target audience. 

So, delve into this dialogue with your sales team. Their first-hand experience with leads can guide you in crafting offers that not only grab attention but also genuinely interest and benefit your potential customers. This feedback loop is key to developing content and offers that align perfectly with what your leads are looking for. 

Question 4: What Are the Main Reasons Why a Lead Doesn’t Close? 

In the intricate dance of lead generation and nurturing, understanding why certain leads don’t convert into sales is crucial. As a marketer, you aim to create a continuous flow of new leads while simultaneously nurturing existing ones. However, it’s a stark reality that not every lead you pass onto the sales team will be ready to make a purchase.  

Instead of blanket-nurturing all non-converting leads, it’s imperative to dig deeper and understand the specific reasons behind their reluctance or inability to buy. 

Engage your sales team in a conversation about the non-converting leads. What are the common reasons they encounter for a lead not being ready to close?  

Answers might vary from budget constraints to timing issues, or a mismatch between the lead’s needs and your product’s offerings.  

Once you’ve pinpointed these reasons, the next step is segmentation. Categorise these leads into different groups based on their specific objections or challenges. By doing so, you can develop targeted lead nurturing campaigns that directly address each segment’s unique pain points and concerns. 

For instance, leads who cite budget issues might benefit from content that emphasises the cost-effectiveness or high ROI of your product. If timing is a concern, focus on producing content for these leads with information that keeps your brand top-of-mind, so when the time is right, they think of you first. And for those who feel your product doesn’t meet their needs, consider content that better highlights the range or adaptability of your solutions. 

Ultimately, by developing this content, you’re providing your sales team with valuable sales enablement content that they can use to close more deals.  

Question 5: What Does a Qualified Lead Look Like? 

The relationship between sales and marketing is a pivotal one, and understanding each other’s viewpoints is essential for success.  

One critical area where these teams need to align is in defining what constitutes a qualified and sales-ready lead. Misalignment here can result in marketing flooding sales with leads that aren’t ready or suitable, leading to wasted efforts and frustration on both ends. 

Therefore, it’s imperative to ask your sales team for their perspective on marketing’s performance.  

Here are some questions to consider asking:  

• Are the leads being sent over truly qualified? 
• Are they ready to make a purchase, or do they need more nurturing?  

This feedback is invaluable; sales teams often possess insights into the qualities, challenges, and behaviours of leads that marketing might not have direct access to. 

Understanding the sales team’s perspective can lead to significant changes in your marketing approach. It might mean re-evaluating how you generate and nurture leads, or it could lead to the development of new offers more aligned with what the sales team finds effective. For instance, if sales teams find that a certain type of lead never converts, marketing needs to adjust its criteria for lead qualification, or it might need to produce pieces of content that help get that lead over the line.  

On top of that, it’s an opportunity for marketing to fine-tune their strategies to provide sales with the highest quality leads. This could involve adjusting lead scoring models, refining target personas, or even changing the content strategy to better meet the needs of the most promising leads. 

In essence, this dialogue is not just about getting feedback; it’s about fostering a collaborative environment where both sales and marketing work towards a common goal. By ensuring both teams are on the same page regarding what a qualified lead looks like, your company is better positioned to convert prospects into loyal customers effectively. 

So, What’s Next?

Marketing and sales should be working together. Only when they are both aligned can you streamline the sales process and experience higher closing rates and shorter sales cycles.  

But what can you do if your teams are disjointed?  

The key is in building a Revenue Team. We’ve written an article to help you with just that. 

🔎  What is a Revenue Team & Why Is It Important?