A common concern business owners lament when first we meet is that there are not enough sales leads and they don’t understand why. They may be achieving their revenue goals, but not adding new clients. There are opportunities in the pipeline, but there aren’t enough.   

There is so much frustration and pain in their voices as they share all that they’ve tried. They have a salesperson. They are doing some marketing. But still there aren’t enough sales leads.  

You may be experiencing the same issue. 

 

Why is there a lack of leads? 

 

The Sales and Marketing Symptoms 

Immediately you begin to diagnose where the issue lies.  

• Marketing isn’t generating marketing qualified leads.  
• Sales isn’t prospecting.  
• The leads aren’t large enough companies. 
• The rep doesn’t understand our industry.  
• You’ve entered a new market.  

 

These are all symptoms of the real issue. You can address each symptom on its own, or you can step back and address the root cause. 

The Root Cause Behind Not Enough Leads 

The real problem is that Sales and Marketing are operating in silos from each other. They are the basis of your revenue generation system, yet they aren’t in sync unless you’ve been intentional about combining them. 

 

Consider these 3 scenarios. 

 

1. Sales and marketing planning are done separately.  

Most business owners think of sales and marketing as separate business functions with distinct processes. You design marketing plans with company objectives in mind. You write sales plans with sales objectives in mind.  

 

From the very beginning, Sales and Marketing are operating in silos. 

 

2. Marketing is focused on activities. 

Marketing is busy running activities to build visibility for the company, generate awareness, and drive interest to increase conversions.  

 

It expects your salesperson to pay attention. 

 

But your rep isn’t aware what campaigns are running. They never read your blog. They don’t know what events are scheduled. They may not even know what resources are available that they could use.  

 

3. Sales is focused on selling. 

Sales hears the business issues prospects and clients are grappling with and the solutions they need right now. They know which target markets are buying, and which ones are cooling.  

 

Until your marketing coordinator pings them, they aren’t aware of the follow-up activities expected of them, let alone having scheduled time to complete them. 

 

When you focus on the symptoms without solving the root cause, your results may improve temporarily, but the problems will return.  

 

Why Sales and Marketing Silos Negatively Impact Leads 

When Sales and Marketing are operating in silos, neither are operating efficiently and there are not enough leads.  

 

• There is no opportunity for knowledge transfer.  
• Potential leads are wasted.  
• Inbound and outbound conversion rates are lower.  
• Win rates are lower. 

 

 

When you tightly align sales and marketing: 

They operate efficiently and become one system working together. Intentional marketing, consistent selling, and efficient optimization are your revenue generation system. That’s when you begin to generate more leads. 

 

Sales and Marketing Alignment: A Case Study 

Let’s examine a company that has experienced more than 35% year-over-year revenue growth at the end of their second year of intentional sales and marketing alignment. 

 

A proven organizational structure 

As a small B2B company, your sales structure may include one or more salespeople, or you may be the salesperson.  

 

What’s important is that you have someone who is focused on outbound prospecting to cold call and convert marketing leads. And, you have someone who will work opportunities through the sales process.  

 

Your marketing may be outsourced to a company like us, you may have a marketing coordinator, or manager. The key is that there is a person who is managing and maintaining a consistent focus on marketing. 

 

How Alignment Happens 

The company in our case study has one part-time appointment setter, one full-time salesperson, and outsourced marketing (That’s us.). The business owner is involved with all 3. In addition, the marketing and sales teams communicate.  

 

The appointment setter alerts the marketing team what types of leads are converting. The salesperson alerts the appointment setter what meetings were the best. Marketing keeps the appointment setter and salesperson apprised of upcoming campaigns and gets their input for future activities.  

 

It’s a synchronous system that allows for quick adjustments by any of the 3.  

 

The Results 

Were the results immediate? They were not. Aligning two typically siloed teams and business processes takes time and discipline.  

 

Initial Progress 

Did they have to wait 2 full years to realize results? They did not.  

 

The company closed new accounts and saw revenue grow each year. There was progress. Marketing began building visibility, and the company gained recognition and awareness in their target markets. Customers were communicated with more regularly. Sales and marketing alignment systems and processes were put in place. Measurements and accountability were established – and followed. 

 

Sustained Progress: 35% year-over-year growth 

At the end of year 2, the company has grown over 35% year-over-year. They have grown in both new accounts and existing clients. Client attrition is minimal. 

 

Neither the marketing nor sales budget has increased significantly.  

 

The company’s success is due to the alignment of two highly skilled teams and one business owner who is focused on their integration. Halfway through year 3, their growth continues steadily at a manageable pace for the whole team. 

 

Can you achieve these results? 

Yes. This case study is not an anomaly. When Sales and Marketing are working together in a company, the results are consistent and real.  

 

You’re probably wondering why more business owners don’t do this when they could experience 35% growth rates. The reason is because it requires dedication to building a revenue generation system. It involves the people and process with a dash of faith that you are on the right path because others have done it before you.  

 

Many business owners don’t have the stamina or commitment. They focus on the symptoms behind too few leads rather than the root cause. When addressing those signs doesn’t fix the problem, they lose faith in marketing and sales, claiming it can’t work, then move on to the next big idea or trend. 

 

Establish Your Revenue Engine 

Don’t expect that Sales or Marketing operating independently will deliver the results you want. Look beyond the symptoms to the root cause, dive deeper, then take the leap. Unite your Sales and Marketing, and fuel that revenue engine for consistent growth. 

 

Craving more insights to supercharge your revenue generation system? Dive into our blog for a treasure trove of actionable advice. This article can also be found on our blog: https://www.klagroup.com/why-dont-we-have-enough-sales-leads/