PowerViews with Chris Tratar: Execs Need to Support ‘Sales-First’ Culture

Posted by Dan McDade

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on Mar 18, 2014 11:52:00 AM

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Everyone in sales recognizes that there is an unfortunate gap between marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM). When 80 percent of marketing-qualified leads fail to convert into sales-qualified leads, it’s time for the industry to reconfigure its thinking. This is a topic I discussed at length with my latest guest, Chris Tratar, vice president of product marketing at SAVO.

SAVO defines itself as a sales-first organization, which might seem like a no-brainer. But as Chris explained, few companies are truly committed to aligning themselves around the sales team. We went on to talk about how, despite the fact that sales mean revenue, CEOs of major companies nevertheless give short shrift to the importance of the sales sector. The good news, according to Chris, is that the trend is shifting, a possible harbinger of real progress in the not-so-distant future.

Here is a link to our complete discussion and, below that, some highlights.


What Are Some Key Steps Companies Can Take to Become a Sales First Organization?

Click to start video at this pointI asked Chris what key steps companies can take to become a sales-first organization. He named several, including the need for unity between a company’s go-to-market strategy and its sales strategy. But perhaps the most overlooked step, he said, is having a highly placed executive within the company who is driving a focus on sales enablement and productivity.

Organizations Are Realizing This is a Problem They Need to Address

Click to start video at this pointWith 80 percent of marketing leads failing to become sales leads, it’s obvious that we need to re-think things, Chris said. Professionals have long understood that there is a disconnect between marketing and sales, but only lately has he seen a trend of increased alignment between the two. Part of that is due to commitments by high-level executives to driving sales.

There’s This Whole Piece That Fits in Between Marketing Automation and CRM

Click to start video at this pointI asked Chris what he sees as the key tools to supplement CRM and he said it depends on the needs of the company. Sales-first platforms like SAVO can help fill the gap between marketing and sales because they tailor solutions to individual needs. CRM is good at forecasting, he said. However, it’s not necessarily good at providing sellers with what they need when they need it.

Postcard Emails Are Very Sticky

Click to start video at this pointTemplate emails have, of course, been around for a while, and they’re rarely more successful than direct mailers in generating sales leads (just a two to three percent difference). On the other hand, so-called “postcard” emails allow the sender to be much more personal—even including videos. These generate sales leads at a 20-25 percent rate, Chris said.

Be sure to check out the complete video!

You can connect with Chris and learn more about SAVO via the following resources:

Chris Tratar

 

Website: www.savogroup.com

Email: chris dot tratar at savogroup dot com 

 

 

 

 

The next PowerViews will be with Dan Waldschmidt, author of Edgy Conversations. Stay Tuned.

By Dan McDade


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Topics: Marketing & Sales Alignment, Sales Process, B2B Sales, Increase Sales, Sales Leads, PowerViews


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