What are some effective ways to build relationships with your company's marketing department?

1 Understand their role and goals

The first step to building relationships with your marketing department is to understand what they do and what they aim to achieve. Marketing is not just about creating flashy campaigns and generating leads. It's also about understanding the market, the competition, the buyer personas, the customer journey, and the value proposition of your company. By learning more about these aspects, you can better appreciate how marketing supports your sales efforts and how you can align your messages and solutions with theirs.

2 Communicate regularly and proactively

The second step to building relationships with your marketing department is to communicate regularly and proactively. Don't wait for them to reach out; instead, initiate conversations, ask questions, share feedback, and offer help. For instance, inquire about their current campaigns, strategies, and challenges. Additionally, provide your insights from the field regarding customer pain points, objections, and success stories. Moreover, request for marketing materials such as case studies, white papers, and demos that can help you showcase your solutions. Also, offer to participate in webinars, podcasts or blogs where you can share your technical knowledge and expertise. Finally, thank them for their support and acknowledge their contributions.

4 Learn from each other and share best practices

The fourth step to building relationships with your marketing department is to learn from each other and share best practices. Marketing and sales engineering are both dynamic and evolving fields, so continuous learning and improvement is necessary. Exchange ideas, experiences, and tips to enhance your skills and knowledge and stay ahead of the curve. You can attend marketing training sessions, invite colleagues to join sales calls or meetings, read marketing blogs, follow influencers, podcasts, or social media accounts, and ask for feedback or mentorship.

5 Celebrate your wins and achievements

The fifth step to building relationships with your marketing department is to celebrate your wins and achievements. Acknowledging and appreciating each other's hard work and success is a great way to build rapport and trust while reinforcing alignment and collaboration. You can express your appreciation by sending a thank-you note, email, or message, giving a shout-out, recognition, or endorsement, sharing a positive testimonial, review, or case study, treating them to a coffee, lunch, or gift, or inviting them to a happy hour, party, or event. Celebrating successes can also motivate each other to keep up the good work.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?