Your team is divided on marketing strategies. How will you unify their conflicting opinions?

When it comes to marketing strategies, every method should be considered. When I feel our team is conflicted, I set aside funds to try different approaches and test the results. The great thing about digital and traditional marketing is that it is all measurable if you set goals that are connected to a measuring tool. Let your team test out their ideas to show you that their strategy works. In this way, everyone on the team learns that successful marketing is a media mix that integrates more than one media or method. Add more money to what works and discard strategies that don't get results. Try not to discourage new ideas and strategies.

Commend the team for being proactive in developing unique ideas and brave enough to share differing opinions. This diversity of thought is a strength, not a weakness – it’s what creates a great marketing team. Next, you need to LISTEN. Being a good empathetic listener means actively hearing each person's perspective without interrupting, acknowledging their feelings, and validating their concerns. Foster an open dialogue by encouraging a collaborative atmosphere. Look for areas where conflicting strategies may converge, finding common ground that can blend the best elements of each approach. This approach not only resolves conflicts but also strengthens team cohesion, leading to more innovative and effective marketing strategies

Listening first is essential when resolving conflicts within your marketing team. Encourage open dialogue where each member can express their views without interruption, ensuring everyone feels heard and respected. This fosters trust and helps uncover the reasoning behind their preferred strategies. By acknowledging the strengths and concerns of each perspective, you create a collaborative environment where solutions can arise from shared insights rather than individual agendas.

Crea grupos de trabajo que combinen diferentes perspectivas para que juntos desarrollen una estrategia integrada. Este enfoque no solo aprovecha las fortalezas de cada miembro, sino que también refuerza el sentido de propiedad compartida sobre la solución final. Así, las decisiones se toman en función del mejor interés del equipo y la empresa, no solo de una visión individual.

Start by organizing a dedicated meeting where everyone has the chance to present their ideas and concerns without interruption. Encourage an environment where each team member feels comfortable expressing their opinions openly. Use active listening techniques—such as paraphrasing and summarizing—to ensure that everyone’s points are understood. This not only builds trust but also ensures that no one feels ignored or undervalued.

Clarifying common goals can unify your team's divergent strategies. Encourage them to articulate the overarching objectives, such as increasing brand awareness or generating high-quality leads. Once these goals are clear, assess how each strategy aligns with them. This shifts the focus from conflicting opinions to a shared vision, essential for a cohesive marketing plan.

Your goals in overcoming problems across a divided marketing team can be the solution, provided you're keeping them in check. Start by setting SMART goals that will help your whole team get back on track. Then, use those SMART goals to create a shared plan of attack for attaining your marketing vision. One of the more effective tools in aligning such a version can be found in a variety of entrepreneurial resources, such as EOS, Scaling UP, and additional books. Above all else, remember that each person should share their thoughts, reasoning and interpretation once, but avoid repeating the exact same discussion because then it becomes politicking.

Once everyone’s opinions are on the table, shift the focus to the broader objectives of your marketing efforts. Revisit the company’s mission, vision, and KPIs to realign the team with the overarching goals. Ask questions like: “What are we trying to achieve?” and “How does this strategy contribute to our primary objectives?” This helps to filter out ideas that, while creative, may not align with the company’s strategic direction.

Assessing resources is key to reconciling differing marketing strategies. Encourage your team to consider the budget, tools, and personnel needed for each approach. Some strategies may be appealing but impractical given current resources. By prioritizing feasible strategies that offer the best ROI, your team can reach a consensus that balances ambition with reality.

Para unificar estrategias de marketing en conflicto, es crucial que tu equipo establezca prioridades claras basadas en los recursos disponibles. Evalúen conjuntamente el presupuesto, las herramientas y el personal con que cuentan para ejecutar cada estrategia propuesta.

Now that you have a clearer understanding of the team’s ideas and the goals, take a realistic look at your available resources. Break down the budget, time constraints, and personnel available for the project. Discuss which strategies are most viable given these constraints. Sometimes, conflicting opinions arise from unrealistic expectations—by grounding the discussion in the reality of your resources, you can guide the team towards more practical solutions.

If you have a direct point of contact at your priority marketing channels (Meta, Google, LinkedIn...) with an, ask them for their opinion on your approach. Their impartial expert opinion could help building a consensus internally.

It’s about finding a workable compromise that the whole team can get behind. I focus on facilitating discussions where we break down each strategy and debate its potential impact. The goal is to combine the best parts of each approach into a unified plan. By encouraging the team to prioritize our collective success over individual preferences, we often discover innovative solutions that we might have missed otherwise.

With the goals and resources clear, guide the team towards a consensus. Summarize the key points from the discussion, highlighting areas where there is agreement and addressing areas of disagreement with suggestions for compromise. Encourage the team to think collaboratively—perhaps combining elements from different strategies to create a more holistic approach. Emphasize the importance of unity and the collective benefit of a cohesive strategy.

With the abundance of new tools and technologies, there's no excuse for marketers not to leverage testing for optimal results. Testing conflicting B2B marketing strategies on a small scale is vital for determining the best approach. A/B testing divides your audience into two groups, each exposed to a different strategy, allowing you to compare outcomes like engagement or sales. This evidence-based approach resolves team conflicts by objectively showing which strategy is more effective. By relying on testing and data, you minimize risks, build consensus, and ensure resources are invested in the strategy that will yield the best results. The value of evidence in guiding decisions leads to more informed and successful marketing campaigns.

Propose a pilot phase where you can test different elements of the proposed strategies on a small scale. Set clear metrics for success and gather data to see which approaches work best. This data-driven approach can help in making more informed decisions, reducing the emotional investment in particular ideas, and allowing the strategy to evolve based on real-world performance.

Este enfoque no solo fomenta una cultura de decisiones basadas en datos, sino que también ayuda a construir un consenso más sólido, respaldado por la evidencia de lo que realmente funciona. Es un enfoque que vale la pena considerar cuando las opiniones están divididas.

Remind your team that marketing strategies are fluid and should adapt to the ever-changing B2B landscape. Encourage continuous evaluation of the chosen strategy's performance and remain open to adjustments. This flexibility keeps your efforts effective and relevant, allowing for the possibility of revisiting previously sidelined strategies as circumstances evolve.

Even after the strategy is implemented, maintain a culture of continuous improvement. Encourage regular check-ins to assess the performance of the strategy and remain open to tweaks and adjustments as necessary. This adaptive approach not only keeps the strategy effective but also ensures that all team members feel involved in the ongoing process, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.