How Story Can Heal The Marketing-Sales Divide

Main takeaway: A cohesive Story of Transformation tells the story of how you take your audience from where they are (stuck) to where they want to be (free). It’s a story that both marketing and sales can live by. Your marketing efforts can attract more perfect prospects and keep them engaged through their decision journey. Meanwhile, salespeople can authentically walk the talk of that story, telling their own value-based version that lets them close more and bigger deals.

It makes no sense whatsoever. But there it is in too many companies: The misalignment of marketing and sales.

Truth be told, calling it 'misalignment' is putting it nicely. It can too-often seem like a Cold War with the two sides entrenched in different ideologies and priorities about what it takes to bring in more revenue for their company.

This is a really costly problem. According to Forrester Research, non-aligned organizations see a 7% decline in growth … while aligned sales and marketing teams see an average of 32% annual revenue growth.

So, what's the hold-up?

Those entrenched, mis-aligned ideologies? Look closely and you'll see that they're based on different stories that each side tells about the company — about what they do and why they do it.

All human cultures create origin stories.

Origin stories have defined cultures for thousands of years. In the western world (whether we're religious or not) our cultural origin story says that a god created human beings that looked like Him, but were clearly separate from Him. Nothing but God is divine.

On the other hand, many Polynesian creation myths tell how their primal god was torn into small pieces … and all those pieces of Him became everything …. rocks, fish, birds, humans. In those cultures, everything is a descendant of a divine being.

I'm not saying one is right or wrong. I'm just saying those two origin stories create very different world views. And very different ideologies and priorities about what is important in life and how to behave toward everything in the world around us.

This is the same for companies that have a mis-aligned marketing and sales process. When you ask people on one side to tell the "origin story" about their solution and why it matters, they'll tell you a very different story than the other side.

And yet each side believes their story is "The Right One."

That leads to conflicting ideologies and priorities about what to say and how to say it when it comes to attracting and converting prospects.

No wonder revenue takes a hit!

When a Story of Transformation is shared throughout the organization … it has proven to measurably increase response, revenue, and year-over-year growth.

The Story of Transformation that embraces both sides

An aligned story is one that both marketing and sales not only tell, but authentically embrace. It's a story that resonates with prospects throughout The Decision Journey … from the first enticing lead magnet to the mindset of being a long-term, loyal customer.

It's what I call the Story of Transformation. And when it's shared throughout the organization … and at every step of the prospect's Decision Journey … it has proven to measurably increase response, revenue, and year-over-year growth.

The Uniting Power of Story

This example illustrates the healing that can happen with the right story. This SVP of a technology company explained the process of finding their Story of Transformation this way:

"To tell an effective story about your company, you have to talk about the founding principles of who you are and what you're delivering. You have to think long and hard to get there. It's about working through the tough issues of who you are at the core and why exactly someone should choose you."?— Mari Petersen, SVP Solution Sales, Universal Management Solutions

Their reported results:

"Now everyone … including leadership, sales, and marketing … has a shared understanding of 'how the company is making the world a better place' for our customers, who we fundamentally are, what we deliver, and how we create value."

• Growth increased from 33% Year-Over-Year (YOY) to more than 62% YOY.
• Messaging across the company is clear, consistent, and customer-focused. Everyone is able to communicate the company's diverse value proposition in terms that prospects readily understand.
• Sales methodology has been transformed. Salespeople now guide prospects through the decision-making process rather than selling them on the company's features and functions. They close more deals with a clear sales message that communicates the business value of services offered.

How to Find Your Story of Transformation:

1 - Dig Deep. Your audience is at Point A, but want to get to Point B. How do you help them get there in a way that no one else does? This story is not about your features and functions … no matter how excited you may be about them.

Instead, keep a laser focus on your audience. In The HERO Method's parlance, your perfect prospects are in The Wounded Land. They are muddling along, making the best of a bad situation. Their world is broken in important ways. Your Story of Transformation talks about how your solution is the Elixir that will transform their world … that will fix their issues, solve their problems, assuage their pains.

Dig deep to find the truth of that story. Be aware (as in: beware) of your propensity to use your own internal jargon. Stay focused on your audience. When you find the right story, it will resonate with them … and with everyone inside your company.

That's when the magic happens.

?2 - Salespeople must be involved in defining your story. No one knows your audience better than the folks who deal with them face to face (or voice to voice). Market research can tell you a lot, but it cannot predict what people will buy; it only tells you what people say they will buy.

Your sales folks know what the real-life burdens are for your audience, what they're wanting and needing … and why they want and need it. That's where the heart of your story lies.

Another result from Dell, Inc:

“Using The HERO Method, we found unique messaging that positioned us as a true value-added Solutions Provider — which meant we no longer had to sell on a price-point alone.”

― Dave Hunt, Global Value-add Software Solutions Program Manager, Dell, Inc.

?3 -?Use your Story of Transformation as foundational messaging. Reinforce your story by using it in as much of your content as possible. Be sure to choose case studies that illustrate your story. And create sales enablement tools and presentations that tell your story in various and engaging ways.

When you have a cohesive, overarching Story of Transformation, your marketing efforts can attract more perfect prospects, and bring insight and value to the sales process. Meanwhile, sales can support the brand by authentically walking the talk of the company's Story of Transformation. That powerful synergy paves the way for sales to close more and bigger deals.

Another bonus: Remember how "origin stories" shape human cultures? Well, your Story of Transformation can be a uniting, inspiring message for everyone at your company, not just for folks in sales and marketing. It can be a story that makes all employees proud to work for a company that so clearly helps transform their customers' lives.

?????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????

About the Author: Kathryn Gillett is the creator of The HERO Method, and author of two best-selling books on the subject. The HERO Method combines neuroscience and the power of story to create compelling content that has proven to measurably increase response and revenue.

Get your free Discovery Call....

#content #salesenablement #storytelling