On ending war between sales and marketing

This is a very true issue and I found this excellent article "Ending the war between sales and marketing" by Philip Kotler

He offered 2 key advice:

• Disciplined communication between Sales and Marketing

• Shared goal & metrics

While the 2nd one is hard to implement due to the complex organization structure, the 1st one is a must. And it helps not just in collaboration between Sales and Marketing

Some quote

Encourage disciplined communication.

When it comes to improving relations between any two functions, the first step inevitably involves improving communication. But it’s not as simple as just increasing communication between two groups. More communication is expensive. It eats up time, and it prolongs decision making. We advocate instead for more disciplined communication.

Hold regular meetings between Sales and Marketing (at least quarterly, perhaps bimonthly or monthly). Make sure that major opportunities, as well as any problems, are on the agenda. Focus the discussions on action items that will resolve problems, and perhaps even create opportunities, by the next meeting. Salespeople and marketers need to know when and with whom they should communicate.

Companies should develop systematic processes and guidelines such as, “You should involve the brand manager whenever the sales opportunity is above $2 million,” or “We will not go to print on any marketing collateral until salespeople have reviewed
it,” or “Marketing will be invited to the top ten critical account reviews.”

Businesses also need to establish an up-to-date, user-friendly “who to call” database. People get frustrated—and they waste time—searching in the wrong places for help.