Why is it beneficial for a firm to coordinate its marketing and sales efforts? What actions can a company take to bring its marketing and sales functions closer together?

What will be an ideal response?

The sales force and other marketing functions (marketing planners, brand managers, and researchers) should work together closely to jointly create value for customers. A company can take several actions to help bring its marketing and sales functions closer together. At the most basic level, it can increase communications between the two groups by arranging joint meetings and spelling out communications channels. It can create opportunities for salespeople and marketers to work together. Brand managers and researchers can tag along on sales calls or sit in on sales planning sessions. In turn, salespeople can sit in on marketing planning sessions and share their firsthand customer knowledge. A company can also create joint objectives and reward systems for sales and marketing teams or appoint marketing — sales liaisons — people from marketing who "live with the sales force" and help coordinate marketing and sales-force programs and efforts. It can appoint a high-level marketing executive to oversee both sales and marketing. Such a person can help infuse marketing and sales with the common goal of creating value for customers to capture value in return.