How to Make Marketing and Sales Work Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Marketing is about telling your story. Sales is about having conversations.

From the point of view of marketing, every single business is unique. No two are exactly alike. The mistake occurs when everyone in the industry looks at what others are doing and copies it. The story is no longer unique. To sell more and to make the job of sales easier, you need to position your marketing message in a unique way that resonates with and attracts the types of customers you're looking for. When you do this right, you will end up having conversations. Conversations that will ultimately lead to sales. If you don't tell your story, you can be sure that your competitors will tell the story for you. And that is not the story you want prospects to hear. Stories and the Caveman From the beginning of time, when early human beings drew paintings on cave walls, people have been telling stories. Stories are in our DNA. Stories connect one generation to the next. The human brain has a special soft spot for stories. That's why the most successful brands have a story wrapped up in everything they do. We're bombarded with marketing messages every day. Why do we remember some brand messages and not others? Because those brands have planted a seed in our brains with their unique and interesting story. No one forgets Coke and their story of a top secret recipe kept in a vault. Apple, Starbucks, and Virgin are among other brands that tell their story very well. Why Do We Do It? Your story should be not just about what you do or even how you do it. The story really should be about why you do it. That part of the story is what connects people with you and your business. That's what becomes the story of your brand and business. How Do We Do It? This doesn't have to be difficult to do. All you need is a pad of paper, a pen, and a quiet space to think. All you have to do is answer the question: "Why are we doing what we do?" That's a big, hairy topic, I know. But you have to tackle it and get it down on paper. If you can manage to answer it in an authentic way that captures the imagination of your prospects, you'll make your marketing messages focused and much more effective. People may not remember you or your logo very well, but they will always remember your story. In turn, that makes the job of sales much easier. It opens the door to conversations. Those conversations will lead to real sales. Your story will make it easier to reach prospects looking for what you do. A unique marketing story told in an authentic way will make the job of selling much easier. That's what successful marketing is all about. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly.