Agreement between VP Marketing and VP Sales. Making this change in mindset can make a big difference in how these two silos will get along

1. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Integration = Agreement

2. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Integration = Agreement
I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment recently when I was discussing the subject of “integrating”
Tactical Marketing with Sales.
[Tactical marketing – creating demand for today’s products and services TODAY.]
Virtually every customer I have had over the years (Solution Selling, CCS and Story
Seekers) seems to struggle with getting these two silos to sing from the same hymnal.
Then it hit me, the word “integrate” is much of the problem. Most people think
integrate is an IT term and they begin thinking about what “systems” feed into what.
What if we change the word Integrate to “Agreement?”
Agreement between the VP Marketing and the VP Sales. Making this change in
mindset can make a big difference in how these two silos will get along.

3. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Integration = Agreement
Agreement on targeted buyer personas
Agreement on customer hero marketing
Agreement on the stages of our customer buy cycle
Agreement on the use of technology
Agreement on how we do product training
Agreement on the definition of a qualified lead
Agreement on why they should be looking at us
Agreement on facilitating the customer experience

4. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Typical B2B Customer Buy Cycle
Most selling organizations are concerned with their “sale cycle”
or their “selling steps.”
The root cause of so many sales organizations not achieving
desired business results is the behavior of their sellers is out of
synch with the way their customers want to buy.
What if we decide we want to facilitate our customer’s buy
cycle; their buying experience? I am giving an example of a
typical B2B customer buy cycle. Your customer buy cycle(s) can
be customized for specific organizations, product lines, market
penetration, etc.

5. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Typical B2B Customer Buy Cycle
Time
Trust&Interest
H
Not looking
Willing to be tended
Hope for a Solution
Peer curiosity
Proof of Buying Vision
Buying Vision
Seller “gets” me
Timing
Return/Budget
Authority to buy
Peer envy
Share Buying Vision

6. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
What is a “Qualified” Lead?
The primary ‘touch point’ between Marketing and Sales is the
LEAD. On this slide I offer you a definition of a “Qualified Lead”
that many B2B sales organizations are using as for the handoff
from marketing to sales, or from inside sales to outside sales. A
named targeted buying persona is curious how we helped a peer
job title achieve a goal or solve a problem.
Example: “The CMO of a large electronics company is CURIOUS
how we were able to help another CMO create a repository of
demand creation stories”
This is a lead every salesperson will follow up on.

7. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
What is a “Qualified” Lead?
A named targeted buying persona
is curious
how we helped
a peer job title
achieve a goal or solve a problem

8. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Trust-Driven Pipeline Milestones
If our organization can shift its mindset from “our sell cycle” to
our customers Buy Cycle, then the next logical step is to change
our pipeline milestones. Trust-Driven pipeline milestones follow
our customers buy cycle and many of these pipeline steps are
public displays of trust by our buyer. Each time we achieve
another public display of trust, the probability of closing that
piece of business goes up!

9. Copyright Mike Bosworth Leadership 2017
Trust-Driven Pipeline Milestones
• Not looking
• Curious about a specific situation - “tell me more…”
• Willing to share story – situation, goals, problems (PDT)
• Willing to share constraints and visualize potential solutions (PDT)
• Willing to involve all key players necessary (PDT)
• Willing to share personal information (PDT)
• Has satisfactory proof of potential solution
• Willing to share value of the potential solution (PDT)
• Understands implementation and responsibilities
• Volunteers to buy at pre-proposal review (PDT)
• Acts with urgency