What’s Behind Sales and Marketing Misalignment?

In the world of B2B sales, it’s common to hear the term “sales and marketing misalignment” being thrown around. In reality, this means sales is complaining that marketing is providing them with poor leads, while marketing says sales isn’t following up on their leads adequately. 

However, according to a podcast interview on Sales Leadership Conversations with Aventi Group COO and Co-founder, Sridhar Ramanathan, “misalignment” is an overly simplistic term for this disconnect. A more accurate way to get at the root of the problem is to ask: why are sellers struggling with engaging their prospects? Where are leads falling short, and why? 

The missing link here is in product marketing, whose specific role it is to analyze, know, and understand every potential persona involved in a buying decision. By defining these personas, their pain points and specific needs, product marketing ensures that sales will reach the right person at the right time with the right message–and, as a result, close more deals. 

Find out more about where exactly sales and marketing are misaligned and Sridhar’s recommendations on how product marketing can help by listening to the podcast.

If you’d like some expert product marketing help, contact us for a 30-minute consultation.

Written By

Sridhar Ramanathan

Sridhar Ramanathan has 20+ years of experience in technology companies – from startups to blue chip firms. As the Marketing executive for Hewlett-Packard’s Managed Services business, he was responsible for marketing worldwide and managing the portfolio of HP services’ $1.1B unit. He also held profit & loss responsibility for electronic messaging outsourcing and e-service business units. Thanks to Sridhar’s efforts, HP became the #1 ERP Outsourcer and experienced growth in the data warehouse market, now well over a $1B revenue stream. Sridhar has played interim executive roles for a number of technology firms, leading their sales and marketing functions in the high growth phase. Sridhar holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BS in Engineering Physics from U.C. Berkeley. He is active in non-profit work as Vice Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, an organization that provides stability and hope to abused and neglected children.