TheRealPezDog

Account Manager

Notable Contributor

Marketing takes the "We'll do anything" approach... It's a bad look for sellers.

I've worked at the same sales org for long enough to realize now just how much of our marketing material is actual bullshit. Anyone else come across this?

Basically we take a "we'll do anything" approach instead of just leaning into our strengths.

This actually creates a lot more work for sales teams because we have to somehow sift through what is accurate and what is going to make us look like giant assholes when we under-deliver after a year or so of over-promising.

If I wasn't 5 years in would I know that?

Bet your ass I am now pushing back to my marketing team and calling them out for some of the material they've "approved" for us to send.

Has anyone else had to check their marketing team like this? How else besides staying in a selling role for years could one approach solving this problem?

I'll be honest with you guys I'm not sure if there is an actual discussion to be had here or if I'm just bitching about Marketing but I gotta say I feel a ton better now so thanks for coming to my Tedx.

-TRPD

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14 comments

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antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

6

Bravado's Resident Asshole

Luckily and don't hate me for this next statement...."My marketing department is actually good"... I have closed several leads that came in from our marketing. I think I found the lonely unicorn marketing director/department....

Sunbunny31

Politicker

5

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

You live in a world we all aspire to.

jefe

Arsonist

5

🍁

Haven't had to do this, but good on you for pushing back! Many wouldn't

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

It can be so hard to recognize what's good material vs what isn't, particularly when you're new. Being able to say "this is not helping us sell - here's what would be helpful" is a good thing and not done enough.

jefe

Arsonist

3

🍁

It can be a scary prospect, especially if you're newer in the company and/or they have a bad culture that doesn't allow transparency and honest feedback.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

3

🦊

This is why you never show the PowerPoints they make. You delete 90% of their junk and make your own.

TheRealPezDog

Notable Contributor

1

Account Manager

1000% this

Arzola

Valued Contributor

0

Business administration

this is gold!

SaaSsy

Politicker

3

AE

Marketing thinks they’re sales so they’re cocky and think they’re special but we all know they can’t close so basically, the worst. And yes, I have to constantly create ideas for marketing materials that are actually valuable. Have no clue what they do all day.

TennisandSales

Politicker

2

Head Of Sales

ive never had a marketing team that puts out enough content for me to get upset about haha.

RedLightning

Politicker

1

Mid-Market AE

If you've got clout there, then maybe try to spin in as a positive. like "everyone really likes this and most of my conversations focus there....can we focus on that"

BourbonKing

Valued Contributor

0

VP of Sales

Yikes. Fortunately, the companies I've worked for have been ultra-conservative about overstating abilities and overpromising outcomes. You have every right to push back (respectfully). Your best bet is to be armed with actual examples and to be unemotional about it.

WhoDey

Opinionated

0

VP of Sales

You should have Marketing field the customer calls when they want answers as to why nothing is as promised.

Mendizo

Opinionated

0

Sr. Director

I'm sure there's great Marketing teams out there, but the ones I've worked with generally are pretty bad. Now many of the individuals are great, but either the group pressure tamps down on what they can individually do, or some random top-down directive completely disrupts their decent plans and turns them into crap.

The biggest issue I have (and sounds like many others have) is that Marketing thinks they can sell. They want to own the message, own the narrative, own the assets that are used. Which is funny, because when you put a PMM in front of a customer (and I have), they usually melt down or ramble on.

I, as a seller and sales leader, have NEVER ever used a deck in the format that Marketing provides to me. Frankly, I also tell my sellers they should never use a deck that I give them. Every single person has their own style, their own way of doing things, and that means a 'custom' deck for every seller. I tell a lot of stories, and so my decks are relatively few slides with very few words, and I take the time to craft it. Marketing isn't responsible for a quota at the end of the day, and I've yet to see one executive team really try to tell Sales that they must absolutely adhere to Marketing assets (and if that happens, it tells you it's a pretty weak CRO/COO).

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