KnowledgeTree's Survey Reveals the Divide Between Sales and Marketing Teams

RALEIGH, N.C., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- KnowledgeTree today announced the results of a survey that reveals where collaboration between sales and marketing teams can be improved. The study exclusively polled sales and marketing respondents. Across the board, the survey revealed tension around the sales tools (collateral, ROI calculators, proposal content, etc.) needed to win new customers.  

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The survey digs deep into the disconnect between the departments. The same series of questions were asked to both teams, with surprising results.

• Does marketing provide the right set of tools to salespeople? 87 percent of marketers say yes, but only 66 percent of salespeople believe this to be true. 
• Does marketing make it easy to find tools? The vast majority of marketing respondents – 84 percent – believe they've done a good job in this area. However, just barely half (51 percent) of salespeople feel that the right tools are readily accessible.
• Do sales teams know what tools are available to them? More than 75 percent of sales people think they know about everything available. Marketers disagree - only 65 percent feel that salespeople are aware of the resources that have been created for them.
• Are the tools being used appropriately? 72 percent of salespeople are confident they're using the right sales tools at the right time during the sales process. Marketing teams aren't so sure - a surprising 61 percent disagree.
• Do sales use the same tools repeatedly? 42 percent of marketing teams strongly believe that salespeople are able reuse their tools. In reality, sales only uses the same tools 22 percent of the time, realizing very little ROI from the investment marketing makes in these materials.
• How fresh are the sales tools? Marketing teams feel that they're staying on top of this, with 68 percent reporting that they update sales tools often. However, sales teams feel that marketing could improve here, with only 44 percent in agreement. Using outdated collateral means that ineffective messages are going to the market.
• At the end of the day, is sales satisfied with the tools marketing provides? While no sales people were "strongly satisfied," a full 50 percent were "satisfied" – suggesting there is room for improved teamwork.

"Compelling sales tools get deals closed, but this data illustrates that this is a major area of friction between sales and marketing," said Daniel Chalef, chief executive officer of KnowledgeTree. "When salespeople find the tools they need, it multiplies win-rates and dramatically reduces frustration. We've seen first-hand customers boosting revenue by unlocking the value of their sales and marketing collateral."

KnowledgeTree created an infographic to further illustrate the survey results. KnowledgeTree's cloud-based solution helps sales and marketing teams uncover and leverage their best collateral. This suite of tools manages the collateral lifecycle, surfacing perfect content in the right sales context to win deals, while providing insight so materials are constantly improved. To learn more, visit www.knowledgetree.com and access a free paper on managing the collateral lifecycle.

About KnowledgeTree

KnowledgeTree helps customer-facing teams use and improve their best content. Sales people instantly find content that closes deals. Managers identify what collateral works best – and where gaps are. And marketing improves content to drive more sales. Find out why Network World named KnowledgeTree one of the 10 SaaS companies to watch. And learn why Alcatel, Genesys, Fuji Chemical and 500 other global companies use KnowledgeTree to unlock the value of their collateral.

Funded by River Cities Capital Funds, Hasso Plattner Ventures, Core Capital and Hatteras Funds, KnowledgeTree is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. The company can be found online at www.knowledgetree.com.

© 2013 KnowledgeTree. All other brand names are trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE KnowledgeTree