Aligning Processes

The diagrams to the right illustrate a high-level strategic and tactical view of a typical 'siloed' sales and marketing organization of today compared to that which can be achieved within an aligned sales and marketing organization.  In an aligned sales and marketing organization, the marketing team is primarily responsible for developing marketing strategy for identifying targets of opportunity. 

In an aligned sales and marketing organization neither members of sales nor marketing are left out of the strategic process.  When strategy moves downstream, the process becomes more tactical and responsibility for execution shifts more to sales, but marketing is never left completely out of the picture. Feedback loops should be an integral part of the process to fine-tune both strategic direction and tactical implementation.