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The rivalry between sales and marketing has gone on for too long. Let's discuss on Health B2B Marketing how we can improve sales and marketing integration.

Whether you’re in marketing or in sales, you’ve felt it: the frustration that the sales team isn’t working hard enough. The burning feeling that marketing is out of touch and would be nothing without sales. The uneasiness of handing over a lead, or accepting a lead, to or from a group you just don’t trust.

One sales executive I know told me once that he thought his company’s marketing team, and marketing in general, was “useless.” One HIStalk commentator recently referred to HIT salespeople as “dumb slackers.”

As a marketer, I’ve found myself frustrated with sales. And I’ve been on the other end of the phone with a frustrated sales guy or gal.

Sales vs. marketing: It’s been a struggle in the decade-plus I’ve been doing marketing, and I’m sure the struggle has lasted longer than those 13 years. I have my suspicions on how this mutual animosity came about. My guess is that prior to CRM systems coming into being, there wasn’t much interaction between these two groups. But as soon as their success was dependent on each other, a rivalry sprung up.

The stakes are high. Marketing always seems to be fighting for high valuation and respect from business leaders. And Sales? They’re fighting for their living.

But does it need to be a fight?

This month, the Health B2B Marketing blog will be discussing ways to improve sales and marketing integration. We all have the same goals. If we work together, we can reach them.

I’m interested in your comments. What do you think is the key to sales and marketing integration?

Photo credit: Nic Stage

Read More: http://healthb2bmarketing.com/2010/08/health-b2b-sales-and-marketing-cant-we-all-just-get-along/