Marketing and sales are completely different departments, but if a business is to be successful, said departments must put their heads together.

Think of it like this: the marketing department aims to provide the sales department with the edge they need to succeed; both departments’ duties are equally important. Lacking marketing makes sales associates’ jobs harder, and lacking sales figures produce an abundance of headaches for marketers. Marketers play the long game, while salespersons focus on the short term.

As such, the more marketing and sales work together, the better things will bode for the company at hand.

Let’s take a look at three ways to inspire marketing and sales employees to coordinate!

Schedule Team-Building Exercises

One of the best ways to overcome stereotypes that impact the marketing-sales relationship—that salespersons are careless and focused only on results (not the preliminary steps), and that marketers spend too much time planning and not enough time making an immediate splash—is by scheduling team-building exercises.

Team-building exercises will help sales and marketing employees to think of one another as people. And by thinking of one another as people, they can more appropriately consider and respond to diverse needs and ideas. Thus, marketing initiatives will be taken more seriously, and sales efforts will be considered when marketing plans are created.

Brief Division Heads

Marketing bosses, sales bosses, and other bosses yet play a major part in establishing the mood in their respective division. By briefing marketing and sales leaders on the professionalism that’s expected to accompany inner-department interactions, relationships can be enhanced, cooperation can be amplified, and mutual success can become the norm.

In business, the grab is just as important as the pull, and bosses need to know as much.

Book Joint Meetings

Lastly, booking joint meetings—featuring both sales and marketing teams—is a great way to increase cooperation. Joint meetings allow the involved individuals to bond and take mutually beneficial steps towards short- and long-term goals. Be sure to give everyone enough time to share their thoughts and ask questions.

There’s never been a better time than today for marketing and sales professionals to work together to meet the demands of the rigorous and ever-changing business landscape. Thanks for reading, and here’s to cooperation and coordination amongst sales and marketing!