In an ideal world, all prospects would come through planned channels from target personas in your positioning frameworks or companies on your ABM list. However, business is rarely that predictable. B2B startups and companies needing cash flow often have to close deals outside standard product lines or industries when opportunities arise.
However, marketing teams asked to constantly pursue these activities produce ill-planned, reactionary campaigns that threaten morale. Many marketing campaigns take months, or even years, to plan. Marketers can’t always whip up high-quality, in-depth content pieces and creative on the fly for every revenue opportunity or last-minute event, without losing focus and getting burned out.
But when marketing refuses to support these last-minute opportunities, it creates unnecessary friction with the sales team and harms sales and marketing alignment. Marketing gets accused of not being “team player” and an impediment to sales. Reasonable flexibility is the key.
Here’s how you can keep a great relationship with sales and executive leadership in a climate of opportunism without losing your marketing marbles.
If you are getting barraged continuously with urgent requests, ask for more resources or outsourcing budget, especially if your team helps close of one these ad-hoc opportunities.
If you can get additional budget in these situations, have a list of outsource marketing agencies or freelancers available who understand your messaging and brand guidelines. They can often help with a tight deadline, especially if it’s outside the busy trade show season.
If you cut procedural corners to deliver content, you are risking a lawsuit or fines, which can negate any revenue gains from a quick sale. In many companies, this is also grounds for dismissal.
Focus on pieces and campaigns that your team can create in less than two weeks without sacrificing quality.
For example:
Deliverable Timeline (in business days)
Add a new offering web page 2
Create and distribute social posts 2
Write and upload a new blog post 3
Write and design an e-collateral piece 5
Set up a LinkedIn sponsored content campaign 5-7
Write, design, and print a sales slick 10-14
Sample quick-turn marketing menu
Rather than hope, there will never be an urgent request from sales or leadership, plan for it. Marketing will be seen as team players at the ready to do everything they can to help close deals.