Joint Customer Engagement

"We need marketing and sales to work together better." It's the corporate equivalent of "we should grab coffee sometime" – frequently said, rarely executed well. The sentiment is right; the solution runs deeper than most realize. In years past, the playbook was simple:  Align on pipeline metrics, track MQLs and SQLs, and call it a day. Teams nod along in quarterly meetings, agree to "collaborate more," and return to their separate corners. But today's complex buying landscape, this surface-level alignment isn't enough – it's potentially harmful. The New Partnership Paradigm What's needed isn't just alignment – it's integration. Modern sales-marketing partnerships succeed when both teams recognize they're playing the same game, just from different positions. It's not about marketing tossing leads over the wall, or sales demanding more pipeline. This means: - Marketing isn't just creating leads; they're creating conversations - Sales isn't just closing deals; they're cultivating relationships - Both teams are focused on becoming trusted advisors in their market Getting Your Hands Dirty (Together) Real integration happens in the trenches with huddles where SDRs, AEs, and marketing teams dissect campaigns together – not to point fingers, but to find opportunities. The rhythm might look like this: - Weekly lead review sessions with front-line sales teams - Monthly campaign planning where sales has a voice from day one - Quarterly strategy sessions to adjust and optimize - Continuous feedback loops where insights flow both ways Building the Feedback Engine The magic happens when both teams commit to continuous learning. Marketing understands which leads are converting and why. Sales has insight into upcoming campaigns and content strategy. It's about building a system where: - Sales insights inform marketing priorities - Marketing intelligence shapes sales conversations - Both teams adapt based on shared learnings - Customer feedback reaches both teams simultaneously Beyond Traditional Metrics The new model measures success differently. Look for: - Depth of prospect engagement - Quality of customer conversations - Speed of feedback implementation - Shared understanding of ideal customer profiles - Joint contribution to revenue strategy The Path Forward This evolution requires: 1. Leadership commitment to true integration 2. Structured processes for collaboration 3. Shared metrics that matter 4. Regular forums for honest feedback 5. Willingness to adjust and experiment The result? A revenue engine that's greater than the sum of its parts. Where marketing and sales don't just align – they amplify each other. Companies that master this integration see shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates, and – most importantly – better customer relationships. Because when marketing and sales truly work as one, customers see partners in their success. In today's market, anything less is just grabbing coffee.

Here's the new rule of GTM for 2025: it's about about TRUST not DISTRACTION. In 2024 and earlier, most companies were STILL playing the volume game: More cold emails More ads More noise But here's what I learned building partner programs at WeWork and Amex: 1. Identify Trusted Advocates Customers are more likely to trust recommendations from voices they already know and respect. Who influences our target audience? Who already has their attention and trust? These could be industry leaders, complementary solution providers, or niche communities. Build partnerships with those who already have a strong connection to your ideal customers. 2. Collaborate to Add Value, Not Noise Instead of interrupting your audience with another cold email or ad, collaborate with partners to create meaningful, value-driven touch points. - Co-host a webinar addressing a shared customer pain point. - Develop a joint white paper showcasing both brands’ expertise. - Offer bundled solutions that make life easier for the customer. 3. Leverage Existing Trust to Open Doors Partners are amplifiers AND bridges. They help you cross the “river of distraction” and reach customers without the noise. A well-placed introduction or co-branded recommendation carries far more weight than another outbound message. 4. Measure the Shift from Interruption to Influence If trust-building is your new GTM focus, your success metrics need to change too. Track things like: - Partner-Sourced Leads: Leads generated through trusted partner referrals. - Engagement Rates: How customers interact with co-created content or campaigns. - Pipeline Velocity: How quickly partner-driven deals progress compared to direct sales efforts. Breaking through the noise requires genuine relationships. It's no longer about whose voice is the loudest, it’s whose voice your audience already trusts. The future isn't about interruption and distraction. It's about trust.

Here is how we went from "it's not going to work" sales skepticism to "ABM is driving discovery calls with our enterprise accounts" with Customs4trade team: Here are 5 pillars of our playbook. 1. ACCOUNT ALIGNMENT. We developed clear account prioritization criteria based on cluster definition, industry focus, and engagement signals - not just firmographics. 2. REPOSITIONED SALES REPS AS INDUSTRY EXPERTS. Our pilot sales team shifted from a standard sales messaging to: - Sharing valuable insights on customs automation challenges that their target audience cared about - Building relationships with the entire buying committee - Running in-depth research to identify the needs and the buyer journey stage of the target accounts. 3. VALUE-ADDED ENGAGEMENT OVER PITCHING. This playbook included multiple meaningful non-sales touchpoints to create awareness, including: - Content co-creation with the target buyers - Account-specific "love letters" mentioning target accounts achievements initiatives and - Thoughtful commenting on buyer posts 4. BUYER-CENTRIC WEBINARS. Instead of hidden product demos, we created an educational webinar for supply chain experts, revealing non-obvious mistakes in customs workflows, and how to handle them. Next, showing the best practices. Join promotion by marketing and sales helped to achieve a 50+% attendance rate. 5. WEEKLY SPRINTS. Every week became a sprint where, with the team, we reviewed and planned the next week, including: - What went right? - What can be done better? What can we immediately implement? - How can we work better together during the next sprint? - What distracted or get on our way in the last sprint? - What are the bottlenecks that slow down our velocity? - What should we publish next? - What new accounts should we research and engage? - What can we do to facilitate opportunity generation with the engaged accounts? THE RESULTS: - 10 discovery calls booked - 26 active focus accounts generated - Replies from accounts they'd been reaching out to for years - 4x increase in content impressions and sales profile viewers --- On Wed, we're going live with Joseph Threlfall (marketing) and Bowin Cai (sales) to dive deeper into their pilot program and case study. Save your spot here: https://lnkd.in/d9YEQwDd

⚠️ Did you really think customers would forget about advancing sustainability – just because short-term political narratives suggest otherwise? Now is the time to take your sustainability strategy to the next level. Why? Because if you want to sell to companies with mature sustainability agendas, you won’t succeed without rethinking your sales strategies. Excited to share our new research ♻️ just published with Karina Burgdorff Jensen and Andrea Urbinati, Ph.D., where we explore how B2B sales organizations can enable the sustainability transition in B2B buyer–seller interactions. Drawing on interviews in Finland, Denmark, and Italy, we identified four distinct sales strategies that support customers’ sustainability efforts. Key insights: 🌿 The maturity of sustainability thinking—on both the buyer and seller side—shapes which sales strategy is effective ♻️ Salespeople play a pivotal role in advancing the sustainability agenda, regardless of their organization’s current maturity level 🌱 We introduce the following four sales strategies: 1. Context-driven strategy – Low maturity in both parties: Salespeople should act as educators, helping customers interpret policy and market changes 2. Customer-driven strategy – Customer ahead: Sales teams must proactively engage in value co-creation and develop shared learning 3. Sales-driven strategy – Seller ahead: Sales organizations should experiment with relationship selling techniques to guide and support customer sustainability development 4. Joint-driven strategy – High maturity in both: Strategic collaboration and shared sustainability investments enable strong, long-term partnerships ☝️Why this matters to you: This study emphasizes that sales is not just an executional function—it’s a strategic lever for sustainable transformation. Whether your company is leading the sustainability agenda or just beginning, how your salespeople interact with customers can either support or slow down your transition. Frontline sales interactions are now a space for strategic dialogue, joint learning, and long-term value creation. How to get started? Start by reflecting on these questions: ❓Are your salespeople equipped to have sustainability-driven conversations with your key accounts? ❓Does your sales strategy reflect your company’s sustainability ambitions—or hold them back? ❓Could your sales function be an untapped asset in achieving your sustainability goals? Huge thanks to Karina and Andrea for this insightful research journey — your collaboration made this work impactful and rewarding! ✅ Read the full open access article here: https://lnkd.in/dW-jhwFf ☝️If the intersection of sales and sustainability sparks your interest, let’s connect. I’d love to exchange thoughts and build a network of professionals who believe sales can be a force for sustainable change♻️🌍 #salesresearch #sustainability #relationshipselling #salesstrategy #B2B #LUTbiz LUT University

Customer Marketing and Customer Success don’t need more alignment meetings. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. The biggest mistake in many companies? It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a lack of ownership. Everyone says they’re aligned. But if your post-sale teams have to meet weekly just to “stay in sync,” they’re not aligned. They’re siloed. Here’s how it usually plays out: Customer Success chases renewals Customer Marketing chases advocacy Digital CS automates lifecycle plays Product pushes for adoption Everyone is working hard. But the customer still feels the seams. That’s because strategy isn’t the problem. Ownership is. When teams operate with different KPIs, roadmaps, and definitions of success— Trust gets lost. Impact gets diluted. And the customer experience becomes fragmented. Instead of asking: 👉 “Are we aligned?” Start asking: 👉 “𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀?” Here’s what shared ownership really looks like: ✅ Joint responsibility for adoption, retention, and expansion ✅ A shared pipeline of stories, champions, and social proof ✅ Unified lifecycle communications and education ✅ Closed-loop feedback between CS, Product, and Marketing ✅ Success metrics that reflect customer outcomes, not just team outputs In my experience: ➡️ Customer Success builds the relationship. ➡️ Customer Marketing amplifies that relationship. 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. When teams stop fighting for credit and start owning outcomes together— Trust becomes operational. Customer value becomes consistent. And growth becomes inevitable. You don’t need another alignment meeting. You need a shared scoreboard—and a strategy to match. 👇 How are your CS and Customer Marketing teams driving outcomes together right now? #CustomerMarketing #CustomerSuccess #DigitalCS #LifecycleMarketing #NRR #PostSaleStrategy #CustomerLedGrowth #CustomerEngagement #CrossFunctionalAlignment #MarketingLeadership

FMCG Sales & Marketing Execution Alignment Checklist In FMCG, winning in the market is not just about having a great brand or wide distribution rather it’s about flawless execution. Sales Execution ensures that products are always available, visible and sold in the right channels while marketing execution builds brand desire and consumer pull through well planned campaigns and activations. However, true success comes when Sales and Marketing are not working in silos but in tight alignment, moving together with a shared goal that leads to driving sustainable sales growth and building consumer loyalty. Here is listed down checklist serves as a practical guide to help Sales and Marketing teams: 1️⃣ Strategy Alignment ✅ Sales & Marketing share the same business objectives (volume, value, market share). ✅ Joint understanding of consumer segments and shopper insights. ✅ Marketing calendar and Sales push calendar are fully aligned. ✅ Clear roles and responsibilities defined (who leads what part of execution). 2️⃣ Joint Planning ✅ Marketing shares campaign plans with Sales at least 4-6 weeks ahead. ✅ Sales shares retailer calendars and trade promotion plans with Marketing. ✅ Joint plan for key launches and seasonal activations (pre , during , post campaign). ✅ Unified KPI dashboard covering both sales and marketing metrics. 3️⃣ Execution Readiness ✅ All necessary sales materials (POS, shelf talkers, displays) ready before campaign. ✅ All distributor partners briefed and stock secured. ✅ Sales teams trained on campaign mechanics and messaging. ✅ Marketing ensures ATL/BTL campaigns are actionable in retail environments. 4️⃣ In market Execution ✅ Field sales team executing Perfect Store principles aligned with marketing. ✅ Real time tracking of on shelf availability, share of shelf, promotion compliance, display compliance & consumer engagement (activation events). ✅ Feedback loop from sales field teams to marketing team (fast cycle). 5️⃣ Post Execution Review ✅ Joint Sales + Marketing campaign debrief conducted. ✅ Analysis of sell in and sell out vs. targets, execution compliance,shopper response and sales uplift & lessons learned. ✅ Insights shared to inform future campaigns. ✅ Recognition and rewards for execution excellence across both teams. 6️⃣ Continuous Improvement ✅ Monthly Sales + Marketing sync meetings on execution health. ✅ Ongoing training for Sales on marketing activation excellence. ✅ Regular shopper behavior updates shared with Sales. ✅ Marketing team visits trade/retail channels monthly to stay connected to reality. Key Point: 👉 Key mindset: One Team, One Execution; not Sales vs. Marketing, but Sales + Marketing vs. Market. 👉 Execution excellence comes from tight alignment + fast feedback + constant learning. This checklist and fostering a culture of joint execution, FMCG businesses close the gap between strategy and in market reality and win both at the shelf & in the hearts of consumers.

86% of B2B buyers say 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Yet most companies still treat business relationships like spreadsheet transactions. We've forgotten a powerful secret weapon in doing business: 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. ✨ Yes, even in buttoned-up, big-ticket business deals, the little human touches can make a profound difference. Think about the last time a vendor surprised you (in a good way). 🤔 Maybe they delivered a project milestone early, or sent a thoughtful follow-up based on a casual comment you made. Maybe it was as simple as an engineer personally walking your team through a tricky integration, when normally you'd expect a generic manual or a support ticket link. Those moments create a 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆, a sense of being cared for. And they stick in your memory. Psychologists talk about the "𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤-𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞": people remember the most intense moment of an experience and how it ends, more than the many middling moments in between. 🧠 A positive jolt of surprise or a satisfying finale colours the entire experience. In a long B2B project, you have countless touchpoints, which means countless chances to inject a bit of delight. Simple delight tactics that work: → Handwritten thank-you note at contract completion → Extra hour of consulting at no charge → Candid celebratory photo of the joint team after milestones These aren't just "nice-to-haves." They shape how your client feels about the whole engagement. In industries like environmental consulting or manufacturing, this approach is almost contrarian. Clients expect competence, not charm. That's exactly why a bit of charm works wonders: it's unexpected. ⚡ When you treat a client not just as a line on an invoice but as a fellow human who appreciates courtesy, humor, and warmth, you differentiate yourself. You transform a contract into a genuine relationship. The bottom line: Decision-makers are people. They favor partners who not only deliver results but also make the journey pleasant. So go ahead: sprinkle a little delight in your B2B dealings. 🎯 Far from frivolous, a dose of humanity might be the competitive edge that keeps your clients sticking around (and referring others) with a smile. What small human touch could you add to your next client interaction? #CustomerExperience #B2BMarketing #CustomerSuccess #BusinessRelationships #ClientRetention #MarketingStrategy

Customer journey maps look great in theory- but here's how Sales and CS actually execute it together. Together with Anna Svitlychna, we created this resource showing how Sales and Customer Success collaborate at every stage, with some tools that can help at each stage. 📍RETENTION STAGE (CS-Led, Sales Context Drives Success) CS own the relationship, but Sales intel helps us deliver: Gainsight – Customer success platform and health scoring Totango – Customer success software with analytics ChurnZero – Real-time customer success automation Intercom – Customer messaging and support platform Freshdesk – Customer support ticketing system SurveyMonkey – Customer feedback and survey tool Pendo.io – Product analytics and in-app guidance Amplitude – Product intelligence and behavioral analytics 📍EXPANSION STAGE (CS Identifies, Sales Executes Together) CS spot opportunities and collaborate on growth: Crossbeam – Partner ecosystem and account mapping Miro – Collaborative whiteboarding for strategy HubSpot – Tracking expansion opportunities Amplitude – Usage analytics for upsell signals Gainsight – Expansion playbooks and workflows Totango – Growth opportunity identification Planhat – Customer platform for expansion tracking Looker – Business intelligence and data visualization 📍ADVOCACY STAGE (CS Cultivates, Sales Amplifies) CS build advocates - sales turns them into growth engines: Gainsight – Advocacy program management AskNicely – NPS surveys and customer feedback HubSpot – Case study and referral coordination Discourse – Community forums and engagement How we actually collaborate throughout the customer lifecycle: ✅ Syncs where I share wins Sales can leverage ✅ Early signals when accounts are expansion-ready ✅ Joint participation in strategic reviews ✅ Shared metrics: retention, expansion, advocacy The Result? Customers don't see a Sales team and a CS team - they see one unified partner invested in their success. CS leaders - how do you partner with Sales on expansion and advocacy? Drop a comment 👇

"It's the customers fault." ...said the CSM when asked why onboarding is taking so long. But it's never the customer's fault. Trust me, I've been there. It's frustrating when you know the customer will achieve great things -- as long as they complete that one onboarding task. As long as they provide the API key. The CSV file. The user list. But what is really missing here is not customer commitment. What's missing is Joint Accountability™. Looking at it from the customer's point of view: They have just purchased something from you. There is a default expectation that you will do things for them. They give money. You provide service. Simple. This is a pitfall that leads to unrealistic expectations and inevitable disappointment. Because as we all know, most SaaS companies need their customers' help to get them going. How do we then achieve Joint Accountability™? 1. Set realistic expectations, early. As early as the sales process, it needs to be clear what the customer is expected to do once they sign the contract. Sales teams are often afraid of this kind of transparency, but in truth, rather than slowing down sales cycles -- it helps the customers make decisions faster. 2. Documenting responsibilities and progress throughout onboarding. Make it clear what customers are expected to do, when they are expected to do it, and why it is important. Let them know what happens if they don't do their part. With everything documented, it's easier to hold people responsible when the project halts. ❗️This last point is the real secret key to Joint Accountability™: 3. Make everything visible for everyone. Managing projects in the same view as customers make it very hard to hide from responsibilities. And the what, when and why of every task become crystal clear. Internal project management have thrived with frameworks like this for years. It is time Customer Success caught on. This is why we created Shared Workspaces in Startdeliver. Our customers simply embed their customer projects into their own products. For the end user, it helps them onboard quicker without adding yet another tool they have to login to and keep track of. ------ So next time you get that classic customer success onboarding frustration, ask yourself. Did we do everything right from the start? Did we create Joint Accountability™? PS. Shoutout to Lincoln Murphy who started talking about Joint Accountability™ in Customer Success years ago. You can listen to the two of us riffing on an array of Customer Success topics on out podcast: Impact Weekly, available where you get your podcasts. #customersuccess #csm #customersuccessonboarding #customeronboarding

Last week, we talked about the relationship between sales & success. This week, let’s shift gears and discuss the collaboration between customer success and customer support. While their roles may differ, their missions are deeply connected - delivering an amazing customer experience and driving customer value. ✨ Here’s how success and support can work better together: 1️⃣ Start with shared goals 🎯 Success focuses on driving outcomes, while support tackles immediate challenges. When both teams align around the big picture—empowering customers to achieve their goals—it’s easier to break down silos. 2️⃣ Clarify handoffs and ownership 🛑➡️🏃 Who owns escalations? When does a support ticket become a CSM conversation? Defining these boundaries ensures no customer feels like they’re falling through the cracks. 3️⃣ Leverage feedback loops 🔄 Support gathers daily insights on customer challenges. Success can use that data to proactively address risks and opportunities. Regularly share and act on this feedback to strengthen customer outcomes. 4️⃣ Collaborate on enablement 📚 Cross-train teams to understand each other’s goals and processes. When support understands success strategies and success recognizes support’s realities, they work better together. 5️⃣ Celebrate shared wins 🎉 Whether it’s helping a customer overcome a major challenge, identifying growth opportunities, or closing a key renewal - celebrating joint achievements strengthens the partnership and keeps both teams motivated. Success and support may have different day-to-day responsibilities, but when they work together seamlessly, customers experience proactive, value-driven engagement — and that drives long-term success. 🚀 What’s been your experience aligning success and support? Where have you seen wins or challenges? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear them! 👇 #CustomerSuccess #CustomerSupport #SaaS #Collaboration #Leadership #Teamwork #CustomerExperience