Many companies fail to take advantage of internal relationships that could help build their brand and further sales. Case in point—the PR team and the sales team. In many cases, they act like two separate families living in the same town. Maybe they see each other from time to time in passing, but they aren’t related in any way.
However, these departments instead should be behaving as family members living under the same roof, because there are certain benefits to working together. By forging a relationship between these two very different departments, you can forward company goals, better your brand, and increase sales.
So let’s take a look at what each team’s duty should be in respect to the other.
Your PR Team’s Duty to Your Sales Team
The truth is that much of the relationship between the PR team and the sales team is the PR team’s responsibility. The sales team has a primary focus—to sell the product and to sell it well. They are busy trying to achieve their sales targets and don’t have time to wonder what’s going on with the PR team.
That being said, the primary responsibility of the PR team is communication. That means:
- The PR team should be setting up monthly meetings with the sales team. This is the cornerstone of keeping lines of communication open.
- Ask the right questions. Don’t assume the sales team knows what you need. It’s your job to request the right info which you can then use to the company’s advantage.
- Discuss the trends with them. Give them the data they need to be successful.
- Provide them with materials and thought leadership pieces. Help them know what current best thinking and best practices might be.
- Get good data in their hands. Remember, they often have a one track mind, as they should. Any info outside of their narrow scope that you can provide—do it.
What Your Sales Team Should Be Doing for Your PR Team
When reading the duties of the PR team, it seems as if the ball is solely in their court. And while I have purposely made it sound that way, that does not mean that the sales team has no responsibility to the PR team, because they do. In short, the sales team’s primary responsibility is to be forthright with information. This should include:
- Customers wants and needs
- Why customers have chosen the company instead of a competitor
- Customer success stories
You see, the PR team can ask all the right questions, they can provide all the right tools, but if the sales team doesn’t see the value in partnering with the PR team, then the interaction will prove fruitless. On the other hand, should the sales team handle interactions with a certain zeal…well, good things will come of the partnership.
Does your PR team work with your sales team? Tell us about the interaction (or the lack thereof) in the replies section!
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: http://www.ereleases.com/offer/7cheaptactics.html
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