Creating Effective Sales and Marketing Relationships

This book demonstrates how corporate sales and marketing teams should operate collaboratively in a 21st Century organization to enhance performance in the marketplace. It discusses how and why conflict and /or separation has grown between these two groups, even though to the outside world they appear to be a single group. The book considers how collaboration between sales and marketing can impact positively on a company's competitive advantage, and what the senior management role should be in creating and facilitating the smooth running of their sales and marketing functions. The book also discusses the resourcing of sales and marketing, and how innovative processes can reduce conflict and promote closeness, as well as a review of the role of communication, formal and informal, in improving collaboration. Finally, the book explores how sales and marketing can become more competitive in the face of a dynamic and borderless market, and where lead generation is less important than building long-term relationships with customers. The book has an action-oriented perspective throughout, providing the reader with checklists and diagnostics as the basis for evaluating their own companies and identifying directions for improvement. As the book develops its theme, key points will be reinforced with company examples.

About the Authors

Kenneth Le Meunier-FitzHugh is a senior lecturer (associate professor) in marketing at the Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, UK. Prior to joining the faculty at UEA, he was a lecturer in sales and marketing at Cranfield University. He has a PhD from University of Warwick and an MSc in marketing, as well as an MBA. He has many publications in leading academic journals and in 2008 the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management awarded him the Marvin Jolson Best Paper for his work on the sales and marketing interface.

Leslie Caroline Le Meunier-FitzHugh is currently a lecturer (assistant professor) in international business strategy at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, UK. She holds an MSc in international business and a BSc in management and economics, and has over 10 years experience of teaching strategic management and marketing. Prior to joining academia she held a number of roles in sales and marketing in international companies including Warner/Chappell Music and EMI.