Industry Events: A Sales and Marketing Collaboration

Industry events often play a critical role in demand-generation efforts. However, they come with a hefty price tag, draining the budget, time, and other resources that many might prefer to direct elsewhere. 

Despite these challenges, most marketers agree that industry events are a "necessary evil," something we cannot neglect when establishing our place in the market. They serve as one of the many channels we use to support sales initiatives, and despite the obstacles they present, they drive qualified pipeline growth.

But here's the thing: too often, there needs to be more connection between marketing and sales when it comes to making the most of these events. Sales teams may view them as a marketing-only concern or need help understanding how to leverage them to drive real business results. This lack of alignment can lead to missed opportunities, wasted resources, and a whole lot of frustration on both sides. 

So, how can we bridge this gap and ensure that industry events deliver maximum value for the entire organization? Keep reading to discover three key strategies for getting sales bought in and engaged so you can make your next event a true collaboration and a resounding success.

The Disconnect Between Sales and Marketing

Many marketers encounter issues getting their sales teams on board, even though industry events demonstrate clear value. They express that sales doesn't seem to care or that it views industry events as a solely marketing-concerned initiative. This disconnect between sales and marketing is ultimately counterproductive for both teams.

If you're looking to support your marketing counterparts better when it comes to industry events (and you should be), here are three things to keep in mind:

1. Sales and Marketing: One Team, One Dream

It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many sales and marketing teams operate almost entirely separately from each other. In an ideal world, sales and marketing work together, aligning on overarching goals and supporting each other to reach them.

Consider scheduling standing alignment meetings if you feel disconnected from your company's marketing team. These meetings provide an opportunity to catch up on what marketing is already doing to drive sales and express what your team needs from marketing to accelerate growth. These meetings are especially crucial around an event life cycle. Sales often play a critical role in marketing events to the right audiences and even in helping structure event content or flow.

2. Integrate Events into Your Sales Strategy

Industry events offer a great opportunity both to capture new leads and to nurture existing ones. An effective marketing leader approaches these events with a pre-, onsite, and post-event plan, and sales leaders should do the same. Building events into your sales strategy might involve targeting prospects likely to attend, setting up meetings or demos onsite, and/or leveraging registrant email lists for nurture campaigns.

Think of industry events as opportunities to amplify or expand your sales efforts. The more you and your team lean into and contribute to these events, the better results you'll see.

3. Look Beyond MQLs for Value

Sales might not feel as inclined to engage with marketing events if they are looking for value only in terms of MQLs. While this metric is indeed important to measure, it's not the only one you should be tracking. Consider events' positive impact on NRR, customer lifecycle, and more. When you broaden your idea of events' value creation potential, you'll be better equipped to leverage them in your sales efforts.

Stronger Together

When executed effectively, marketing events can significantly bolster a company's sales initiatives. The key is for sales leaders to lean in and engage fully; in the end, sales, marketing, and the entire company will be better off for it. 

By remembering that sales and marketing are on the same team, building events into your sales strategy, and seeking value beyond MQLs, you can unleash the true power of industry events and drive meaningful results for your organization.