Soapbox: Who owns revenue in the new buying environment?

The proliferation of digital information has created a new buying environment.

As marketers, our historical high performing digital channels are seeing dwindling in results, many of us are going back to the drawing board to re-evaluate our strategies.

The pressure is being felt on our sales counterpart as the majority of buyers are now more informed and empowered before they even have the opportunity to enter the equation. Classic sales tactics aren’t resonating and quotas keep becoming more ambitious.

We have seen the emergence of a new title that is on the rise at B2B organizations – growth professionals – a hybrid marketing and sales professional.

Marketers are in a prime position with their diverse skill set and to evolve into growth roles. The classic sales leader struggles to lead teams in the modern selling environment. The ecosystem has changed too much – buyers have different expectations, storytelling, empathy, psychology and really strong copywriting skills are being basic needs.

The gap is in how many of us communicate and report.

When marketing leader reports on pipeline influence, target account efficiency, and on closed deals, it further positions marketing as the profit center that it is. If reporting focuses on budget or spend, you are a cost.

When marketers can communicate in terms of outputs (revenue), as opposed to inputs (budgets and campaigns), the marketing department is viewed as a revenue-generator that requires investment to increase profits.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Hannah Mans

A wordsmith with an affinity for strategy and high conversion rates, Hannah oversees the marketing and sales development department for Directive, an enterprise and mid-market search marketing agency. On a mission to change the world, Hannah began her career with the United Nations where she functioned as a national communications officer for the World Food Program. She then pivoted into the private sector where she has spent the last 6 years. An avid backpacker Hannah has touched ground in 13 countries off her bucket list of the world. A Panama native in California for the last year and a half, Hannah enjoys spending her free time exploring her new home and Crossfit when she doesn’t make excuses to stay home and work.