Observations
Marketing Helps Close, Not Open, Deals
In the world of B2B sales, there is a classic mantra: “Marketing opens doors; sales closes deals.” This division of labor worked for decades. However, in today’s complex world, where clients take months to make decisions and consult with numerous colleagues, this model is outdated. It’s not just inefficient; it causes you to lose deals you could have won.
What if the primary value of modern marketing wasn’t to “open” as many doors as possible for you but to help you successfully close those you’ve already entered?
Imagine a sale is a Formula 1 race and your salesperson is the driver. “Opening a deal” is merely taking a good starting position. However, the race itself is not won at the start. It is won on the track, lap after lap. Victory is impossible without a pit crew that provides the right tires at the right moment, analyzes telemetry, and adjusts the strategy. In this analogy, systemic marketing is your pit crew.
In this article, we will break down three stages where marketing transitions from an “opener” to a “closer,” directly impacting your win rate and pipeline speed.
The Battle for the “Middle of the Funnel”: When the Client “Thinks”
The largest “graveyard” of potential deals is not at the stage of the initial rejection, but in the quagmire of the “middle of the funnel.” Your salesperson had a great meeting, sent a commercial proposal, and received the polite response, “Thank you, we need to think about it.” After that, silence. The deal “hangs.” It’s not lost, but it’s not moving either. This is the most exhausting and unpredictable stage, which breaks all forecasts.
In the traditional model, marketing has already finished its work of “opening” the deal at this point. The salesperson is now solely responsible and begins calling with the question, “So, have you thought about it?” This risks causing irritation.
However, in a systemic approach, this is precisely when marketing’s most crucial role as a “closing” tool begins. Marketing’s task is to prevent the deal from “cooling down,” constantly and unobtrusively warming the client’s interest and proving the value of the offer.
For example, after the salesperson’s meeting, marketing provides “aerial support” by showing employees of the client company targeted advertising with a case study from their own industry. The client sees your brand constantly in the context of solving their problems, which reinforces the effect of the negotiations. Alternatively, if the CRM indicates that the client has doubts about implementation issues, marketing can automatically send them a detailed “30-Day Implementation Plan” or an invitation to a private webinar on the topic “How We Migrate Data Without Stopping Work Processes.”
Thus, the client is not left alone with their doubts. The system continues to work with them, providing value and addressing concerns. Rather than waiting for the salesperson to pull the deal out of the “swamp” alone, marketing actively helps them build a bridge to the other side.
Victory in the Client’s Internal War
Your salesperson conducted a brilliant meeting. The client was enthusiastic, shook hands, and said that “everything sounded great.” As soon as the salesperson leaves, the most dangerous phase begins—an internal war in the client’s head.
Their enthusiasm is replaced by doubts and fears: “Will this definitely work for us?” “What will my boss say?” “Isn’t it too risky?” “Implementation will probably be a nightmare.” Your salesperson can’t be there 24/7 to answer these questions.
Once again, marketing comes into play. Its task is to continue “selling” without the involvement of the salesperson. It must become the “voice of reason and confidence” in the customer’s mind.
How does it work? The day after the meeting, for example, the system automatically sends the client an email with a selection of independent reviews of your company or a link to a G2/Capterra report in which your company is ranked as a leader. These are powerful forms of social proof that say, “We don’t just think we’re good; hundreds of other companies like yours do too.”
To combat the fear of complexity, marketing provides content that “de-risks” the decision. This could be a detailed “Implementation Plan” showing that the process is simple and clear. It could also be a white paper on security to show to IT staff. It could also be a video interview with your head of support to prove that you won’t abandon the client after the sale.
Such content acts as a “guardian angel” for your deal. It maintains the client’s enthusiasm when the salesperson is unavailable and addresses their concerns, transforming an emotional “I want” into a rational “I am confident in this solution.”
Arming the Champion for Victory
You have warmed up the deal and removed the client’s personal fears. One final step remains: Your ally (“Champion”) must approach management for the final approval. Their main battle awaits them here.
Your champion is probably an excellent technical specialist or line manager, but not a professional salesperson. They don’t know how to handle a CFO’s objections, have difficulty proving ROI, and get lost when asked to compare you with a competitor. Leaving them alone at this stage will almost certainly result in losing the deal.
The final “closing” function of marketing is to serve as the “armory” for your champion. Your job is not just to wish them luck; it is to provide them with a full set of armor and weapons for their internal presentation.
What kind of “weapon” is this? One example is a “battle card,” which clearly shows your advantages over the main competitor on one slide. It could also be a ready-made business case template: a simple Excel file where your contact can plug in their own numbers and show management how quickly the investment will pay off. It’s a concise “for the CEO” presentation of five slides that explains the strategic benefit to the business, not the technical details.
When your ally comes to the meeting with such an arsenal, they will feel confident and speak a language that their management will understand. You haven’t just sold them a product; you’ve made them a hero in their own company.
Change Your Main Question to Marketing
Warming up stalled deals, addressing fears, and empowering the “champion”—all of this demonstrates one fundamental concept. The power of modern marketing is not so much evident at the beginning, but rather throughout the entire sales process.
Viewing marketing merely as a means of “opening” deals means using a powerful tool at only 10% of its capability. Its true value lies in its ability to influence, accelerate, and increase the final conversion of the pipeline. Therefore, the most effective question to ask your marketing director is not “How many new leads did you bring us?” An effective question sounds like this: “How can we help the sales department close our three main deals this quarter?”
Take the five most important but “stalled” deals from your pipeline. Schedule a meeting with your marketing director to discuss only this topic: “What content and actions can we implement this week to advance these specific deals?” You may be surprised by the answer.
