Sales vs. Marketing: Who Owns Post-Event Communications

There is always an “it depends” when thinking about the solution for who owns post-event communications. Is it a live in person event? Is it virtual? Are their recordings of events? Can you measure registrants vs. attendees?

Even with all of this, one should think very carefully about who and how to make the touches immediately after the event.

Here is one strategy where your inside sales team should touch everything before marketing.

Messaging

Regarding message: ALL MESSAGING needs to speak the the pains of the customer, not about your product. Regardless of marketing or sales contacting registrants/attendees. This is often the biggest difference I see in marketing vs. sales communications across the board. Nobody gives a shit what we do, they only care about the pains we solve. Talk about the pain you solve in THEIR CONTEXT.

Example:

1. Marketing tries to create and find headaches
2. Sales should be creating and finding migraines
   1. Marketing Headache – Being a sales trainer that drives a more qualified pipeline (terrible marketing speak)
   2. Sales Migraine – Teaching reps how to earn the right to ask questions, which questions to ask, and when (this paints a picture of the pain solved in a tactical and executable format. Its speaks more directly to the humanity of sales, not what someone does.
3. PAINT A PICTURE OF THEM IN REAL PAIN

Who? How? When?

1. When communication should be done by a human – Any live conversation that happened should be followed up very directly and personally by a human, outside of Sales Engagement. There should be a live sequence or cadence. It should include a LinkedIn touch. It should reference the actual conversation. I am ok with Sales or Marketing doing this, as long as marketing can do “sales speak” not “marketing speak” (see above).
   
2. Execution of Automation 1 – After badge scans, registrations, etc., the cadence should include live touches like phone calls, LinkedIn, email, even Twitter. From a rep, not marketing.
3. When should marketing engage? 
   1. Maybe one touch before sales and thank them for registering/attending. However, I am not a fan of this. People know what you are doing, and if the first touch is some automated marketing thing, then that could deter future replies from a human. 
      1. Exception – If there is a recording and you want to include that, then I think that is a good first touch.
      2. Exception – If there is a recording for “on demand” for people who did not show up, but registered,. This could also be a good first touch. 
4. Marketing ALWAYS AFTER SALES
   1. Other than the exceptions mentioned, I would say sales always follows up with a live touch, real touch, and human cadence, not an automated one, or a “fake personalized automation”. 

I’m totally down for being told I am wrong on this. I am sales first, not marketing first, so I am aware of my internal bias. I hope someone can re-educate me as needed. Always looking to grow. Leave a comment below or contact me here.