The Missing Link Between Your Sales Success and Marketing Efforts // PlastikMedia Blog

Sales and marketing teams share the same goal – winning new business – yet often still operate in separate worlds. Sales teams spend their days speaking directly to customers, learning what matters most to them. Marketing teams spend theirs trying to communicate those same insights to a wider audience. The problem arises when communication breaks down, and without insights being shared between both fronts, both sides can miss out on a competitive advantage.

In the plastics industry, this disconnect is especially common. Salespeople are on the front line, managing long relationships and complex purchasing cycles, while marketing is expected to generate fresh leads and promote why their products work for their customers. When these two teams do not work together, opportunities are missed, and sales teams end up working harder than they need to.

Why salespeople may hold back

There are plenty of understandable reasons salespeople hesitate to share information with marketing. You might worry that involving marketing will complicate a deal, delay progress, or annoy a customer. You might assume there is nothing in it for you, or that gathering testimonials and project details takes too much time. These are common concerns, but they overlook the genuine benefits that collaboration brings to sales.

The truth is, you have access to the most valuable marketing asset there is: your customers. Their results, their words, and their experiences carry far more credibility than any advertisement or brochure. When marketing can turn that into case studies, testimonials, and success stories, your job as a salesperson becomes much easier.

How collaboration helps you sell more

1. Stronger credibility and proof

Customer stories provide social proof, a powerful sales tool. When potential buyers see that others in their industry have achieved measurable success, it removes uncertainty and speeds up decision-making. You are no longer just telling them your product works; you are showing them.

2. Easier conversations with new prospects

When marketing creates relevant content based on your customers’ successes, it attracts leads who are already interested and informed. They have seen real examples from businesses like theirs, which means you start the conversation with credibility already established.

3. More repeat business and referrals

Asking a customer to feature in a case study often strengthens the relationship. It reminds them of the results they achieved and shows that you value their success. Customers who are proud to be featured are more likely to come back, and to recommend you to others. Plus they get their name out there too!

4. Better marketing materials that work for you

When you share insight about what your customers care about and their pain points, marketing can focus on the right messages – the ones that actually help you close deals.

5. Warmer leads for easier conversion

If you can create compelling marketing materials, hitting pain points, showing the advantages of your solutions and giving customer proof and testimonials, you need to rely less on cold out

Instead of generic product features or social posts, you get content that speaks directly to the questions and objections you hear every day.

Practical steps to overcoming the barriers

If collaboration feels like extra work, it doesn’t have to. The process can be simple and low-effort if both sides agree on a straightforward approach.

• Share short updates: When you complete a successful project, share a short summary including who the customer was, what problem was solved, and what results they achieved. Even a few bullet points are enough to start a story or social post.
• Get quick customer approval: Most customers are happy to be featured when they see it as positive exposure for their business. A short quote or a simple “before and after” example can be enough to create strong content.
• Stay in the loop: Ask marketing to show you how your input is being used, in case studies, mailshots, or social media posts. You will see firsthand how it supports your sales process.
• Use what is created: Keep case studies and testimonials ready for meetings, proposals, and follow-up emails. When a prospect hesitates, showing them proof of real results can make the difference.

Why it matters in the plastics industry

In this sector, customers make careful, technical, and often long-term decisions with a lengthy buying cycle. They want to see proven results from companies they can relate to. A testimonial from a real manufacturer carries more weight than any product spec sheet or sales pitch.

When marketing understands what challenges customers are facing and which factors influence their buying decisions, it can build campaigns that align with real market conditions. This helps position your products where they are most relevant, supports your conversations with up-to-date materials, and reinforces the same messages customers are hearing from you directly. The result is a consistent experience from first contact to final sale.

The bigger picture

When sales and marketing operate in isolation, both sides waste potential. Sales lose valuable proof and marketing lacks real-world credibility. But when you collaborate, you create a feedback loop that benefits everyone: sales provide insight, marketing turns it into effective content, and both teams win more business.

At PlastikMedia, we have seen this dynamic across the plastics industry. The most successful companies are the ones where sales and marketing work side by side, sharing information, celebrating customer success, and turning those results into material that drives new business. A short conversation between sales and marketing can easily become the story that brings in your next major customer.

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