Arc of Decision Making for Sales and Marketing Alignment

In the art of persuasion there’s a methodology called the arc of decision making that outlines five steps someone must go through to act. These steps are readily aligned with sales and marketing so as to understand where people and technology fit into the process. Here’s the arc of decision making with sales and marketing alignment:

• Unaware – Outbound sales and marketing required (inbound marketing fails here because if they don’t know about it they won’t search for it)
• Aware – SEO and inbound marketing work well
• Understand – Educational content marketing like white papers and webinars
• Believe – Content marketing plus consultative sales
• Act – Sales rep asks for the deal when the prospect is ready to buy

The next time you contemplate a sales or marketing improvement, ask yourself where it fits on the arc of decision making to tailor your message and approach.

What else? What are your thoughts on the arc of decision making for sales and marketing alignment?