According to Marketo’s 2013 Sales and Marketing Alignment Study, alignment between sales and marketing can help your company become 67% better at closing deals and generate 209% more revenue from marketing.

The compelling evidence doesn't stop there. Results from The B2B Lead report show that 50% of sales time is wasted on unproductive prospecting and lost sales productivity and wasted marketing budget costs companies a whopping $1 trillion a year!

Clearly sales and marketing alignment is both a huge problem and a huge opportunity for businesses. Now we certainly aren't the first to discuss this issue and we won't be the last, but the sales and marketing alignment conversation will continue on as long as companies are still feeling the tremendous impact of this issue.

In this week's episode we talk with a sales and marketing industry veteran who started from the lowest level of sales and worked his way up to managing multi-million dollar revenue streams. Throughout his professional journey he experienced the relationship dynamic between the two entities and its evolution all along the way.

In episode #003 of the Columbus Marketing Show, I welcome Ray Taylor, an independent sales and marketing consultant based out of Columbus.

In his early years, Ray struggled with staying engaged in his college courses and began working at a local warehouse. A manager at this job recognized Ray's natural intelligence and sales acumen and offered him an entry-level sales position.

Fast forwarding to 2015 - Ray has built an impressive resume and is regarded as an expert in marketing and sales. He has positively impacted the strategy and bottom line of many companies, including Signature Worldwide, Standard Register and BI WORLDWIDE.

Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and enjoy episode #003 of The Columbus Marketing Show!