Alignment of sales and marketing is a defining characteristic of Best-in-Class companies, according to Aberdeen's research. In fact, Best-in-Class companies report the relationship between sales and marketing to be good or strong at a rate 30 percent higher than all other companies. As buyers increasingly turn to the social web for research and recommendations, an increasingly "hidden" sales cycle is emerging. This dynamic puts new pressure on marketing to inform those conversations, and on sales and marketing alignment as a business imperative. Heather Loisel (@HeatherLoisel), Senior Vice President of Marketing at JDA Software (@JDASoftware), will discuss the impact of this "hidden sales cycle" and path that JDA took to achieving sales-marketing alignment as a response.