How to Align Sales and Marketing for Faster Revenue Growth
Sales and marketing are supposed to work together to drive business growth, but too often, they operate in silos. Marketing generates leads that sales ignores. Sales complain that the leads aren’t good enough. And leadership wonders why revenue isn’t growing faster.
The disconnect is costly. Companies with strong sales and marketing alignment see higher lead conversion rates, faster sales cycles, and more revenue growth than those that don’t. So, what’s the problem? In many cases, it comes down to miscommunication, unclear goals, and a lack of shared data. The good news? Fixing it isn’t as complicated as it seems.
Why Sales and Marketing Don’t See Eye to Eye
The tension between these two usually comes from three core issues:
- Different Goals – Marketing is often focused on lead volume, while sales cares about closing deals. If marketing is judged on MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) and sales is judged on revenue, there’s no incentive to work together.
- Lack of Communication – Marketing might create content that sales never uses. Sales might have customer insights that marketing never sees. Without a feedback loop, both teams operate in the dark.
- Data Silos – If marketing and sales use different tools and track different metrics, it’s impossible to get a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not.
How to Get Sales and Marketing on the Same Page
1. Align on Revenue, Not Just Leads
The best way to get them working together is to give them a shared goal—revenue. Instead of marketing being responsible for lead generation and sales being responsible for closing, both teams should be accountable for moving leads through the full funnel.
What this looks like in action:
- Define what a qualified lead actually is. Work together to set clear criteria for when a lead is ready to move from marketing to sales.
- Set joint KPIs. Instead of just tracking MQLs, measure lead-to-customer conversion rates, deal velocity, and revenue influenced by marketing.
- Have regular check-ins to adjust strategies based on what’s working.
2. Create a Clear Lead Handoff Process
Marketing should never hand off a lead and assume the job is done. Likewise, sales shouldn’t be ignoring leads just because they came from a form fill instead of a personal introduction.
A good lead handoff process includes:
- A lead scoring system that prioritizes prospects based on engagement and intent.
- A defined follow-up timeline so leads don’t go cold.
- A feedback loop where sales reports back on lead quality, helping marketing refine their strategy.
3. Get Sales Involved in Content Creation
One of the biggest missed opportunities in B2B marketing is failing to use sales teams as a content resource. Sales reps talk to prospects every day—they know the common objections, pain points, and questions potential customers have. That insight should be feeding into content strategy.
Ways to make this work:
- Have sales reps contribute ideas for blog posts, case studies, and FAQs.
- Use real sales conversations to shape email campaigns and nurture sequences.
- Create sales enablement content—like battle cards, comparison sheets, and ROI calculators—that actually helps close deals.
4. Use the Same Data and Tools
If the two groups aren’t looking at the same numbers, they’re not working toward the same goal. A shared CRM, integrated reporting, and clear definitions of success help both teams stay aligned.
Best practices for shared data:
- Use a CRM that both sales and marketing can access (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.).
- Track multi-touch attribution to see which marketing efforts actually lead to sales.
- Regularly review data together to adjust strategy in real time.
5. Make Collaboration a Habit
Alignment isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing process. The companies that see the best results create a culture where the two teams work together by default, not just when things go wrong.
Ways to reinforce alignment:
- Weekly stand-ups between sales and marketing to share updates and insights.
- Cross-functional training so marketing understands the sales process and vice versa.
- Shared incentives, like bonus structures tied to revenue growth instead of just individual department goals.
Stronger Alignment = Faster Growth
When sales and marketing are aligned, revenue follows. Leads don’t slip through the cracks. Sales teams get the content and insights they need to close deals. Marketing has the data to prove what’s working. And instead of pointing fingers, both teams work toward the same goal—driving business growth.
Getting there takes effort, but the payoff is worth it. Companies that successfully align sales and marketing don’t just generate more leads—they close more deals, faster.
If your sales and marketing teams feel like they’re speaking different languages, it’s time for a change. Talk to us today.
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