How to Align Your Marketing and Sales Teams (and Why It Matters)

Misalignment between marketing and sales is one of the most common (and costly) issues in growing companies. When the two teams aren’t working together, leads fall through the cracks, messaging gets diluted, and revenue suffers. The good news? With the right strategy, marketing and sales can become a powerful, unified force.

1. Define a Shared Revenue Goal

Sales and marketing often track different success metrics—but they both exist to drive revenue. Creating a shared goal (like pipeline growth or customer acquisition) helps both teams focus on the same outcome.

Tip: Use a revenue-based KPI that’s relevant to both, such as marketing-sourced pipeline or sales-qualified leads (SQLs).

2. Clarify the Lead Handoff Process

One of the biggest pain points is unclear lead qualification. Marketing might think they’re sending great leads—while sales disagrees. Define what makes a lead “marketing qualified” (MQL) and when it should be handed off.

Create:

• A lead scoring model

• A documented MQL → SQL process

• SLAs for follow-up timing

  
  

3. Collaborate on Content and Messaging

Marketing creates the content, but sales delivers the pitch. When these two aren’t aligned, it leads to inconsistent messaging and missed opportunities.

What works:

• Jointly develop sales enablement content (e.g., one-pagers, case studies)

• Schedule monthly meetings to align on messaging and campaign feedback

  
  

4. Leverage Technology for Transparency

A shared CRM and marketing automation platform can help both teams see what’s happening in real time—who’s engaging, who’s converting, and where the gaps are.

Tools to try:

• HubSpot

• Salesforce

• Outreach or Salesloft

  
  

5. Celebrate Wins Together

Creating a culture of collaboration starts with shared success. Recognize when a great lead becomes a big deal, or when content helps close a sale.

Conclusion: Marketing and sales alignment isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a growth multiplier. When both teams operate from the same playbook, your entire go-to-market motion becomes more effective.

If you need help building that alignment into your marketing strategy, let’s have a conversation.