"Marketing doesn't generate enough leads."
"The leads aren't qualified."
"Sales aren't following up quickly enough."
"They're letting leads go cold."
If you've worked in B2B for more than five minutes, you've probably heard every one of these statements.
I've had a few conversations lately around how important alignment is, its such a bit topic, it deserved an article all of its own. Do this right, and things can change HUGELY!
This is what enabled me to increase MQL → SQL conversion from 15% to 40%.
The reality is that misalignment between sales and marketing exists in almost every organisation. It doesn't matter whether you're a startup with ten employees or an enterprise with thousands. The friction is almost inevitable because both teams are measured differently and see the customer journey from different perspectives.
Marketing is judged on generating demand. Sales is judged on converting it. Both are judged on revenue generated. There is the common goal!
When targets aren't being hit, it's easy for both teams to look across the table and point fingers.
But over the years, I've learned that the solution isn't another meeting, another dashboard, or another SLA document. Those things help, but they don't solve the root problem.
The real solution is building relationships.
Get Closer to the Sales Team
One of the most effective things I've done as a marketer is intentionally become closer to the sales team, and encouraged my team to do the same.
Sit with them, listen to their calls, ask what they're hearing from prospects. I learn what objections they're facing and what kind of conversations are resonating.
More importantly, I build genuine relationships.
Because when you know the people behind the job titles, the difficult conversations become much easier.
It's very different saying:
"You're not following up quickly enough on marketing leads."
versus:
"I've noticed some leads are waiting a little longer than we'd like. Is there anything we can do together to improve that?"
The message is the same. The reception is completely different.
When trust exists, feedback feels collaborative rather than confrontational.
Understand Their World
Salespeople work under immense pressure. Every month starts back at zero. Their targets are visible and measurable.
As marketers, we must remember that.
Likewise, sales teams don't always see the work that goes into building campaigns, refining messaging, creating content, managing technology, and generating demand. (we just make pretty pictures afterall!)
Spending time together creates empathy.
Marketing starts to understand why some leads don't convert.
Sales starts to understand why generating high-quality demand consistently is more difficult than simply increasing volume.
Both sides begin to appreciate the challenges the other team faces.
Alignment Is Built Through Conversation
The best aligned organisations I've seen don't eliminate disagreements.
They still debate lead quality.
They still challenge conversion rates.
They still ask difficult questions.
The difference is that those conversations happen from a place of trust and shared goals rather than blame.
The relationship comes first.
Because when marketing and sales genuinely see each other as partners instead of separate departments, the conversations change from:
"Your leads aren't good enough."
to:
"How do we improve lead quality together?"
And from:
"Sales aren't closing our leads."
to:
"What can we do to help increase conversion?"
That's when alignment starts to happen.
Not because the process changed.
Because the relationship did.
I am sure some people might read this and think 'that's obvious'....BUT....how many of you are actually doing it? Its always the same story, the more effort you put in , the better results you get out. If you half ass your efforts to create that alignment, you'll get a half ass result. I have done this, it did work, but you have to be in it together, you have to make sure you find their common ground, and you need your teams you back you on why its the right thing.
Sales and Marketing teams can win TOGETHER, so much more than they can alone.
Suggested next steps.
Rally your team
Host meetings and strategy sessions with both teams in the room
Find the common ground and help them understand the benefits of proper alignment
Have the marketeers sit with the sales team during call our or conversion sessions
Create social time for them, a lunch outing, an escape room, bowling or anything else that is out of the office, where they can just be people and not their titles.
Comments