Sales and Marketing: Why Alignment Matters for Growth
One of the most common challenges inside any business is the clash between sales and marketing. Both teams ultimately want the same thing: revenue growth. Yet because of the way they are measured, the language they use, and the way they report success, they often end up pulling in different directions.
This is not new. The sales versus marketing debate has existed for decades, and in many organisations it is almost baked into the culture. But when you take a step back, you realise how damaging it can be to growth. This is why alignment between the two functions is such a vital part of the Chief Revenue Officer’s role.
Why Do Marketing Teams Focus on Funnels and Leads?
Marketing tends to think in funnels. At the top of funnel (TOFU) is the broad awareness activity, advertising, campaigns, events, and content designed to bring new people into the orbit of the brand. Middle of funnel (MOFU) work then nurtures those people through educational material, targeted campaigns, and engagement strategies. Bottom of funnel (BOFU) content is designed to capture intent and push prospects towards a buying decision.
As prospects progress, they are labelled as different types of leads:
Marketing-generated lead (MGL): A lead sourced from marketing activity
Marketing-qualified lead (MQL): A lead showing signals of potential readiness, based on scoring or criteria set by marketing
Sales-qualified lead (SQL): A lead accepted by sales as viable for further engagement
Sales-qualified opportunity (SQO): A qualified deal that enters the sales pipeline
Marketers are usually targeted on volumes: how many leads they create, how many reach the MQL stage, and the pipeline value attached to them. For a CMO, over-delivering against these targets is often seen as success.
But here lies the friction. Marketing leaders present their numbers proudly in board or town hall meetings. They may showcase thousands of leads, record-breaking engagement, and millions in “pipeline value.” Meanwhile, the sales team looks at their own dashboards and wonders why those leads are not converting into revenue.
What Do Sales Teams Really Care About?
Salespeople live and die by revenue. Their metrics are usually simple: how much new business they close, how much they upsell into existing customers, and how consistently they hit their quota.
A salesperson might be carrying a £100,000 target for the quarter. They may also be measured on net new logos, the value of self-sourced opportunities, and expansion deals within the existing base. What matters most to them is closed-won revenue.
When marketing says they have delivered £1m of pipeline, sales often replies with “Where is it?” Leads passed across may not be ready to buy, may not have budget, or may not even fit the ideal customer profile. From sales’ perspective, this means wasted time. From marketing’s perspective, it feels like sales is not working the leads properly.
Both teams can end up frustrated.
What Frustrations Do Sales and Marketing Have With Each Other?
It helps to call these frustrations out clearly:
From marketing to sales:
“We’re generating huge volumes of leads, why are none of them converting?”
“We’ve created campaigns and content, but sales doesn’t use it.”
“We hand over leads, but they disappear into a black hole.”
From sales to marketing:
“Most of the leads you send us are not ready to buy.”
“You don’t understand what prospects are really asking for.”
“You celebrate MQLs, but I can’t pay my bills with MQLs.”
Both sides are right in their own way. And both sides are wrong if they only measure success through their own lens.
Why Does Misalignment Between Sales and Marketing Happen?
A few core reasons repeat across most businesses:
Different success metrics - Marketing focuses on activity and pipeline. Sales focuses on closed-won revenue. The gap between the two metrics is where friction thrives.
Siloed communication - Marketing launches campaigns without fully briefing sales. Sales discovers opportunities that never make it back to marketing for analysis.
Misaligned messaging - Marketing pushes a particular value proposition, while sales ignores it or actively contradicts it in customer conversations.
Attribution obsession - When marketing is measured purely on attributed revenue, it undervalues awareness and brand-building work. When sales ignores attribution, it undervalues how marketing creates the environment for deals.
Pressure from above - When results fall short, leadership pressure makes both teams defensive. Instead of collaborating, they point fingers.
How Can a CRO Align Sales and Marketing?
A Chief Revenue Officer exists to cut through this disconnect. The CRO is responsible for the entire revenue engine, which means sales and marketing should not be separate silos. Alignment becomes the job.
What Are Practical Ways to Drive Alignment?
Shared targets - Move marketing metrics beyond just lead volume. Introduce targets that relate to revenue influence and contribution.
Joint planning - Campaign calendars and sales plays need to align. When marketing launches a campaign, sales should know how to use it in conversations.
Feedback loops - Create structured ways for feedback to flow, such as fortnightly sales and marketing syncs.
Unified messaging - Ensure the same story is told in campaigns and in sales conversations.
Celebrate together - Recognise that a win is rarely down to one team alone.
Technology alignment - CRM and marketing automation systems should provide a single view of the funnel.
Why Should Businesses Value Marketing Beyond Attribution?
Marketing’s impact cannot always be measured directly in revenue. A strong brand presence, thought leadership, or social media campaign may not lead immediately to a sale, but it shapes perceptions, warms conversations, and builds trust that later converts.
Equally, sales activities often benefit from marketing without attribution. A rep’s cold outreach email is more likely to land if the prospect has already seen the company’s brand online. Alignment means recognising this interdependence.
What Is the Real Benefit of Sales and Marketing Alignment?
Sales and marketing are not rival functions. They are two halves of the same growth engine. When they pull against each other, friction builds and growth slows. When they pull in the same direction, businesses scale faster, with healthier pipelines and stronger customer relationships.
As a CRO, your role is not to take sides but to unify. Align the targets, align the messaging, build communication channels, and create a culture where both teams celebrate wins together.
At the end of the day, leads are only valuable if they turn into revenue, and revenue is only sustainable if it is fuelled by consistent demand generation. Sales and marketing alignment is not just a nice-to-have, it is a competitive advantage.
For support in bringing your teams together to help growth, get in touch:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main reason sales and marketing clash?
The biggest reason is misaligned targets. Marketing is often measured on lead volume and pipeline, while sales is measured on closed-won revenue. This difference creates tension and a sense that one team’s success does not reflect the other’s reality.
How can sales and marketing teams work together more effectively?
They need shared goals, open communication, and joint planning. Regular feedback loops, unified messaging, and a single view of the funnel through CRM and marketing automation systems also make a big difference.
What does a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) do to improve alignment?
A CRO looks at the entire revenue engine and ensures that sales and marketing are not working in silos. They introduce shared targets, oversee campaign and sales play alignment, and create a culture where both teams celebrate joint success.
Why should marketing be valued beyond lead generation?
Marketing shapes brand perception, builds trust, and creates awareness that supports sales, even if attribution is not always direct. Strong brand presence, content, and thought leadership all play a role in moving prospects closer to a buying decision.
What is the benefit of sales and marketing alignment?
Aligned sales and marketing teams generate higher quality leads, improve conversion rates, shorten sales cycles, and ultimately drive sustainable revenue growth. Alignment also reduces internal friction and improves the customer experience.