How to Align Sales and Marketing Around Shared Goals

Short answer: To align sales and marketing, give them shared revenue goals rather than separate metrics, agree on definitions like what qualifies as a good lead, establish clear handoffs between them, coordinate their processes, and create shared visibility through common data. Alignment means the two functions work as one revenue team toward shared goals, rather than as separate silos. Aligned sales and marketing drive more revenue together by reinforcing each other instead of working at cross purposes.

Two functions, one goal

Sales and marketing should work as one revenue team, but they're often misaligned silos with separate goals and no coordination. Aligning them - around shared goals, agreed definitions, clear handoffs, and coordinated processes - makes them reinforce each other and drive more revenue together. For a business in your area, aligning sales and marketing captures the revenue that misalignment loses. Here's how to align them around shared goals.

Give them shared revenue goals

Alignment starts with shared revenue goals rather than separate metrics. When marketing is measured on leads and sales on closed deals, they optimize for their own metrics, not shared success. Giving both functions shared revenue goals - making them jointly accountable for revenue - aligns their incentives around the same outcome.

This shared goal is foundational to alignment. When sales and marketing share revenue goals, they're incentivized to work together toward the same outcome, rather than optimizing separate metrics that may not align. Shared goals make the two functions one team pursuing shared success, rather than separate functions pursuing separate metrics. Establishing shared revenue goals is the foundation of aligning sales and marketing, aligning their incentives around the revenue they jointly drive. Shared goals create shared purpose.

Agree on definitions

Alignment requires agreeing on shared definitions:

• What qualifies as a good lead.
• When a lead is ready to hand to sales.
• What the stages of the process mean.
• Shared language for the revenue process.
• Common understanding of key terms.

Misalignment often stems from different definitions - marketing and sales meaning different things by 'a good lead' or 'ready to buy.' Agreeing on shared definitions, especially what qualifies as a good lead and when it's ready for sales, ensures the functions are working with a common understanding. This shared language prevents the mismatches and friction that different definitions cause. Agreeing on definitions is essential to alignment, giving sales and marketing a common understanding of the revenue process. Shared definitions prevent mismatches.

Establish clear handoffs

Alignment requires clear handoffs between marketing and sales. The handoff - where marketing passes leads to sales - is where leads often fall through the cracks. Establishing a clear, agreed handoff process, with defined criteria and responsibilities, ensures leads are passed and followed up properly rather than lost in the gap.

This clear handoff is crucial because the marketing-to-sales handoff is a common failure point. When the handoff is unclear, leads get lost, and the functions blame each other. A clear handoff - defining when and how leads pass from marketing to sales, and who's responsible - ensures leads flow smoothly between the functions rather than falling through the cracks. Establishing clear handoffs is a key part of aligning sales and marketing, closing the gap where leads are otherwise lost. Clear handoffs prevent lost leads.

Coordinate processes and share visibility

Alignment requires coordinated processes and shared visibility. Coordinating how the functions work - so their processes support each other - makes them reinforce rather than conflict. And shared visibility, through common data and systems, lets both functions see the same picture and work from shared information. Together, these make the functions operate as a coordinated team.

For a business in your area, aligning sales and marketing means giving them shared revenue goals, agreeing on definitions, establishing clear handoffs, and coordinating processes with shared visibility. This makes the two functions work as one revenue team toward shared goals, rather than as separate silos. Aligned sales and marketing drive more revenue together by reinforcing each other instead of working at cross purposes. This alignment is a core part of revenue operations, which brings the revenue functions together into a coordinated system. Aligning sales and marketing captures the revenue and effectiveness that misalignment wastes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I align sales and marketing?

Give them shared revenue goals rather than separate metrics, agree on definitions like what qualifies as a good lead, establish clear handoffs between them, coordinate their processes, and create shared visibility through common data. This makes the two functions work as one revenue team toward shared goals, rather than as separate silos.

Why give sales and marketing shared goals?

Because when marketing is measured on leads and sales on closed deals, they optimize for their own metrics, not shared success. Giving both shared revenue goals - making them jointly accountable for revenue - aligns their incentives around the same outcome, making them one team pursuing shared success rather than separate functions pursuing separate metrics.

Why do sales and marketing need shared definitions?

Because misalignment often stems from different definitions - the two functions meaning different things by 'a good lead' or 'ready to buy.' Agreeing on shared definitions, especially what qualifies as a good lead and when it's ready for sales, ensures the functions work with a common understanding, preventing the mismatches and friction that different definitions cause.

Why are clear handoffs important?

Because the marketing-to-sales handoff is a common failure point where leads fall through the cracks. When the handoff is unclear, leads get lost and the functions blame each other. A clear handoff - defining when and how leads pass from marketing to sales, and who's responsible - ensures leads flow smoothly rather than being lost in the gap.

Related reading

• Revenue Operations
• How Sales and Marketing Misalignment Costs You Money
• What Is Revenue Operations (and Why It Matters)?