How Marketing Teams can Work Together

Here's something you don't hear a lot about: 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. A big win for lots of B2B companies is breaking functional siloes (or what a client once called "random acts of marketing"): - Content pushing X SEO articles, white papers and case studies - Field marketing running events and webinars on unrelated topics, without integrated promotion and follow up - Product marketing creating product collateral and sales enablement tools that are not used or referenced by the content or demand gen teams. - Demand gen team focusing on capturing the demand that was NOT generated by the assets and activities produced by other teams ... If breaking the siloes seams like biting off more than you can chew, try this instead: 1. Create a simple shared spreadsheet "calendar" for the next quarter 2. Add all the initiatives by different teams planned for the next quarter 3. Bring the team together and look for small wins, activities that can be integrated, e.g. - Synchronize social content leading to an upcoming webinar with the webinar topic - Use relevant collateral and case studies in the webinar follow up - Repurpose clips from the webinar as social posts ... 4. Pick a single strategic topic or messaging that has a high priority 5. Plan a small-scoped integrated pilot (where each team contributes, and they leverage each other's activities) 6. Document and share all the small (and big) wins and lessons learned 7. Plan the next quarter together to do more of what worked, and fix what didn't 8. This time, synch with sales around their priorities and lessons learned from recent won and lost deals, and plan to pilot small-scoped customer research 9. Keep doubling down on what works and gradually piloting better integrated programs What you will soon realize is that: - With rare exceptions, most people want the same thing: to make an impact on the business and help the company grow - Most of them are struggling to get those results - The more you’re working together, and driving your decisions based on insights from sales and customer research, the more wins you’re creating And, as Jarie Bolander said, “If you want to amplify your message, you can either talk louder (hardly works) or have more people repeat your message. Alignment does that.”

Once upon a time, two teams set out to drive growth by converting potential customers into loyal clients. Each company had the same structure—a marketing team tasked with generating leads & a sales team focused on closing deals. This is the tale of two teams: One company’s teams operated in sync and the other struggled in a familiar dance of frustration and finger-pointing. Company A: The Status Quo - Marketing & sales working in silos. Marketing’s goal: generate as many leads as possible, so they focused on volume: running campaigns, collecting MQLs, and handing them over to sales. Celebrating every lead as a success, regardless of quality. Sales had to turn leads into revenue. But as they worked through the list, frustration grew. Most leads weren’t ready to buy, and weren’t a good fit to begin with. “Where are the quality leads?” sales demanded. “Why aren’t you closing?” marketing countered. Turning into a cycle of blame. Marketing felt undervalued, sales felt unsupported, and neither trusted the other. Each week, they reviewed numbers, complained about missed targets, and left with nothing resolved. Both sides wanted to do better, but the lack of alignment on being partners kept them stuck in the same old patterns. Result: Pipeline was inconsistent, growth was sluggish, and both teams felt like they were in it alone. Company B: The Real Partnership - Shared Mindset From day one, they understood to act as one team. So, they aligned on something deeper than numbers: a shared mindset. Marketing knew to build trust with prospects before handing them off. Sales saw themselves as advisors—guiding customers toward a solution rather than pushing for a quick sale. Marketing provided context: why this lead was interested, what they had engaged with, and how sales could follow up meaningfully. Sales approached prospects with empathy & insight, engaging them as a helpful resource rather than a hard-sell closer. Weekly check-ins were about learning. Reviewing what worked and didn’t, sharing insights on lead quality, campaign effectiveness and how to improve together. Sales shared types of leads converted best, helping marketing refine their targeting. Marketing looped sales in on upcoming campaigns, ensuring alignment and consistency across every touchpoint. Challenges were a shared problem. Missteps were lessons. By prioritizing trust and value, marketing and sales grew into a true partnership. Result: Pipeline was steady, growth was strong, and both teams celebrated success as one. Company A & Company B faced the same challenges. Company A's silos to divide them, Company B built a bridge between marketing and sales. And that bridge—commitment to value & trust—turned two teams into one, transforming their prospects’ journey & driving sustainable growth. Moral of the Story: When marketing & sales are partners, they create a unified engine for growth. In the world of two teams, choose partnership, choose alignment, choose success.

Over the years, I've discovered the truth: Game-changing products won't succeed unless they have a unified vision across sales, marketing, and product teams. When these key functions pull in different directions, it's a death knell for go-to-market execution. Without alignment on positioning and buyer messaging, we fail to communicate value and create disjointed experiences. So, how do I foster collaboration across these functions? 1) Set shared goals and incentivize unity towards that North Star metric, be it revenue, activations, or retention. 2) Encourage team members to work closely together, building empathy rather than skepticism of other groups' intentions and contributions. 3) Regularly conduct cross-functional roadmapping sessions to cascade priorities across departments and highlight dependencies. 4) Create an environment where teams can constructively debate assumptions and strategies without politics or blame. 5) Provide clarity for sales on target personas and value propositions to equip them for deal conversations. 6) Involve all functions early in establishing positioning and messaging frameworks. Co-create when possible. By rallying together around customers’ needs, we block and tackle as one team towards product-market fit. The magic truly happens when teams unite towards a shared mission to delight users!

Every revenue leader talks about sales and marketing alignment—but most still struggle to make it work. Here’s why. Sales and marketing should operate as a single, high-performing revenue engine. But in most organizations, they function more like disconnected teams, leading to missed revenue, wasted budget, and deals slipping through the cracks. If you’re a revenue leader facing these challenges, here are the three biggest roadblocks getting in your way—and how to fix them. 1. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Marketing focuses on MQLs, brand awareness, and content engagement. Sales focuses on closed deals, quota attainment, and speed to revenue. If these goals aren’t aligned, it creates tension. Fix it: • Set shared KPIs that both teams are accountable for—like pipeline velocity, win rates, and customer retention. • Regularly sync on revenue impact metrics, not just lead volume. 2. 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Too often, marketing hands off leads without sales understanding the strategy behind them. Sales dismisses marketing’s efforts as “not helpful.” The disconnect creates frustration and lost opportunities. Fix it: • Implement structured feedback loops so sales can report back on lead quality. • Create joint working sessions where both teams contribute to messaging, targeting, and go-to-market execution. 3. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 If sales and marketing aren’t rewarded for the same outcomes, they’ll never truly work together. A sales team compensated only on closed deals won’t care about lead nurturing. A marketing team judged on MQLs won’t focus on sales enablement. Fix it: • Align compensation and incentives around revenue impact. • Ensure marketing KPIs include pipeline and sales contribution—not just lead gen metrics. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲:The companies that will win in 2025 and beyond aren’t just the ones generating more leads—they’re the ones ensuring their sales and marketing teams operate as a single, high-performing revenue engine. If you’re seeing any of these roadblocks, you’re not alone. The companies solving them now will have a real competitive edge in the years ahead.

Most marketing fails because sales are left out of the room. I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I ran a campaign I thought would crush it. The creative was sharp. The data looked good. The ads went live. Then... Nothing. Leads trickled in. Sales team felt lost. Everyone pointed fingers. Where did I go wrong? I never brought sales into the room. No shared data. No feedback loops. No real talk about what the customer wanted. I thought more budget would fix it. I was wrong. Here’s what changed everything: → I invited sales to every kickoff. → We shared dashboards. Real numbers, not guesses. → We built content together. Sales talked, I listened. → Feedback was a two-way street, all the time. What happened next? - Sales started closing more. - Marketers got smarter about what worked. - Customers felt heard. - The team won together. ROI went up. Trust went up. Finger-pointing? Gone. Now, every campaign starts with everyone at the table. No silos. No secrets. No wasted effort. If you’re a CMO, growth lead, or marketer trying to scale: Get your sales team in the room-early and often. You’ll see the difference where it matters most: growth that lasts. How do you bring sales and marketing together in your company? Let me know what’s worked for you.

I’ve spent the last decade building global MarComms programs within large, complex companies. Here’s what I’ve learned about activating internal partners and making quick progress toward goals: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁. Focus on winning allies across the organization by understanding each colleague’s objectives and finding ways to support one another. Don’t worry about empire building. On paper, you may have a team of two, but in reality, you’ll have 50 people in your corner helping bring your vision to life.   𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. When starting a position, quickly run a situation analysis and develop a hypothesis for the change that needs to take place. Even as your full strategy remains in development, identify and share a few core principles that can immediately unite your community. 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻–𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀. Folks in Greece may have a different idea for bringing a program to life than the team in Kuala Lumpur or Canada. It’s important to articulate non-negotiable standards while allowing for maximum local/regional flexibility. Results will be better if local teams feel empowered. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰. Communicate openly and often about your progress. Use internal communication channels to celebrate wins and recognize key players; make them look good to their managers. Host regular meetings to gather your internal community and even consider a light newsletter to share updates. When appropriate, communicate externally on LinkedIn – this can actually yield even greater internal momentum. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀. Within large multinational companies, it’s common for a team in one part of the world to be wrestling with an issue that a team elsewhere has already faced. With a global view, if you can connect colleagues across boundaries, you’ll speed up problem-solving – plus, you’ll achieve goodwill, which feeds back into the community-building efforts mentioned above. #Marketing #Communications #SocialMedia #Leadership

Customer Marketing and Customer Success don’t need more alignment meetings. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. The biggest mistake in many companies? It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a lack of ownership. Everyone says they’re aligned. But if your post-sale teams have to meet weekly just to “stay in sync,” they’re not aligned. They’re siloed. Here’s how it usually plays out: Customer Success chases renewals Customer Marketing chases advocacy Digital CS automates lifecycle plays Product pushes for adoption Everyone is working hard. But the customer still feels the seams. That’s because strategy isn’t the problem. Ownership is. When teams operate with different KPIs, roadmaps, and definitions of success— Trust gets lost. Impact gets diluted. And the customer experience becomes fragmented. Instead of asking: 👉 “Are we aligned?” Start asking: 👉 “𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀?” Here’s what shared ownership really looks like: ✅ Joint responsibility for adoption, retention, and expansion ✅ A shared pipeline of stories, champions, and social proof ✅ Unified lifecycle communications and education ✅ Closed-loop feedback between CS, Product, and Marketing ✅ Success metrics that reflect customer outcomes, not just team outputs In my experience: ➡️ Customer Success builds the relationship. ➡️ Customer Marketing amplifies that relationship. 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. When teams stop fighting for credit and start owning outcomes together— Trust becomes operational. Customer value becomes consistent. And growth becomes inevitable. You don’t need another alignment meeting. You need a shared scoreboard—and a strategy to match. 👇 How are your CS and Customer Marketing teams driving outcomes together right now? #CustomerMarketing #CustomerSuccess #DigitalCS #LifecycleMarketing #NRR #PostSaleStrategy #CustomerLedGrowth #CustomerEngagement #CrossFunctionalAlignment #MarketingLeadership

BD and Marketing have been trying to align for years. Meetings. Shared goals. More collaboration. Yet, something still feels off. Marketing builds the brand. BD builds relationships. But if they’re not working in sync, opportunities slip through the cracks. ⚠️ 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘂𝘂𝗺. 𝗕𝗗 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝. The strongest BD teams aren’t just selling, they’re feeding insights back into marketing. The strongest Marketing teams aren’t just building awareness, they’re making BD conversations easier. When both functions fuel each other: ✔ Messaging resonates deeper. ✔ Outreach feels more natural. ✔ The right opportunities move faster. Alignment isn’t about working together more. It’s about working together better. 𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗗 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴?

Your marketing team is guessing what your sales team already knows. I see it every single week: Marketing creates campaigns. Sales talks to customers. Zero collaboration. Wasted opportunity. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: - Marketing creates personas (guessing) - Sales hears actual pains (knowing) - Marketing writes messaging (guessing) - Sales handles objections (knowing) - No information sharing - No collaboration - No growth 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: Your marketing team creates content, campaigns, and messaging based on assumptions, marketing research, and industry reports. In contrast, your sales team has actual conversations every single day with prospects who share their real pains, objections, and buying criteria. Yet somehow, these valuable insights never make it back to influence marketing strategy. [𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨] One person creates the foundation and the other leverages it to reach new heights. Your sales and marketing teams need to function as a single unit. Sales should provide real-world insights and direct customer language, while marketing should amplify and scale these proven messages through channels that reach more people. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 1. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 Not separate worlds: - Weekly sales-marketing sync - Marketing joins sales calls - Sales reviews all content - Customer language documented 2. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 Unite the metrics: - Pipeline over MQLs - Revenue over activities - Quality over quantity - Customer success over volume 3. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 Loop Make it systematic: - Sales validates personas - Marketing tests messages - Results shared transparently - Continuous improvement 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻: 1. Schedule weekly sales-marketing sync 2. Create a shared customer language doc 3. Have marketing join sales calls 4. Build a unified dashboard Remember: Like those wall climbers, Neither one could make it alone. But together, they're unstoppable. ---- ❤️ 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬. ♻️ 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. 🔔 Follow me for more helpful and entertaining videos to improve your go-to-market approach. 🤟

Does it feel like your departments are speaking different languages? 🗣️🤔 That’s not a communication problem. It’s a silo problem. Marketing has its goals 🎯, sales has theirs 💼, and product is on a different page entirely 🛠️. Everyone is working hard, but in different directions. This doesn’t just slow you down—it kills momentum, innovation, and growth. 🚀 The solution isn’t magic; it’s intentional collaboration. 🤝 Here are 6 tips for building bridges and breaking down those walls: 1. Clarify Shared Goals ➝ The first step is alignment ↳ Define one common objective that every department can rally behind → If you don’t share a destination, you won’t get there together. 2. Establish Open Channels ➝ Communication can’t be an afterthought ↳ Use shared platforms and tools to make information seamless → Transparency is the antidote to assumptions. 3. Assign Cross-Functional Roles ➝ Don’t just hand off a project ↳ Build a team with members from different departments → You can’t have empathy without proximity. 4. Coordinate Regular Check-Ins ➝ Accountability is built, not assumed ↳ Set up touchpoints to review progress and roadblocks → Alignment is a verb, not a noun. 5. Standardize Key Processes ➝ Collaboration is easier with a playbook ↳ Agree on workflows so everyone follows the same steps → Process creates freedom. 6. Listen and Adapt ➝ Be open to feedback on how you collaborate ↳ What’s working? What’s not? → Your best process is one that is always improving. True teamwork isn’t just about working together; it’s about working together, better. 🌟 👉 What’s the biggest challenge your team faces when collaborating across departments? 💬💭👇 #Leadership #Management #Collaboration #Teamwork #BusinessGrowth #WorkplaceCulture #PersonalDevelopment #Communication #Innovation