This document discusses the differences between high performing "Leader" organizations and lower performing "Laggard" organizations in aligning their sales and marketing teams. It finds that Leaders focus on lead quality over quantity, measure pipeline metrics, collaborate on lead scoring, and compensate marketing based on pipeline. Laggards struggle with dirty databases, lack collaboration on leads, and compensate marketing based on lead volume. The document provides 7 methods that Laggards can use to improve sales and marketing alignment like the Leaders.

1. 66%
What Makes a Leader and a Laggard?
The Winning and Losing Behaviors:
From the top down, sales and marketing executives
need to focus on improving communication and
fostering camaraderie between the two teams.
Don’t set it and forget it! Ensure that you have
good processes on critical alignment topics such as
lead scoring and routing. Scoring should be revisited
at least twice each year, if not quarterly.
REVIEW PROCESSES
SEEK TO UNDERSTAND
45%
78%
2
A focus on lead quality over quantity is foundational
to the successful alignment between teams. When it
comes to lead quality, the Leaders had far greater
confidence in lead quality than the Laggards.
A lack of data can cause problems in lead routing and
follow up. Look to third-party technologies that
integrate with CRM and marketing automation systems
to help enrich data.
There are many ways to get inside the heads of sales.
Sales leaders often keep a sales performance “ladder”,
showing quota attainment, win rates, and other key
metrics. There are also tools to help measure what
sales programs are delivering the highest impact.
This can help the marketer understand:
How to position
in the marketplace
How sales is using the
tools marketing provides
What is and
is not working
Said lead quality
was “good” or
“excellent”: of Leaders
PUT LEAD QUALITY BEFORE QUANTITY3
ENRICH PROSPECT DATA4
FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION1
5
ALIGN ON PIPELINE
Shifting to emphasize pipeline will drive mutual
accountability among sales and marketing teams.
It aligns metrics, values, and goals and requires consistent
reporting, definitions, and analysis of results.
When you tie compensation to pipeline it drives
revenue-focused behavior in the marketing team and
increases credibility with the sales organization. It also
tightens the relationship at lead hand-off points, such as the
transition from demand generation to sales development.
6
GIVE MARKETING
VARIABLE COMPENSATION
7
What Leaders Are Doing and
How You Can Catch Up
7 Methods to Get Your Sales
and Marketing Teams Aligned!
LEADERS LAGGARDS
Focus on lead quality Focus on lead quantity
Marketing is driven by leads
Don’t collaborate on lead
scoring model
Marketing is driven by pipeline
Collaborate on lead
scoring model
Maintain a clean,
high-quality database
Struggle with a dirty database
On
ly
of Laggards
of the respondents that said data and lead
enrichment is the most important emerging tool
for prospecting, 78% were Leaders.
of marketers say their efforts are now being
measured by pipeline. Continuing that shift will
drive greater alignment across both teams.
Benefits of Aligned Sales and Marketing Teams:
Increased Revenue Growth
Organizations with tightly aligned marketing and sales
achieved 24% faster revenue growth and 27% faster profit
over a three-year period. (Source: SiriusDecisions, Inc. B-to-B Confidence Index Study)
Better Customer Retention
Companies with aligned sales and marketing teams experience
36% higher customer retention rates. (Source: MarketingProfs, April 2005)
Higher Win Rates
Companies with aligned sales and marketing teams are
67% better at closing deals.(Source: Marketo, July, 2015)
$
22%
VS.
GOODN
EWS!
Source: Conducted by Demand Gen Report in partnership with InsideView:
A broad-based survey polled a wide mix of 995 U.S.-based sales and marketing
professionals across several industries. The "Leader" segment exceeded revenue
Is misalignment a challenge for your organization too? Don’t wait to tackle
the problem. Learn how to fix sales and marketing alignment today!
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