Unfortunately, marketing and sales too often act like two separate entities. But when they don’t align, things can go…sideways. Opportunities are dropped, leads stall, and customers get ignored.
Take, for example, a SaaS company that spent six months generating thousands of leads through an aggressive marketing campaign. But here’s the problem: sales wasn’t looped in. They didn’t have the right materials to nurture those leads or even a clear understanding of who the ideal prospects were. The result? Only 10% of those leads converted, leaving both teams pointing fingers. Sound familiar?
But when marketing and sales in B2B work together, you’ll see results. In this post, our VisionFizz sales and marketing teams got together to explain how they can better work together
1. Bridging the Gap: Why Alignment Matters
Let’s face it: marketing and sales historically haven’t always gotten along. Marketing says, “We’re generating leads — why isn’t sales closing?” Sales replies, “These leads are colder than the cup of coffee I left on my desk over the weekend.”
However, when you find ways to get these teams to join forces, amazing things happen. Aligned teams improve lead quality, streamline the buyer journey, and create a cohesive customer experience. In fact, according to LinkedIn’s State of Sales Report, 87% of sales and marketing leaders say collaboration between the two teams enables critical business growth.
But how do you make this happen? How do you actually get marketing sales in B2B to actually work together? First, treat them as co-leaders. One team can’t succeed without the other. Marketing fuels sales by attracting leads, and sales lands the deal by converting them into customers.
Consider this: without alignment, marketing might focus on attracting top-of-funnel leads, while sales is looking for decision-makers ready to buy. This disconnect leads to wasted resources, frustrated teams, and a confused buyer experience. But when both teams sync their strategies, it’s easier to close the deal.
Alignment doesn’t just impact the bottom line — it also transforms team dynamics. Collaborative teams share insights, celebrate wins, and face challenges together. Over time, this synergy builds trust and creates a culture where both teams see themselves as equal partners in driving business success.
2. Improve Communication
You can’t have teamwork without communication. Regular check-ins, shared language, and clear expectations keep everyone on the same page. Here’s what works:
Shared Goals
When marketing and sales chase different goals, it becomes chaos. Aligning on KPIs like lead-to-customer conversion rates keeps everyone focused on the same finish line. It also makes collaboration a team effort.
Unified Tools
Let’s face it — basic spreadsheets don’t cut it anymore. CRMs give both teams a real-time view of leads, progress, and results. The transparency CRMs provide means neither sales nor marketing can point fingers.
Regular Meetings
A weekly sync is a chance to recalibrate, share updates, and keep leads moving forward. These meetings foster a culture of collaboration that drives results.
Research backs this up: companies with regular sales and marketing alignment meetings achieve a 209% higher revenue contribution from marketing, according to HubSpot.
The bottom line? Talk more, win more.
3. Shared Metrics, Shared Success
If marketing and sales are measured by different metrics, your data won’t make any sense. Marketing might celebrate hitting a lead quota, but if those leads don’t convert, sales isn’t exactly popping champagne in celebration.
Aligning on shared metrics like pipeline growth, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and customer lifetime value (CLV) keeps both teams focused in the same direction. When marketing and sales own the same numbers, accountability in marketing and sales in B2B skyrockets.
Take pipeline growth as an example: if marketing generates 1,000 leads, but only 10% are sales-qualified, it’s time to revisit targeting and messaging strategies. Alternatively, if sales isn’t following up on those leads within the first 48 hours, marketing can offer data-driven nudges to refine the handoff process. Shared metrics create a feedback loop that fosters collaboration rather than competition.
Furthermore, tracking customer retention alongside acquisition ensures neither team is just chasing short-term wins. Marketing can dig into churn data to adjust messaging, while sales uses those insights to identify red flags during the deal-closing process. When both teams treat metrics as a shared responsibility, it’s easier to spot gaps, fill them, and ultimately drive sustained growth.
4. Using Content as a Connector
Content is the bridge between marketing and sales. Think about it: marketing creates resources that sales uses to close deals. When done right, content is the great unifier between teams.
Case Studies
Nothing says “we’re the real deal” like a great case study — and at VisualFizz, we have plenty of them to prove that we know what we’re talking about. These proof-packed narratives give sales teams the credibility they need to close deals. Drop one into a client conversation and watch as objections melt away.
Arm Sales with the Data It Needs
When sales has the relevant data it needs, they can counter objections like the pros they are. When a prospect says, “But what about X competitor?” your team responds with confidence because they have easily navigable data in front of them.
Explainer Videos
When it comes to complex solutions, let a video do the talking. Bite-sized explainer videos cut through the jargon, showing prospects exactly how your product solves their problem. Don’t know much about producing videos? Let VisualFizz help you out. Check out this recent blog post we created discussing the video SEO marketing strategies for marketing and sales in B2B.
Marketing + Sales = Profit Growth
Marketing and sales don’t have to be rivals and they shouldn’t be.
At VisualFizz, we specialize in helping businesses align their marketing and sales in B2B to drive real results. Contact us today and let’s talk about you.
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