Sales vs. marketing. Why can’t they just get along!?
“Sales and marketing are like a sprinter and a marathon runner—each playing a vital role if you want to go the distance and achieve success.”
For most of the brands I’ve worked with, sales and marketing appear to be in a never-ending family feud. Who really holds the power? Who actually controls the budget? It feels like an unproductive tug-of-war.
What could happen if they took off the gloves and started working together?
Think about it. These are your two most important levers when it comes to growing a brand. Sales is all about fast-paced, revenue generating, bottom-of-the -funnel goals. This world revolves around the now:
Marketing, on the other hand, plays the long game. They’re mostly living at the top-of-the-funnel: building brand awareness, generating long leads, and nurturing consumer relationships. Sales and marketing are like sprinters and marathon runners—each play a vital role if you want to go the distance and achieve success.
Sales teams; The truth is, marketing sets the stage for your brand to shine. Without a constant pipeline of juicy, qualified consumers, you’re stuck in hustle mode, scrambling to close deals. And when crunch time hits and numbers aren’t met… that’s when the discounts happen, which may be good for your customers but are a detriment to your brand’s value. And marketing teams: where would you be if you merely had a relationship with consumers, but no outlets in which to sell to them? You need each other. And you need to be working together.
Sales & Marketing - The Real Dream Team
Here’s what happens when they team up are are truly aligned:
Shared goals. No more bickering, just straight-up collaboration toward the same target.
Better communication. Sales get higher-quality leads that close faster. Marketing? They get the inside scoop to level up their strategy.
Epic results. Because when these two are in sync, your business hits growth mode like never before.
So How Do You Get These Two to Play Nice?
Host a collaborative work session with a neutral moderator so everyone’s voice is heard.
Create shared goals that both teams can rally behind.
Establish a clear brand foundation that becomes everyone’s North Star.
Set up a communication framework so nothing is left to chance or ever-changing opinions
And, of course, rally everyone around your brand’s “Why”—the bigger purpose that drives everything.
