Many companies try to fix sales and marketing misalignment with surface-level tactics:
-
More meetings
-
Shared dashboards
-
Better communication
But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:
Those are band-aids, not solutions.
If your teams are still misaligned after all the standups, syncs, and Slack channels… it’s not because they aren’t trying.
It’s because the problem runs deeper—and your systems were never designed for alignment in the first place.
Three Structural Root Causes (That No One Talks About)
1. Misaligned Incentives
If sales is comped on revenue and marketing is bonused on MQLs, you’ve already created two different definitions of success.
No amount of collaboration or communication can override a comp plan that rewards opposing behaviors.
Fix this: Start by tying at least one marketing incentive to pipeline or closed revenue. It doesn’t require a complete overhaul—just one signal that says: “We win together.”
When incentives aren’t aligned, misalignment becomes the default behavior. Teams don’t intentionally work against each other—but they’re wired to prioritize what gets them promoted or paid. That creates downstream tension, not just between departments, but in the buyer experience itself.
2. Lack of Shared Accountability
Shared goals aren’t the same as shared accountability.
Everyone says they want to “grow revenue,” but when targets are missed, finger-pointing starts. Sales blames lead quality. Marketing blames follow-up speed.
Without explicit accountability—not just implied—you’ll never build a true revenue team.
Fix this: Establish joint KPIs that force collaboration. Set expectations that both teams own pipeline health, not just their individual contributions.
Shared accountability isn’t about blame—it’s about shared ownership. When both teams are responsible for the same outcomes, it creates tighter feedback loops, more honest conversations, and a stronger sense of team identity. That’s the foundation of real alignment.
3. A Fragmented Go-to-Market Strategy
Most GTM strategies are developed in silos—or worse, handed down from above with no cross-functional input.
The result?
Sales and marketing each interpret the strategy through their own lens, leading to disconnected execution and inconsistent buyer experiences.
Fix this: Build your GTM strategy collaboratively. Define clear roles across every funnel stage. Make sure the strategy reflects a shared customer journey, not just departmental checklists.
When strategy is built without both teams at the table, it’s no surprise execution falls apart. Sales gets one version of reality. Marketing gets another. And the customer ends up stuck in the middle—navigating a disconnected experience that feels confusing at best, frustrating at worst.
Stop Treating the Symptoms. Fix the System.
Misalignment isn’t a communication issue. It’s a design issue.
Until you change the way you define success, reward behavior, and build strategy, your teams will keep working in parallel instead of in unison.
The fix isn’t easy—but it is clear.
And it starts by shifting your focus from output metrics to operational design.
Still incentivizing teams to work in silos?
Now’s the time to rewire the system—not just patch the symptoms.
Until next time,
Jeff
RevEngine™ | Helping Revenue Leaders Accelerate Alignment and Growth
