Redesign the System, Not the People
Why your teams keep falling out of sync—even when they want to work together.
Most revenue leaders think they have a collaboration problem.
Or a communication gap.
Or a visibility issue.
But if we’re being honest, that’s not what’s really going on.
Because if your sales and marketing leaders are talented, motivated, and still can’t stay aligned—it’s not them.
It’s the system they’re operating in.
Here’s what that looks like:
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Marketing is measured on MQLs. Sales is measured on bookings. No shared ownership of pipeline quality or revenue health.
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Planning cycles happen in parallel. Alignment meetings start after both teams have already locked in strategy.
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Tools reinforce silos. Scorecards reward output, not buyer progress.
These aren’t one-off mistakes.
They’re structural defaults baked into how most GTM systems are designed.
That’s why alignment doesn’t stick.
Not because your people don’t try.
But because the system they work in wasn’t designed for alignment in the first place.
Alignment isn’t a communication fix. It’s a business model redesign.
You can’t solve a structural issue with surface-level solutions.
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More meetings won’t fix it.
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Better dashboards won’t fix it.
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Even shared KPIs won’t fix it—unless the system around them is aligned, too.
The companies that sustain alignment don’t just get their teams talking more.
They redesign the system around the buyer.
That means:
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Rebuilding the incentive model so both teams win or lose together
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Structuring GTM planning around shared goals—not departmental independence
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Rethinking how tools, workflows, and reporting reflect the full revenue engine—not just functional snapshots
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Embedding cross-functional accountability into the operating model
Start with this question:
Was your GTM system built for alignment—or just efficiency?
If it’s the latter, friction isn’t a bug.
It’s the blueprint.
And until you redesign that blueprint, your revenue engine will keep stalling—no matter how many enablement sessions you run or how “aligned” your QBRs feel.
The good news?
You don’t have to blow everything up.
You just have to start redesigning intentionally.
More to come next week on what that redesign actually looks like—and how to do it without overwhelming your team.
Until then, here’s the simple truth:
If the system isn’t built for alignment, alignment will always be temporary.
If this resonated, you’re not alone.
Join a growing community of revenue leaders rethinking how sales and marketing work together to drive sustainable growth.
Until next week,
Jeff
RevEngine™ | Built for Revenue Leaders Driving Alignment and Growth—Together
