Why sales and marketing have to stick together
Sales and marketing should work towards the same commercial result. After over 25 years across both, I focus on connecting the offer, the conversation and the follow-up that turns interest into business.
Why should sales and marketing work together?
Sales and marketing work together when they share the same customer, proposition and commercial goal. Marketing helps people understand and trust the offer; sales develops the conversation and buying decision. Clear ownership and feedback connect those stages.
One customer journey
I have spent over 25 years working across sales, marketing and business ownership. One lesson keeps coming back: customers experience the business as a whole. They do not separate the marketing message from the sales conversation or the service that follows.
If your website promises one thing and your team explains something different, you make the buying decision harder. If marketing attracts interest but nobody owns the follow-up, useful opportunities can disappear between departments.
Agree what the activity is meant to achieve
Before discussing channels or campaigns, I want to understand the offer, the customer and the commercial goal. Who are we trying to win? What problem do we help them solve? Why should they choose us?
Those answers give sales and marketing something concrete to work towards. They also make it easier to judge whether the activity is helping, rather than celebrating numbers that have little connection to the buying journey.
Make the handover visible
Look at what happens when someone enquires. Who responds? What information do they need? How is the next step recorded? How does the team learn which messages bring suitable opportunities?
These are practical questions. The answers often reveal where a business needs clearer ownership or a more consistent process.
Put the connection to work
This is the thinking behind The Glue and Momentum. Put sales and marketing around the same commercial goal. Agree who owns each stage, then review the journey from interest to revenue together.
Your next useful action may be a conversation between the people responsible for attracting interest and the people responsible for converting it. Ask them to walk through one real enquiry from beginning to end.
Questions about sales & marketing
What is the first step towards sales and marketing alignment?
Agree the target customer, the offer and the commercial goal, then review how a real enquiry moves from initial interest to the sales conversation.
How do you measure alignment?
Review the full journey: suitable enquiries, qualified conversations, proposals and customer wins. Use the findings to improve messaging and follow-up.
Adapted from my recent LinkedIn ideas and content. Archive dates arranged as a weekly series; website edition published 30 September 2026.