Marketing says it delivered the leads. Sales says the leads were bad. Both teams can show numbers that prove their point, because they are measuring different things. Alignment rarely comes from a workshop. It comes from agreeing on one set of numbers.
Agree on definitions first
Write down, together, what counts as a qualified lead, a qualified meeting, and a qualified opportunity. Use your ideal customer profile as the filter. If the definitions live only in people's heads, every monthly meeting becomes a debate about language.
Build one scorecard
- ICP-fit meetings created, by source
- Meeting to opportunity conversion
- Pipeline created, in dollars
- Win rate and average deal size, by source
- Time from first touch to close
Both teams own every line. Marketing is accountable for pipeline, not just leads. Sales is accountable for follow-up speed and conversion, not just closed deals.
Review it together
Hold one monthly meeting where sales and marketing leaders review the scorecard side by side. The conversation shifts from blame to questions like "why does this source convert at twice the rate?" That is where real alignment starts.
We start by understanding where revenue is stuck, then scope the work to fit.
