The Great Disconnect
what’s keeping sales and marketing at war?

Picture this: Marketing launches an expensive campaign that delivers a flood of leads. The sales team, overwhelmed and frustrated, claims most of those leads aren’t worth pursuing. Meanwhile, marketing is left scratching their heads, wondering why their efforts didn’t translate into revenue. Sound familiar?

This disconnect between sales and marketing isn’t just a minor hiccup; it’s a widespread issue that’s holding businesses back from reaching their full potential. But why does it happen, and what can be done about it?

The Root of the Problem

At the heart of the issue lies misalignment. Sales and marketing may share the same ultimate goal — growth, but they often approach it in very different ways:

• Marketing: Focuses on creating awareness, generating leads, and engaging audiences on a broad scale.
• Sales: Concentrates on converting those leads into paying customers, focusing on direct relationships and closing deals.

These differences in priorities and success metrics can lead to silos, finger-pointing, and even outright hostility between teams that should be working together.

90% of sales and marketing professionals report misalignment with strategy, process, content and culture. Additionally, over 97% think that bad messaging negatively impacts the potential client and therefore, the business as a whole.

The True Cost of Misalignment

When sales and marketing aren’t on the same page, the fallout can be devastating:

• Lost Revenue: According to a study by HubSpot, businesses with poor alignment between sales and marketing experience a 4% annual decline in revenue, while those with strong alignment see a 32% increase.
• Wasted Resources: Marketing campaigns that fail to resonate with sales goals result in lost time, money, and effort.
• Lower Morale: Frustrated teams lead to lower productivity and higher turnover, as employees feel unsupported and undervalued.
• Inconsistent Messaging: Customers are left confused when marketing and sales present conflicting narratives, eroding trust in your brand.

Bridging the Gap

The good news? With the right strategy, sales and marketing can move from being adversaries to allies. Here’s how:

1. Share the Same Goals:
   Align both teams around metrics that benefit the entire organisation, such as customer retention or overall revenue growth. This shifts the focus from competing priorities to shared success.

2. Implement Regular Communication:
   Establish weekly meetings, shared dashboards, and feedback loops to ensure both teams are on the same page. Transparency fosters collaboration and prevents miscommunication.

3. Use Technology to Unite Teams:
   Invest in tools that integrate marketing automation with CRM systems. For instance, platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce ensure marketing insights flow seamlessly into sales pipelines, providing a clear view of the customer journey.

4. Create a Service Level Agreement (SLA):
   Define expectations for both teams. For example, marketing commits to providing X number of qualified leads, while sales agree to follow up within a specific timeframe. This creates accountability on both sides.

5. Celebrate Joint Wins:
   Recognise and reward achievements that result from collaboration. Did a campaign generate exceptional results? Did the sales team convert those leads? Celebrate those milestones together to foster a sense of unity. When people feel that their effort is rewarded, they do more of the same.

The DVANA Approach

At DVANA, we specialise in turning discord into harmony. For example, a medium-sized SaaS company, was struggling with misaligned sales and marketing efforts. Marketing was generating thousands of leads, but sales felt they weren’t suitable, the quality was too low. By implementing a shared CRM, hosting weekly strategy sessions, and creating a clear SLA, we helped them achieve:

• A 40% increase in lead-to-customer conversions
• A 25% boost in team morale, as collaboration improved
• A 20% rise in annual revenue

The result? A thriving partnership between sales and marketing that accelerated their business growth.

Imagine What’s Possible

What if your sales and marketing teams weren’t just aligned but unstoppable? Picture a world where every campaign generates leads that your sales team is excited to follow up on. Where your messaging is seamless, your teams collaborate effortlessly, and your customers feel confident in your brand.

It’s not just possible — it’s within reach.

Ready to Close the Gap?

At DVANA, we’re here to help you transform misalignment into momentum. From strategy development to cutting-edge technology, we’ll work with you to create a cohesive, high-performing sales and marketing machine.