Lost in Translation
how to align sales and marketing for real results

The Cost of Misalignment

Picture this: Your marketing team has just launched a stellar campaign — compelling messaging, eye-catching visuals, and a stream of high-quality opportunities flowing in. But instead of celebrating a surge in sales, frustration builds. The sales team complains the opportunities aren’t the right fit. Marketing insists they’ve done their job. The result? Wasted time, lost revenue, and growing tensions between two teams that should be working in perfect harmony.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. In many businesses, sales and marketing operate like two people speaking different languages — both striving for growth but failing to communicate effectively. And when these teams aren’t aligned, opportunities slip through the cracks, customers get confused, and business growth stalls.

So, how do you fix it? How do you ensure marketing generates opportunities that sales can confidently convert? How do you create a seamless process that drives tangible results? Let’s break it down.

The Root of the Problem: A Disconnect Between Sales and Marketing

The gap between sales and marketing often stems from misaligned goals and unclear expectations. Marketing is focused on brand awareness, engagement, and opportunity generation. Sales, on the other hand, is tasked with closing deals, hitting revenue targets, and nurturing customer relationships.

When these teams work in isolation, chaos ensues:

• Marketing delivers opportunities, but sales says they’re “not ready.”
• Sales struggles to close deals, blaming poor-quality opportunities.
• Marketing doesn’t get feedback, so they keep attracting the wrong audience.

This cycle continues until frustration turns into blame, and business growth takes a hit. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The Solution: Creating True Alignment

1. Set Shared Goals

Sales and marketing must operate as a single revenue-generating unit. Instead of working towards separate targets, align around one common goal: revenue growth. This means defining shared KPIs, such as:

• Marketing-Qualified Opportunities (MQOs) that turn into realized revenue
• Sales-Accepted Opportunities (SAOs) that sales agree are worth pursuing
• Revenue Contribution from both marketing and sales efforts

When both teams are accountable for revenue, collaboration naturally improves.

2. Speak the Same Language

Sales and marketing often define success differently. While marketing might consider a campaign successful if it generates thousands of opportunities, sales will only see it as a win if those opportunities turn into paying customers.

Fix this by establishing clear definitions:

• 📌 What makes an opportunity “qualified”?
• 📌 When should an opportunity be handed off to sales?
• 📌 What data does sales need to close a deal?

Having a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between both teams ensures expectations are crystal clear.

3. Use Data & Technology to Bridge the Gap

Guesswork kills alignment. Instead of relying on opinions, use data-driven insights and the right technology to fine-tune your sales and marketing strategies.

• 💡 Analyse conversion rates: Are opportunities moving through the sales process efficiently?
• 💡 Track engagement metrics: Are potential customers interacting with your content?
• 💡 Leverage CRM & automation tools: Are sales and marketing working from the same data?

For example, when both teams use a shared CRM, marketing can see which content is driving the best opportunities, and sales can track engagement before even making first contact. This data-driven approach leads to higher conversions and fewer wasted efforts.

4. Encourage Continuous Communication

A one-time alignment meeting won’t cut it. Create regular and frequent opportunities for sales and marketing to share insights, such as:

• 🗓️ Weekly stand-ups to discuss opportunity quality and feedback.
• 📊 Quarterly performance reviews to refine strategies.
• 📣 Joint training sessions to understand customer pain points together.

The more these teams collaborate, the stronger your revenue engine becomes.

The Business Impact of Alignment

When sales and marketing align, magic happens:

• 🚀 Better Opportunity Quality – Marketing attracts the right audience, and sales can close more deals.
• 💰 Higher Revenue – Companies with aligned teams see 38% higher sales win rates.
• 📉 Less Wasted Spend – Misalignment between sales and marketing costs businesses an estimated 10% of annual revenue.
• 👥 Stronger Customer Relationships – A seamless buyer journey builds trust and loyalty.

The bottom line? Sales and marketing aren’t separate entities—they’re two sides of the same coin. When they work together, businesses don’t just grow. They thrive.

Ready to Align Your Sales and Marketing?

At DVANA, we specialise in bridging the gap between sales and marketing, ensuring your teams work together seamlessly to drive real revenue growth.

Let’s stop the miscommunication and start seeing results. Book a free consultation with DVANA today and take the first step towards sales and marketing alignment!