An Introduction
Sales Leaders
When Lead Volume Is High — but Quality Isn’t
Sales leaders live in the reality of revenue.
When marketing works, sales feels it immediately.
When it doesn’t, pipeline quality drops, CAC rises, and targets slip.
The Sales & Marketing Disconnect
Common frustrations:
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Leads look good on paper, but don’t convert
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Sales spends time qualifying poor-fit prospects
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Marketing celebrates volume, sales chases revenue
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No shared definition of success
This disconnect is rarely tactical — it’s leadership-driven.
The table to the left shows the common challenges from:-
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Lead Quality
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Lead definitions
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Follow up
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Prioritisation
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Timing
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Accountability
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Messaging
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Feedback Loop
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Forecasting
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Enablement
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Channel focus
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Credibility
What Sales Leaders Need from Marketing?
Sales leaders don’t need:
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More leads
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More campaigns
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More meetings
They need:-
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Alignment on ICP and qualification
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Marketing measured on pipeline quality
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Feedback loops that actually change behaviour
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Someone accountable for revenue impact
The impact of marketing leadership is felt across the following areas illustrated in the before and after impact table:-
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Lead Quality
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Lead Definitions
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Messaging
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Buyer Readiness
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Follow up
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Sales cycle
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Pipeline
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Alignment
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Enablement
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Feedback Loop
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Forecasting
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Credibility
How Marketing Leadership Aligns Revenue Teams
How Marketing Leadership Aligns Revenue Teams
Senior marketing leadership:
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Aligns marketing goals to sales outcomes
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Improves lead quality and conversion rates
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Creates shared metrics and accountability
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Removes friction between teams
Marketing becomes a revenue partner, not a lead factory.
Next Step
If sales is carrying the cost of poor marketing alignment, leadership is the fix.
A Free Marketing Health Check will create
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A structured review of alignment, pipeline quality, and revenue impact.
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A Review of 5 Competitors digital strategy
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A sizing of the opportunity
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As well as a plan of how to take that opportunity.
Marketing Leadership FAQs for SME sales leaders.
1. Why does marketing generate so many poor-quality leads?
Because activity is often measured by volume, not fit. Without marketing leadership, there’s no accountability for lead quality or sales outcomes.
2. How does marketing leadership improve lead quality?
By defining the ideal customer profile, aligning messaging to buyer needs, and measuring success on conversion and revenue — not clicks or enquiries.
3. Will marketing leadership reduce lead volume?
Often, yes — deliberately. Fewer, better-qualified leads improve conversion rates and reduce wasted sales effort.
4. How does marketing leadership support sales targets?
By aligning campaigns to revenue goals, sales capacity, and pipeline needs — not isolated marketing objectives.
5. Why don’t marketing campaigns match what sales teams actually need?
Because there’s no senior owner bridging marketing and sales. Leadership ensures priorities and messaging are aligned.
6. How does marketing leadership shorten sales cycles?
By educating buyers earlier, improving credibility, and delivering better-prepared prospects to sales teams.
7. Can marketing leadership improve forecasting accuracy?
Yes. Predictable demand generation and clearer funnel metrics make pipeline contribution easier to forecast.
8. Will marketing leadership replace my role or reduce sales influence?
No. It strengthens sales by removing friction, improving pipeline quality, and supporting revenue delivery.
9. Is a full-time marketing leader necessary to support sales?
Not usually. Many SMEs get the alignment and support sales need through part-time or fractional marketing leadership.
10. What’s the first step to fixing marketing-sales misalignment?
A structured assessment to identify where lead quality, messaging, and handover are breaking down — before changing campaigns or teams.