How to Align Your B2B Tech Sales and Marketing Teams

Sales and marketing drive a big part of acquisition and revenue. But when these teams are out of sync, the impact is immediate: weaker lead nurturing, wasted resource, and lost deals. The average overlap between sales and marketing activity is only 16%. That means for most of the time, these two functions are pulling in different directions. The result is missed opportunities and lost revenue.

So, what’s causing misalignment in B2B tech companies, and how can you fix it? Let’s take a closer look.

What is sales and marketing misalignment?

Misalignment happens when sales and marketing run separate strategies in silos. Instead of moving together as one team, they unintentionally work apart. The outcome is a disjointed approach and, very often, underwhelming results.

Common issues causing misalignment

Different goals

When teams have different measures of success, it creates tension and makes growth harder. Marketing is often tasked with driving broad reach and high volumes of leads, while sales prioritises a smaller number of high-value deals. Without shared targets, both sides risk working at cross purposes.

Lack of shared data

If marketing is focused on lead volume and sales is focused on conversions, you end up with different definitions of success. Sharing data on lead quality and conversion rates means marketers can adjust campaigns to attract the right type of customers, the ones sales can close.

Inconsistent messaging

For a joined-up approach, both teams need to agree on the value proposition and customer benefits they are pushing. Without alignment, each department tells a different story. That inconsistency confuses customers, weakens credibility, and erodes trust in your brand.

How misalignment slows growth

When sales and marketing are not aligned, conversion rates suffer. Marketing might generate leads, but if they aren't the right fit, sales can't convert them. Growth slows and revenue targets are missed.

Often, the problem sits with content. Marketing may be producing high-quality assets, but if they don't address the customer’s pain points, they won't help move prospects closer to making that all important purchase. Regular input from sales ensures marketing can tailor content and nurture journeys to real customer challenges and deliver more conversions.

Strategies for better alignment

Shared KPIs

Is success measured by the number of leads, the quality of those leads, or the revenue they generate? Agreeing KPIs together ensures sales and marketing are working to the same definition of success, not competing ones.

Better communication

Messaging across ads, campaigns, emails and calls needs to be consistent. Sales and marketing should define this together. Sales data can then show marketing what messages resonate, while marketing insights can help sales refine conversations. Regular joint meetings are a simple but powerful way to maintain alignment.

Tech integration

A shared CRM creates visibility across both teams. Sales can log customer interactions, while marketing can see what happens after campaigns go live. This feedback loop makes it easier to refine campaigns, improve targeting and strengthen the overall customer journey.

In summary

When sales and marketing are aligned, the impact on growth is clear: more relevant leads, stronger conversion rates, and better use of resource. The fix is not complicated. Set shared goals, agree on KPIs, integrate your CRM, and keep communication open.

Need support to get your teams aligned? At R3, we help B2B tech businesses join the dots between marketing, sales and technology so every part of your growth engine works together.