Sales and Marketing alignment is a major driver of revenue growth – and a major challenge for many organizations. When these teams operate in silos, the consequences are clear: poor lead conversion, wasted content, inconsistent messaging, and a slow path to revenue. But alignment doesn’t happen on its own. It requires ownership, accountability, and a clear framework for collaboration. So, who actually drives alignment? And what does it take to make it stick?

The Leaders Behind Alignment

Alignment starts at the top. In organizations with a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), this role is often the unifying force that brings Sales and Marketing together under a shared mission. The CRO is uniquely positioned to oversee the full customer journey and break down silos between departments. As noted by CRO Club, “Eliminating friction between the teams is essential for growth, and a CRO is key to success”.

In companies without a CRO, the responsibility typically falls to the Chief Marketing Officer and the Head of Sales. These two roles must work in partnership to align goals, language, and success metrics. When they don’t – or can’t – collaborate effectively, misalignment spreads across the organization. That’s when the CEO often steps in. As highlighted by the CMO Alliance, executive support is crucial for resolving deep-rooted conflicts and creating a unified revenue strategy.

Ultimately, alignment isn’t just a departmental issue – it’s a leadership issue.

Why Alignment Becomes a Priority

Most companies don’t address alignment until something goes wrong. One of the clearest red flags is stalled revenue growth. In a case study from SuperOffice, leadership identified misalignment as a key barrier to growth. After implementing a unified strategy, the company increased new business revenue by 34%.

Another common trigger is poor lead conversion. When Sales ignores 80% of Marketing-generated leads, it’s not just a productivity issue – it’s a sign that the teams aren’t speaking the same language. Wasted content is another indicator. The Content Marketing Institute reports that as much as 70% of B2B content created by Marketing goes unused by Sales.

These inefficiencies lead to friction, finger-pointing, and missed targets. Leaders take notice when the gap between Sales and Marketing starts to show up in the numbers – or in the culture.

Signs Your Sales and Marketing Teams Are Out of Sync

When Sales and Marketing don’t operate with shared goals, the symptoms show up quickly across your funnel and revenue process. Here are some warning signs to watch for:

• Sales ignores Marketing leads or says they’re low quality
• Marketing creates content that Sales never uses
• Different definitions of what qualifies a lead or an opportunity
• Blame and finger-pointing between departments
• Separate KPIs that measure success in conflicting ways
• Messaging inconsistencies between content and sales conversations
• Lack of regular communication or collaboration on campaigns

Each of these symptoms points to a deeper issue in alignment that affects performance, pipeline, and customer experience.

What Kinds of Solutions Work

There’s no silver bullet for alignment, but there are common patterns among successful companies. Many bring in external facilitators to lead structured workshops that improve communication and create shared definitions. Others start by formalizing Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between departments, ensuring accountability in how leads are qualified, handed off, and followed up.

Technology also plays a role. A shared CRM, integrated marketing automation, and real-time dashboards can help both teams work from the same data. In some cases, companies take structural steps, creating revenue operations (RevOps) teams or hiring a CRO to centralize responsibility for alignment.

But none of these changes matter unless they’re underpinned by the right mindset – and that’s where the CASH framework comes in.

The CASH Framework: Your Guide to Real Alignment

CASH stands for Communication, Alignment, Systems, and Honesty. It’s a proven framework for helping Sales and Marketing leaders create a unified revenue team.

• Communication ensures clarity around definitions, expectations, and success metrics.
• Alignment means shared goals and joint accountability, not separate scorecards.
• Systems create repeatable processes that scale collaboration, not chaos.
• Honesty encourages real feedback loops and transparency around what’s working – and what’s not.

The CASH framework is built to turn alignment from a one-time initiative into a long-term revenue strategy.

Make Alignment a Revenue Asset

If you’re a CEO, CRO, or CMO who knows your Sales and Marketing teams could work more effectively together, now is the time to act. Alignment won’t fix itself. But with the right leadership – and a clear framework – it can transform how your organization drives growth.

To bring the CASH framework to your company, connect with A. Lee Judge for a hands-on alignment workshop. It’s more than a team-building exercise – it’s a blueprint for turning collaboration into results.