Before the internet, buying looked completely different. Take car shopping, for example. In the 1990s, car buyers visited the dealership four or more times before making a decision. They browsed the showroom, picked up brochures, went on test drives, and came back again to finalize the deal.
Today? Most car purchases happen in a single visit.
This shift isn’t unique to the auto industry. Across nearly every sector, the internet has empowered buyers to research independently, compare options, and educate themselves long before contacting a company.
Marcus cites a striking statistic: buyers are now 80% of the way through their buying journey before they ever talk to sales.
That means marketing plays a bigger role than ever before in the sales process.
If sales and marketing teams aren’t working together, the customer experience can feel disconnected. Buyers might see polished, helpful content online, but then encounter sales conversations that don’t match the message.
The result? Frustration, mistrust, and lost deals.
Marcus Sheridan suggests eliminating the traditional silos and creating a unified revenue team. This approach ensures both groups are working from the same playbook.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Shared goals: Sales and marketing track the same KPIs and success metrics.
Collaborative content creation: Sales shares common buyer questions, allowing marketing to create educational articles, videos, and guides.
Regular meetings: Weekly or monthly syncs ensure everyone stays aligned.
Full visibility: Both teams have access to the same dashboards and data.
When sales and marketing operate as one, buyers win — and so does the business.
Marketing guides prospects 80% of the way with content that educates and builds trust.
Sales provides real-world insights to make marketing content more accurate and useful.
The buyer journey feels seamless, with consistent messaging at every stage.
Friction disappears between teams, replaced with collaboration.
This unified approach not only improves customer experience but also shortens sales cycles, increases close rates, and builds long-term trust.
If you’re asking yourself, “How do I align sales and marketing to meet today’s buyers where they are?” the answer is clear: treat them as one team with a shared mission.
At IMPACT, we help companies build revenue teams that eliminate silos and create buyer-focused strategies. Talk to our team to learn how to align your sales and marketing so you can deliver the seamless, trust-driven experience buyers expect today.
Marcus Sheridan is a writer, speaker, and business expert who’s worked with companies all over the world. Marcus is the author of Endless Customers and They Ask, You Answer.
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Why do buyers wait so long to talk to sales?
Buyers today have unlimited access to online resources. They want to feel informed and in control before engaging with sales. By the time they reach out, many have already made up most of their buying decision.
What role does marketing play in the sales process?
Marketing now handles the first 80% of the buyer’s journey through content like blogs, videos, and buyer’s guides that answer key questions. Strong marketing builds trust early, making the sales conversation smoother and faster.
How do I start aligning sales and marketing?
Begin by holding joint meetings where sales shares common buyer questions and marketing commits to creating resources that answer them. From there, set shared goals and measure success together, not in silos.
What’s the biggest mistake companies make with sales and marketing?
Treating them as separate teams with separate goals. Without shared accountability, the customer experience suffers. Alignment only works when both teams see themselves as part of the same revenue engine.