In many organizations, sales and marketing operate like rival teams. Marketing feels their content isn’t being used, while sales insists the leads aren’t qualified. The result? Frustration, silos, and missed revenue opportunities. This divide doesn’t just create tension between teams, it directly impacts your buyers’ experience, slowing down deals and leaving revenue on the table.
Why does this happen so often?
At its core, it comes down to a lack of shared goals, consistent communication, and true understanding of how each team contributes to growth. When sales and marketing don’t see eye to eye, it creates confusion for customers and inefficiencies inside the business.
In this episode of Endless Customers, I sat down with Allison Riggs, IMPACT Head Coach, to dig into this challenge. She shares why alignment between sales and marketing is no longer optional, how to start small if your teams aren’t on the same page, and what practical steps you can take today to build trust, collaboration, and real results.
"Marketing and sales should be friends. We find that when those teams do work together, there can be huge improvements in so many areas," Allison explains.
In order to achieve this harmony, she suggests, "There needs to be at least a monthly meeting between sales team leaders and your marketing team leaders.” Regular, structured communication helps ensure everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.
These meetings aren’t just check-ins, they’re opportunities to share insights from real buyer conversations and make sure content connects to sales priorities.
Allison emphasizes that participation isn’t just about attending meetings. It’s about actively engaging and collaborating.
Asking sales to contribute ideas for content
Sharing feedback on what’s resonating with buyers
Working together to refine messaging
“We’re here to support and help, not to flip everything on its head,” she says, noting that marketers must foster an environment of partnership rather than control.
Instead of trying to win over the entire sales team at once, Allison recommends starting small:
Find a champion within the sales team who’s open to new ideas
Build trust by showing quick wins
Use that momentum to bring others on board
The main key is also being sure to share why it’s important: "When they understand the why, the what, the how, it clicks for them," Allison explains. This understanding fosters buy-in and participation from the sales team.
If your sales and marketing teams feel more like competitors than partners, now is the time to bridge the gap. Start with a single champion, set up a recurring meeting, and commit to listening as much as you lead.
By aligning both teams around shared buyer goals, you can shorten sales cycles, improve close rates, and build a stronger growth engine.
Want to learn how to implement this kind of alignment at your company? Talk with our team about how Endless Customers can help you break down silos and drive real revenue growth.
Allison Riggs is a Head Coach at IMPACT. She trains sales, marketing, and leadership teams to embrace a culture of radical transparency within their organizations, empowering them to become the most trusted voice in their space.
Email her at ariggs@impactplus.com
Connect with Allison on LinkedIn
What’s the first step to aligning sales and marketing?
Start with Alignment Day. When sales and marketing leaders come together in a structured forum—backed by a shared 90-day plan—everyone works from the same playbook. This alignment removes the silos that slow growth and builds a culture where both teams own revenue together. (That’s when momentum really starts to build.)
How do I get sales to use marketing content?
Introduce Assignment Selling. When sales is involved in creating Big 5 content and sees how it directly eliminates objections, they don’t just “use” content—they depend on it. Content stops being a marketing asset and becomes a sales tool that shortens cycles and increases close rates.
What if my sales team resists working with marketing?
Start with a single champion. Pick one salesperson who is willing to test content in their process. As they start closing more deals faster, the proof becomes undeniable. Culture shifts don’t happen overnight, but small wins spread quickly when revenue results are visible. (Nothing motivates like a fatter pipeline.)
Why does explaining the “why” matter so much?
Because trust is built on shared purpose. When sales understands that content isn’t about vanity metrics—it’s about helping buyers make confident decisions—they see how marketing is directly fueling their success. Once the “why” clicks, participation and buy-in stop being a battle.