In today’s fast-paced business environment, a successful go-to-market (GTM) strategy hinges on the seamless alignment of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success (CS) teams. However, achieving this alignment is easier said than done. Misaligned objectives, fragmented processes, and the challenges of remote work often stand in the way.

Revenue leaders met over a LinkedIn Live and discussed the practical strategies they successfully use to unify their GTM teams and to drive business success. Below we’re sharing their valuable insights. 

If you’re interested in watching the entire talk, Overcoming Buyer Hesitation and Indecision, you can view it here.

Understanding the Fragmentation

In many organizations, sales, marketing, and customer success (CS) operate as distinct entities with separate objectives and key results (OKRs). This fragmentation can lead to misaligned efforts and missed opportunities. John Eitel, Chief Sales Officer at Demandbase, aptly described this challenge: “The sales and CS relationship and the sales and marketing relationship can often be strained… it’s like cats and dogs living under one roof.”

Lily Youn Jaroszewski, Head of Growth at Gradient Works, highlighted how this fragmentation can impact overall performance, especially under the pressure of ambitious goals. “We’re in an environment where the goals are harder to hit. And if marketing and sales aren’t on the same page, you’ll see the cracks form very quickly. It’s all about alignment, alignment, alignment.”

The shift to remote work has further complicated these relationships. “Over the last few years, we all got distributed. So many of us who might’ve gone into an office now, don’t ever go into an office, may never go back into an office. We’ve had to learn this new muscle of how to collaborate and work now distributed,” John added. This new dynamic requires robust systems and processes to maintain alignment.

The strain is then exacerbated by increasing pressures on teams to achieve ambitious targets with fewer resources, or as we’re hearing throughout the tech industry more and more lately: doing more with less.

The Importance of Leadership and Systems

Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering alignment among GTM teams. Building the right systems and processes is essential for informed decision-making and effective collaboration. John said, “It really puts a lot of onus on leadership and building the right systems and building the right processes to inform that.”

Lily added, “Leadership isn’t just about setting the direction; it’s about making sure everyone is rowing in the same direction. Without that, you’ll find teams working in silos, and that’s where inefficiencies creep in.”

A top-down approach can set the tone for cross-functional collaboration. Leaders must champion the cause of alignment by establishing clear communication channels and ensuring that all teams have a shared vision. This involves regular check-ins, setting unified objectives, and creating an environment where feedback is encouraged and acted upon.

Effective systems include shared dashboards and integrated CRM tools that provide visibility into each team’s activities and progress. This transparency helps in identifying bottlenecks and areas of improvement, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions that aim toward the same goals.

Goal Setting and Communication

Achieving alignment starts with setting shared goals and maintaining open communication. Fragmented goals lead to fragmented efforts. As John pointed out, “Goals are getting harder to hit… goals that were set three years ago or expected to grow from three years ago have been kind of compressed or under pressure.”

Lily expanded on this, stating, “If marketing is driving toward one set of metrics and sales toward another, you’re already setting yourself up for conflict. It’s essential that we have one unified goal that both teams are accountable for.”

Shared dashboards and regular communication can help teams stay on the same page. John highlighted, “Shared dashboards, visibility, better communication mechanisms, regular cadence around that… those are all the things that I’ve seen stand out.”

Additionally, establishing a regular cadence of inter-departmental meetings can facilitate better understanding and collaboration. These meetings can be used to review progress, discuss challenges, and align on strategies. Creating cross-functional project teams can also foster closer collaboration and break down silos.

The Role of Relationships and Collaboration

Aligning sales, marketing, and CS is much like maintaining a strong relationship. “The sales and CS relationship is a relationship… very much like a marriage to a partner or a spouse. I think when you’re not investing in it, that’s when things kind of come apart,” John noted.

Cuyler Owens, Chief Revenue Officer at TrustRadius, emphasized the need for mutual respect and understanding among teams, stating, “It’s about knowing what the other team is going through, understanding their challenges, and working together to overcome them. It’s not just about hitting your own targets; it’s about helping the entire organization succeed.”

Fostering a culture of collaboration can be achieved through regular team-building activities and joint training sessions. Encouraging team members to understand and appreciate each other’s roles can lead to better empathy and cooperation. John remarked, “If both are chasing different customers with mixed messages without great handoffs, it means that we’re just wasting a lot of ways there.”

Practical Strategies for Alignment

People, Process, Technology Framework

Lily shared her approach to GTM alignment using the People, Process, Technology framework. “Personally, I’ll share a story of one of the things that I really focus on is our ICP, making sure marketing and sales is aligned on what our ICP actually is and if it changes that also needs to be communicated.”

Ensuring that all teams are aligned on the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is crucial. This alignment ensures that marketing targets the right audience, sales engages with prospects effectively, and CS provides value to the right customers. Lily added, “We need to make sure we’re having this process that marketing and sales are both agreeing upon—that we agree upon the ICP and then we agree upon the way we’re going to be targeting the ICP.”

This involves creating standardized procedures for communication, lead handoffs, and performance tracking. Using integrated tools and platforms can streamline these processes, ensuring that everyone has access to the same information and metrics. Training and enablement programs can also equip team members with the skills and knowledge needed to work effectively across functions.

Cuyler added, “You have to make it easy for teams to collaborate. That means clear processes, yes, but also the right tools. If your systems aren’t integrated, you’re going to see breakdowns in communication and execution.”

If you’re unsure if your systems integrate (especially with your CRM), check out your software’s integration page or reach out to your CSM there. Even if you don’t see an integration listed, sometimes it can be placed on a development roadmap with the software.

If you find that you’re missing a critical integration that could save your team time and money (all to help build your revenue), it may be time to look for new software. 

On TrustRadius, you can search for the integrations a software has under “Product Details.”

Slow Down to Speed Up

Taking the time to create a unified message and vision is critical. Cuyler said, “Slow down to speed up a little bit… take the time to pull a message together, take the time to get everyone’s feedback and buy-in.”

This approach involves engaging all stakeholders in the creation of the GTM strategy. By getting input from sales, marketing, and CS, leaders can ensure that the strategy reflects the perspectives and expertise of all teams. This collaborative approach not only fosters buy-in but also ensures that the strategy is comprehensive and actionable.

Lily echoed this sentiment, adding, “If you rush the planning phase, you’ll pay for it in execution. Taking that extra time upfront to ensure alignment can save you a lot of headaches down the road.”

Leveraging Customer Success

Customer Success plays a pivotal role in the GTM strategy. CS Qualified Leads (CSQLs) can drive both new business and expansion opportunities. “Our CS qualified leads are actually converting at the highest rate of any source of business that we have,” Cuyler shared.

Leveraging existing customer relationships can yield significant benefits. CS teams are uniquely positioned to identify expansion opportunities and advocate for customer needs. By aligning CS efforts with sales and marketing, organizations can create a seamless customer journey that drives both retention and growth.

Lily emphasized the importance of CS in the alignment process, saying, “CS is not just about keeping customers happy; it’s about driving growth. When CS is aligned with sales and marketing, you create a powerful engine for both retention and expansion.”

Transparency and Enablement

Transparency in marketing and sales processes is becoming increasingly important. “The value and the importance of transparency is so key and critical here,” John noted. Ungating content and making information readily available to prospects can enhance trust and engagement. “We did that last year in Q3… ultimately I think it’s good for our buyers,” Lily shared.

In the age of information, buyers expect easy access to information. Gating content can be a barrier to engagement. By making content freely available, organizations can build trust and establish themselves as thought leaders. This approach also aligns with the trend toward greater transparency and authenticity in marketing.

Revenue enablement, acting as the connective tissue between sales, marketing, and CS, is vital for maintaining alignment. “I think enablement plays a major role here… I like to refer to it as revenue enablement,” John stated.

Cuyler expanded on this, saying, “Revenue enablement is about more than just training; it’s about making sure that everyone is equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to work together effectively. It’s the glue that holds the entire GTM strategy together.”

This includes creating a centralized repository of content, facilitating cross-functional training sessions, and establishing clear communication channels.

Aligning sales, marketing, and CS teams is crucial for a successful GTM strategy. By understanding the fragmentation, setting shared goals, investing in relationships, and leveraging practical strategies, organizations can achieve unified efforts and drive business success.

As John wisely noted, “This is the time and I call to action for folks to feel that way and really talk about that. We speak a lot about this at Demandbase. There are lots of stats out there that show that 60% or more of teams feel disconnected… if we don’t figure that out, there is so much waste because marketing has the biggest budgets for spend to capture that attention.”

Cuyler summed it up perfectly: “At the end of the day, alignment isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. If you’re not aligned, you’re not going to succeed.”

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