Monica Caraway
Picture this: You’re running a relay race, but instead of seamlessly passing the baton, your teammate hurls it over their shoulder while running in the opposite direction. That’s what happens when marketing and sales aren’t aligned in B2B businesses. Marketing is out there wooing prospects, crafting messages, and generating leads, while sales is closing deals and gathering firsthand insights from customer conversations. The problem? If these two teams aren’t talking, your business is leaving money on the table.
That’s why you need an official Smarketing (Sales + Marketing) Alignment Meeting —a dedicated time to sync your sales and marketing teams so they function as a single revenue-generating powerhouse.
Why B2B Companies Struggle With Alignment
One of the biggest challenges in B2B is getting sales to recognize that marketing isn’t just building tradeshow booths, sending out emails and running ads. Marketing is "courting" a prospect on Sales' behalf, setting the stage so that when a prospect finally engages with sales, they’re already primed to buy.
But here’s the kicker—marketing can’t do this effectively without insights from sales. Your sales team knows exactly what prospects are asking, what objections they have, and what ultimately makes them pull the trigger on a deal. If marketing isn’t aware of this, they’ll miss the mark in their messaging and content.
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The Power of Smarketing Alignment
A Smarketing Alignment Meeting is a structured meeting designed to bridge the gap between sales and marketing. It’s not just another status update—it’s a strategic session where both teams:
- Share insights from real conversations with prospects
- Identify content gaps (what questions prospects are asking that marketing isn’t addressing)
- Fine-tune messaging to ensure consistency across the funnel
- Create a plan for ongoing collaboration
What Makes an Alignment Meeting Effective?
When sales and marketing come together for an Alignment Meeting, the focus should be on collaboration—not blame. Marketing should enter the conversation eager to learn, while sales should understand that their feedback isn’t just venting—it’s shaping more effective strategies. A key insight to keep in mind: buyers are changing—fast.
With AI, search, and digital content evolving at breakneck speed, your prospects do 80% of their research before they ever talk to a salesperson. That means your marketing needs to answer their questions before they even reach out. And the only way to do that effectively? Getting sales to share what those questions are.
How to Structure an Alignment Meeting
To get the most out of an Alignment Meeting, follow this simple structure:
- Kickoff with a Common Goal – Start with a shared mission: aligning sales and marketing to increase revenue.
- Sales Shares Prospect Insights – What are the most common questions prospects ask? What objections come up most frequently? What messaging resonates best?
- Marketing Reviews Content Performance – What content is generating leads? Where are the gaps? What’s working (or not) in campaigns?
- Collaboration Session – Identify missing content, refine messaging, and agree on shared goals.
- Action Plan & Accountability – Assign clear next steps for both teams and schedule regular check-ins.
Alignment isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing process. But having an actual meeting to officiate this commitment to syncing is a perfect way to kickstart collaboration and set the tone for long-term success.
How Strong Is Your Sales Team?
Want to know if your sales team is set up for success? Take a fast yes/no quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ: Sales Pipeline Proficiency Scorecard
✅ Answer 12 quick questions
✅ Gain valuable insights to boost your sales team’s performance
✅ Access a tremendous resource to get you started with alignment!
Marketing and sales alignment isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for growth. Start the quiz to see where you stand—and where you need to focus.
