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Sales and Marketing teams are supposed to work toward the same goal of generating revenue. But in many companies, these teams feel like they’re working in completely different worlds. Marketing brings in leads, but Sales say they aren’t qualified. Sales wants more follow-up from Marketing, but Marketing doesn’t know which leads are worth nurturing. The result? Missed opportunities, wasted effort, and frustration on both sides.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Sales and marketing misalignment is a common problem in business, but it’s also one that can be easily fixed. With the right tools and strategy, your teams can work together seamlessly, collectively turning more leads into customers and driving revenue growth
This is where HubSpot comes in. HubSpot’s CRM, automation, and reporting tools are designed to draw Sales and Marketing teams onto the same page. In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Why Sales and Marketing teams often struggle to align
- How HubSpot helps bridge the gap between the two
- Best practices for using HubSpot to improve collaboration and efficiency
By the end, you’ll have a clear strategy for making your Sales and Marketing functions work together as a unified, high-performing team using HubSpot.
Why Sales & Marketing Teams Struggle to Align
Sales and Marketing are supposed to work together to drive revenue, but in many businesses, these teams feel disconnected. Instead of operating as one seamless unit, they often clash over lead quality, follow-ups, and strategy. Is this sounding familiar?
There are several common reasons why Sales and Marketing teams struggle to align:
1. Different Goals and Success Metrics
Marketing teams are often measured by the number of leads they generate, while Sales teams are focused on closing deals. This difference creates a disconnect – Marketing may celebrate a high volume of leads, but if Sales sees those leads as low-quality, frustration builds.
Example: Marketing generates 1,000 new leads in a month, but if only a handful convert into paying customers, Sales might feel like those leads aren’t worth pursuing.
2. Lack of Shared Data and Visibility
Without a shared system for tracking leads and customer interactions, Marketing and Sales teams operate in silos. Marketing might not know which leads turn into customers, and Sales might not know what touchpoints a lead engaged with before contacting them.
Example: A potential customer downloads an e-book, attends a webinar, and opens multiple emails – but all the Sales rep sees is a name and phone number, with zero context.
3. Poor Lead Qualification and Hand-Off Process
If there’s no clear definition of what makes a lead “sales-ready,” Sales teams may waste time on leads that aren’t a good fit. Meanwhile, Marketing may feel that Sales isn’t following up on leads quickly or effectively.
Example: Marketing hands off a lead that downloaded a whitepaper, but the Sales team considers them unqualified because they haven’t shown buying intent. Without clear lead scoring, the lead may be ignored instead of nurtured.
4. Lack of Communication and Collaboration
Sales and Marketing often operate as separate teams with little communication. Without alignment meetings, shared reporting, or collaborative goal setting, both teams end up blaming each other when things don’t go as planned.
Example: Marketing launches a new campaign, but Sales isn’t aware of the messaging. Sales later contacts a lead who refers to the campaign – and the Sales rep, caught completely off guard, struggles to continue the conversation effectively.
So, what’s the big fuss about this misalignment?
For business owners, the misalignment between Marketing and Sales poses a huge problem – because this is what tends to happen:
- Missed revenue opportunities due to poor lead handoff
- Wasted Marketing spend on campaigns that don’t convert
- Slower sales cycles and lower close rates
- Frustration between teams, leading to inefficiency
But there is good news! These challenges can be solved, thanks to HubSpot – a platform filled with the tools to effectively bridge the gap between Marketing and Sales, ensuring a smoother, collaborative approach and more revenue!
Read: How HubSpot Gives Businesses Full Visibility over their Sales & Marketing Activities
How HubSpot Bridges the Gap Between Sales and Marketing
HubSpot is designed to bring Sales and Marketing teams together by providing shared tools, data, and automation. Instead of working in silos, both teams can collaborate within a single platform—meaning that leads are properly nurtured, qualified, and followed up on at the right time.
So, how does HubSpot help align Sales and Marketing for better efficiency and higher conversion rates?
1. A Centralised CRM for Shared Customer Data
One of the biggest barriers to alignment is a lack of shared information. HubSpot’s CRM allows both Sales and Marketing to track every interaction a lead has with your business.
How this helps:
- Marketing can see which leads are engaging with emails, ads, and content.
- Sales gets a full picture of a lead’s journey before they reach out.
- Both teams have real-time access to contact details, past conversations, and engagement history.
In short, a centralised CRM eliminates blind spots and allows for better, more personalised follow-ups.
2. Lead Scoring and Qualification to Improve Sales Efficiency
Not all leads have reached the buying stage, and Sales teams waste valuable time chasing unqualified prospects. HubSpot’s lead scoring feature assigns points based on a lead’s behaviour, engagement, and fit, helping Sales reps place their focus on the most promising opportunities.
How this helps:
- Marketing can define what a “qualified lead” looks like based on real data.
- Sales can prioritise leads that are more likely to convert.
- Automation ensures leads aren’t handed off too early or too late.
By setting up lead scoring, both teams agree on when a lead is ready for the Sales team to engage, reducing friction and improving conversion rates.
3. Marketing Automation to Keep Leads Engaged
Leads undergo a (sometimes lengthy) journey between their initial interest and a purchase – and the last thing you want is to lose them along the way. HubSpot’s marketing automation tools ensure that your leads stay engaged with relevant content until the time they become ‘sales-ready’.
How this helps:
- Automated email sequences stay in regular contact with leads to nurture them.
- Sales can see which leads are engaging the most and follow up strategically.
- Workflows can trigger personalised content based on a lead’s behavior.
This activity keeps potential customers warm without requiring manual effort from either team, giving them time back to focus elsewhere.
4. Shared Dashboards and Reporting for Better Collaboration
HubSpot’s reporting tools allow both Sales and Marketing teams to track key metrics, including:
- Lead conversion rates
- Sales cycle length
- Revenue generated from marketing efforts
How this helps:
- Sales and Marketing can see what’s working and adjust strategies together.
- Both teams stay accountable with shared performance metrics.
- Data-driven decisions replace guesswork and finger-pointing.
With clear reporting, your Sales and Marketing teams can work toward the same revenue goals instead of blaming each other for gaps in performance.
So, you can see how HubSpot provides the tools needed to break down silos, improve communication, and create a seamless lead-to-customer journey. But to make it work, businesses need to apply best practices for aligning their teams within the platform.
Best Practices for Sales & Marketing Alignment in HubSpot
Using HubSpot to align Sales and Marketing is more than just having the right tools – it’s about knowing exactly how to use them effectively. So, here are the best practices – and how to implement them in HubSpot – to ensure both teams are working together seamlessly within the platform.
1. Define a Shared Definition of a Qualified Lead
One of the biggest friction points between Sales and Marketing is lead quality. Marketing generates leads, but Sales often feel they aren’t ready to buy. The solution? Clearly define what makes a lead “qualified.”
How to do this in HubSpot:
- Set up lead scoring based on engagement (e.g., downloads, email opens, site visits).
- Create Lifecycle Stages in HubSpot to classify leads as Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) or Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs).
- Ensure both teams agree on the stage when the lead should be handed off from Marketing to Sales.
This ensures that Sales only receives leads that are actually ready for a conversation.
2. Automate Lead Handoff for a Seamless Transition
Once Marketing generates a qualified lead, it should be passed to Sales at the right time with all the necessary information and background context.
How to do this in HubSpot:
- Use workflows to automatically assign MQLs to the sales team when they meet predefined criteria.
- Set up notifications so Sales reps are alerted when a hot lead takes a key action (e.g., requesting a demo).
- Make sure all lead activity (emails opened, pages visited, forms submitted) is tracked in the CRM so Sales have full visibility.
This ensures timely follow-ups and prevents leads from slipping through the cracks.
3. Use Shared Dashboards to Track Progress
Sales and Marketing need to track the same metrics to ensure they’re working toward a common goal. Instead of separate reports, use shared dashboards in HubSpot to monitor:
- Number of MQLs generated
- Lead-to-customer conversion rate
- Revenue generated from marketing-driven leads
How this helps:
- Both teams can see what’s working (and what’s not).
- It removes guesswork and blame, since performance is backed by data.
- It encourages team collaboration instead of competition.
4. Hold Regular Sales and Marketing Alignment Meetings
Even with the best automation and data tracking, real alignment happens when teams actually communicate! To achieve this, set up monthly or bi-weekly check-ins where Sales and Marketing can:
- Review data from HubSpot dashboards
- Discuss lead quality and follow-up success
- Adjust strategies based on performance insights
This regular communication keeps both teams aligned and ensures HubSpot is being used effectively.
Turning Sales & Marketing into One High-Performing Team
Sales and Marketing alignment isn’t just about improving internal collaboration – it directly impacts revenue, efficiency, and customer experience. When both teams work together seamlessly, businesses create a smoother path from lead to customer, nurture stronger relationships, and ultimately close more deals.
Here’s what to focus on moving forward:
- Use HubSpot as a central source of truth for shared customer data.
- Define and automate the lead handoff process to ensure Sales receive qualified leads at the right time.
- Track performance with shared dashboards to align both teams on key metrics.
- Encourage ongoing communication between Sales and Marketing through regular check-ins.
By applying these strategies, you’ll transform Sales and Marketing from separate functions into a unified team that works toward a common goal: driving your company’s growth.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like to read How to Convince Your CEO or Management that HubSpot is a Good Investment next!
