What Happens When Marketing and Sales Optimize for Different Metrics

When marketing is measured on MQLs and sales on revenue, you create a system of competing metrics that leads to a blame culture. We explain why the MQL is flawed and how to align both teams around "Qualified Pipeline Sourced."

The Vicious Cycle of Misalignment

Marketing lowers quality to hit volume targets, and sales ignores those leads because they're junk. Both hit their individual goals, but the company fails. This is the original sin of GTM misalignment.

Stop measuring your marketing team like a lead-generation factory and start measuring them like a revenue-generation partner.

The Solution: A Single, Shared Metric

Align both teams around "Qualified Pipeline Sourced." success is measured by the total dollar value of new, qualified opportunities accepted by sales. This forces quality at the top and collaboration in the middle.

The Takeaway

One goal, one team. Kill the MQL and focus on the health of the entire funnel. You will generate fewer, better leads and build a revenue engine where everyone is rowing in the same direction.