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Establishing Shared Goals and KPIs for Marketing & Sales

Srishti Srivastava, Senior Digital Marketing Manager

If your Marketing and Sales teams face the following challenges, then this blog is a must-read:

  • Your Marketing and Sales teams operate in silos with little collaboration.
  • Your team lacks proper KPIs to work towards together.
  • Once leads are passed to Sales, the Marketing team is unclear on how to engage existing customers for higher retention and targeted marketing.
  • Your sales team struggles to identify hot leads, which results in missed revenue opportunities.

Aligning marketing and sales teams is more than just a best practice—it’s a necessity for sustainable growth. In this two-part blog series, we will outline the steps, that can help you to bridge the gap between marketing and sales.

We will explore practical strategies to foster collaboration, improve lead conversion, and maximize revenue potential. 

In this blog, we’ll tackle the foundational challenge - misaligned sales and marketing objectives. This blog covers:

So let's dive in...

 

Browser mit Pokal als Zeichen für Auszeichnungen - Digitalagentur SUNZINETHow to Create a Unified Set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The first step in aligning marketing and sales is agreeing on key metrics that define success. Both teams need to work toward the same goals and track their progress using measurable KPIs. Here are the essential metrics they should define together: 

  1. Customer Acquisition Goals 
    How many new customers should be acquired each month? 
  2. Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) per month 
    How many SQLs does marketing need to pass to sales every month? 
  3. Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) per month 
    How many MQLs does marketing need to generate to ensure the required number of SQLs?

How to calculate the MQL & SQL targets:

Let’s say your business wants to acquire 50 new customers per month.
How do you determine how many SQLs and MQLs you need?

Step 1: Determine Your SQL-to-Customer Conversion Rate 

First, look at past data to find out your SQL to Customer Conversion Rate

A formula showing the SQL-to-Customer Conversion Rate. The equation states that the SQL-to-Customer Conversion Rate is equal to the total customers won in a year divided by the total SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads) generated in a year.

For example, if your sales team converts 50% of SQLs into paying customers, then your SQL-to-customer conversion rate is 50%. 

This means your sales team needs 100 SQLs per month to consistently achieve 50 new customers per month.

A formula showing how to calculate the required SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads) per month. The equation states that if 50 customers are needed, and the SQL-to-Customer Conversion Rate is 50% (0.5), then the required SQLs per month equals 100.


Step 2: Determine Your MQL-to-SQL Conversion Rate 

Now, calculate how many MQLs you need by finding your
MQL-to-SQL Conversion Rate: 

A formula showing the MQL-to-SQL Conversion Rate. The equation states that the MQL-to-SQL Conversion Rate is equal to the total SQLs generated in a year divided by the total MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) generated in a year.

For example, if your MQL-to-SQL conversion rate is 25%, you’ll need: 400 MQLs per month

A formula showing how to calculate the required MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) per month. The equation states that if 100 SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads) are needed, and the MQL-to-SQL Conversion Rate is 25% (0.25), then the required MQLs per month equals 400.

With these simple back-calculation, you will have your marketing and Sales Team's KPIs ready:

KPI-based infographic that visualizes lead conversion rates and customer acquisition metrics | Marketing KPIs SUNZINET

 

By using these simple calculations, your marketing and sales teams can set clear, data-driven targets. 

 

user-idea-work-office-companies_blackHow do these Metrics Matter in Daily Business?

Setting and tracking these key performance indicators (KPIs) isn’t just about long-term strategy—they play a crucial role in daily operations for both marketing and sales teams.  

Here’s how these metrics provide real-time insights that drive better decision-making, faster adjustments, and overall business growth:

1. They Help Teams Stay Focused on Common Goals

With clearly defined MQL, SQL, and customer acquisition targets, both marketing and sales know exactly what they need to achieve each month.  
Instead of working in silos, they have a shared roadmap to hit business targets together. 

For example:
If the marketing team knows they need 400 MQLs per month to help sales close 50 customers, they can plan their campaigns accordingly - adjusting budgets, channels, and messaging to drive the right number of leads. 
 

2. They Act as Early Warning Signals

Conversion Rates are one of the most effective KPIs to predict future performance.  
For example, a drop in conversion rates can indicate underlying issues before they become major problems. By monitoring these metrics regularly, teams can proactively fix inefficiencies rather than reacting after revenue takes a hit. 

For example

If the MQL-to-SQL conversion rate drops, it indicates to the marketing team that their campaigns aren’t targeting the right audience.
They are generating leads, but they are not good enough. Therefore, they should tweak their messaging, change targeting strategies, to increase the conversion rate. 

If the SQL-to-Customer conversion rate decreases, then it is an indicator for the Sales team, that there are inefficiencies in the sales process.  
Sales managers then can investigate which products/teams have the lower conversion rate, and accordingly offer them better training, follow-ups support and more, to enable them to win more customers efficiently.  
 

3. They Improve Resource Allocation

Marketing and sales teams often operate on tight budgets, so understanding these conversion rates helps allocate resources efficiently. 

For example

If marketing sees that LinkedIn campaigns generate higher-quality MQLs than email marketing, they can shift ad spending accordingly to get better results without increasing costs. 
 

4. They fosters a Culture of Continuous Improvement

By reviewing KPIs on a weekly or monthly basis, both teams can identify trends, experiment with new approaches, and refine their processes over time.  

This data-driven mindset leads to continuous optimization and better business outcomes. 

For Example

If the Sales team notices in a reporting dashboard, that prospects from certain industries have a higher SQL-to-Customer conversion rate, marketing can start targeting those industries more aggressively to increase overall revenue growth. 

 

Ein Icon welches einen Handschlag zeigt als Zeichen für Zusammenarbeit - Digitalagentur SUNZINETDefining the Handoff Process 

 

Once the targets have been set, the next step is to clarify responsibility. It is a critical element of goal alignment to ensure a smooth transition of leads from marketing to sales. Establishing a clear handoff process involves: 

 infographic outlining key steps for aligning sales and marketing through lead management | Marketing KPIs SUNZINET

  • Lead Qualification Criteria – Define what makes a lead “sales-ready,” including demographic fit and behavioural engagement. 
    This can include certain engagement that shows that the lead has a high interest in the product/services offered by your company, and is ready to be contacted by your sales team. For example, the lead requested to download a brochure or view the pricing page. 
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) – A Service Level Agreement (SLA) ensures that marketing and sales align on lead generation and follow-up responsibilities. It sets clear expectations for: 
  • Lead Delivery – Marketing commits to generating a set number of qualified leads (MQLs/SQLs) per month. 
  • Follow-Up Timeline – Sales must engage leads within a specific timeframe (e.g., within 24 hours) to maximize conversions. 
  • Ongoing Feedback – Both teams review performance, adjust lead quality criteria, and refine processes for continuous improvement. 

With a strong SLA, Companies ensure accountability, improve efficiency, and drive higher revenue. 

By aligning goals and defining handoff protocols, Companies can ensure seamless collaboration, minimize wasted efforts, and maximize revenue potential.

 

Ein schwarzer Pfeil mit grünem Akzent bewegt sich nach oben und nach rechts - Digitalagentur für Wachstum - SUNZINETFinal Thought: Enable Data-Driven Growth

For companies looking to scale up, these KPIs aren’t just numbers—they’re a daily guide to smarter decision-making, better collaboration, and stronger revenue growth.  

By setting up common goals, and clear handoff protocols, and embedding these metrics into regular team discussions, Companies can stay agile, adapt quickly, and consistently improve performance to enable revenue growth.  

In the next blog post, we’ll explore how the right tools can further enhance this synergy. 

If you have any questions or need help setting up these KPIs and aligning your marketing and sales teams, feel free to contact us for a non-binding initial call.
In this call, we will discuss your challenges and help you identify the first steps toward a unified business strategy.