That's a question that CMOs, CROs, CEOs, and boards often battle with. I searched far and wide to benchmark by industry, size of the org, total addressable market, sales cycle, lead flow, market penetration, average deal size, weather, and pipeline forecasts - you name it! Do I have some ballpark predictions and opinions? Sure. And I’ll unpack them in my next posts. But for now, I’ll give you this:
Marketing is a revenue function that touches 100% of your pipeline.
We (marketers) need to step away from the “channel” mindset. Yes, attribution is essential. A marketing-sourced pipeline and revenue are the KPIs everyone wants to see from us. But we’re so much more. It’s up us to elevate the “more” part and show an impact. We build brands and tell compelling stories that captivate, entertain, and delight. We make our sales counterparts look like badass experts. We create experiences (I see you, my Events people!) We create product categories. We amplify. We attract talent. We transform products into rock-star solutions. We touch every stage of the sales journey.
It’s also hard to measure. And it’s (still!) hard to connect those attribution dots. That’s why, especially now, when the value of Marketing is questioned vs. celebrated, we must step up and reframe the value of the role.
Think more holistically. Your biggest job as a marketer right now is to be a fruitful partner to Sales. Along with the “marketing-sourced pipeline,” try leading with: we help build better sales processes, we’re about higher ASPs and better funnel velocity, and we’re in Sales Enablement.
The last one is especially true. Lean into the Sales Enablement mindset as much as you can. Look at the bottom of the funnel and ask your Sales Teams: how can we help move these deals long?
I know - it’s not the aspirational value of Marketing that we like to transcend. And your teams might cringe a little. But if you want to be a true partner to Sales, start speaking their language. You’ll still get to do what you do best - creating paths for your audience to interact with your brand, educating them, and building value - you’ll just have more champions in your corner who will appreciate your art.
In need of some inspiration for actionable next steps? I have a battle-tested Sales Enablement Playbook for Marketers. Drop me a note at marina@playbooklab.com, and let’s get started.
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