What are the five dimensions of sales and marketing alignment?

Revenue ownership, the handoff process, how teams work together, shared visibility, and shared direction.

Why does sales and marketing alignment matter?

Misalignment is where good leads die. When the two teams define a qualified lead differently or don’t share pipeline data, opportunities stall in a handoff nobody owns.

Is the alignment scorecard free?

Yes. It’s free, takes about four minutes, and needs no email.

Free Assessment · Optivus

Sales & Marketing
Alignment Scorecard.

Discover exactly where friction between sales and marketing is costing your company pipeline. 15 weighted questions, instant score, specific friction points identified.

4 minutes to complete 15 questions across 5 dimensions Instant results with action priorities No email required

Section 1 of 5Questions 1-3

Dimension 01 · Pipeline Accountability

Revenue Ownership

Question 1 of 15

Marketing owns a defined pipeline contribution target - a specific percentage of total pipeline that must come from marketing-generated leads.

We don't track where pipeline comes from0 pts Marketing has a target but it's rarely measured or discussed1 pt Marketing has a target and we report on it monthly2 pts Marketing's pipeline target is in the board deck and drives budget decisions3 pts

Question 2 of 15

When a deal is lost, sales and marketing review what went wrong together.

This never happens - sales handles losses internally0 pts Occasionally, but informally and without documentation1 pt Monthly structured debrief between both teams2 pts Every significant loss triggers a joint review with documented learnings that change marketing strategy3 pts

Question 3 of 15

Marketing is measured on pipeline contribution and close rates - not just lead volume or website traffic.

We track leads and impressions but not pipeline impact0 pts We track MQLs but not whether they convert to revenue1 pt We track pipeline influenced by marketing monthly2 pts Marketing's primary KPI is pipeline value generated and influenced close rate3 pts

Dimension 02 · Lead Quality & Handoff

The Handoff Process

Question 4 of 15

Marketing and sales have a written, agreed-upon definition of a "Marketing Qualified Lead" (MQL) that both teams built together.

No formal definition - sales decides case by case0 pts Marketing has a definition but sales often disagrees with it1 pt We have a definition that both teams contributed to2 pts Joint MQL definition, reviewed quarterly, with MQL-to-SQL conversion tracked3 pts

Question 5 of 15

When marketing passes a lead to sales, the lead includes meaningful context: pain points identified, content consumed, intent signals, and a recommended next step.

Leads are just a name and email address0 pts Some context is included but it's inconsistent1 pt Most leads include behavioural context from our marketing platform2 pts Every lead includes a full digital footprint, pain signals, and recommended outreach angle3 pts

Question 6 of 15

Sales follows up on marketing-generated leads within a defined SLA (e.g., within 24 hours), and compliance is tracked.

No SLA - leads sit in the CRM until someone picks them up0 pts Informal expectation exists but compliance is not measured1 pt SLA exists and we review compliance monthly2 pts SLA is tracked in real time; breaches are flagged and drive lead routing decisions3 pts

Dimension 03 · Communication & Collaboration

How Teams Work Together

Question 7 of 15

Marketing and sales meet regularly - with a set agenda - to review pipeline health, campaign performance, and upcoming initiatives.

No regular meeting - we talk when there's a problem0 pts Ad hoc meetings when issues arise1 pt Monthly joint meeting with a standing agenda2 pts Weekly sync plus monthly pipeline review; both teams share accountability for outcomes3 pts

Question 8 of 15

Sales actively uses marketing-produced content - case studies, battle cards, email sequences, decks - in their deals.

Sales creates their own content because marketing's material doesn't fit real conversations0 pts Sales occasionally uses marketing content but it's not standard practice1 pt Sales regularly uses marketing content for specific deal stages2 pts Marketing produces content based on direct sales feedback; adoption is tracked and correlated to win rates3 pts

Question 9 of 15

Marketing knows the top 5 objections sales hears in discovery and demo calls - and creates content that directly addresses them.

Marketing doesn't have visibility into what happens in sales conversations0 pts Marketing hears about objections occasionally through casual conversation1 pt Marketing has access to call recordings or CRM notes and reviews them monthly2 pts Marketing actively analyzes objection data and creates targeted content that sales uses to overcome them3 pts

Dimension 04 · Technology & Data

Shared Visibility

Question 10 of 15

Marketing and sales use connected technology - CRM is integrated with marketing automation so both teams see the same contact history.

We use different systems with no integration - data lives in silos0 pts Partial integration with significant manual data entry required1 pt Systems are connected with automated sync running2 pts Full bidirectional integration with revenue attribution reporting that both teams trust3 pts

Question 11 of 15

Both marketing and sales can see the same real-time pipeline data - deals by source, stage, and rep - without requesting a report.

Marketing doesn't have access to the CRM pipeline0 pts Marketing has read access to CRM but rarely reviews it1 pt Marketing reviews CRM pipeline data in our monthly joint meeting2 pts Marketing has a live dashboard tracking pipeline by source, stage, and conversion - reviewed weekly3 pts

Dimension 05 · Strategy & Planning

Shared Direction

Question 12 of 15

Marketing's annual plan is built around sales' revenue targets, territory priorities, and the segments where deals are most likely to close.

Marketing plans independently - we're aligned on brand but not on pipeline0 pts Marketing is aware of sales targets but builds its plan separately1 pt Marketing and sales align on revenue targets during planning2 pts Marketing and sales co-create the annual go-to-market plan with shared revenue ownership3 pts

Question 13 of 15

When sales enters a new market, launches a new product, or runs a targeted campaign, marketing is involved from the initial planning stage.

Marketing typically finds out about new initiatives after launch0 pts Marketing is notified early but isn't involved in planning decisions1 pt Marketing is consulted during planning and has input on the go-to-market approach2 pts Marketing co-leads all new market and product launch planning from day one3 pts

Question 14 of 15

Both teams agree on the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) - specifically who you're targeting, why they buy, and what makes them a good fit vs. a bad fit.

Sales and marketing are targeting different customer profiles0 pts General sense of the ICP exists but it's not written down1 pt ICP is documented and both teams have reviewed it2 pts Joint ICP, built from win/loss data, updated quarterly, used to govern all campaign and content decisions3 pts

Question 15 of 15

Marketing's budget allocation reflects the channels that sales confirms are generating the most productive conversations and deals.

Marketing allocates budget based on marketing intuition or past patterns0 pts Occasional input from sales on what's working before planning season1 pt Sales input is formally solicited before budget is allocated each quarter2 pts Budget allocation is a joint decision based on pipeline data by source - agreed by both leaders3 pts

out of 100

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Friction Points Identified

Recommended First Actions

Your score is a starting point, not a verdict.

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Sales & Marketing
Alignment Scorecard.

Revenue Ownership

Marketing owns a defined pipeline contribution target - a specific percentage of total pipeline that must come from marketing-generated leads.

When a deal is lost, sales and marketing review what went wrong together.

Marketing is measured on pipeline contribution and close rates - not just lead volume or website traffic.

The Handoff Process

Marketing and sales have a written, agreed-upon definition of a "Marketing Qualified Lead" (MQL) that both teams built together.

When marketing passes a lead to sales, the lead includes meaningful context: pain points identified, content consumed, intent signals, and a recommended next step.

Sales follows up on marketing-generated leads within a defined SLA (e.g., within 24 hours), and compliance is tracked.

How Teams Work Together

Marketing and sales meet regularly - with a set agenda - to review pipeline health, campaign performance, and upcoming initiatives.

Sales actively uses marketing-produced content - case studies, battle cards, email sequences, decks - in their deals.

Marketing knows the top 5 objections sales hears in discovery and demo calls - and creates content that directly addresses them.

Shared Visibility

Marketing and sales use connected technology - CRM is integrated with marketing automation so both teams see the same contact history.

Both marketing and sales can see the same real-time pipeline data - deals by source, stage, and rep - without requesting a report.

Shared Direction

Marketing's annual plan is built around sales' revenue targets, territory priorities, and the segments where deals are most likely to close.

When sales enters a new market, launches a new product, or runs a targeted campaign, marketing is involved from the initial planning stage.

Both teams agree on the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) - specifically who you're targeting, why they buy, and what makes them a good fit vs. a bad fit.

Marketing's budget allocation reflects the channels that sales confirms are generating the most productive conversations and deals.

-

Friction Points Identified

Recommended First Actions

Your score is a starting point, not a verdict.

How do you measure sales and marketing alignment?

Frequently asked questions

Sales & MarketingAlignment Scorecard.

Revenue Ownership

Marketing owns a defined pipeline contribution target - a specific percentage of total pipeline that must come from marketing-generated leads.

When a deal is lost, sales and marketing review what went wrong together.

Marketing is measured on pipeline contribution and close rates - not just lead volume or website traffic.

The Handoff Process

Marketing and sales have a written, agreed-upon definition of a "Marketing Qualified Lead" (MQL) that both teams built together.

When marketing passes a lead to sales, the lead includes meaningful context: pain points identified, content consumed, intent signals, and a recommended next step.

Sales follows up on marketing-generated leads within a defined SLA (e.g., within 24 hours), and compliance is tracked.

How Teams Work Together

Marketing and sales meet regularly - with a set agenda - to review pipeline health, campaign performance, and upcoming initiatives.

Sales actively uses marketing-produced content - case studies, battle cards, email sequences, decks - in their deals.

Marketing knows the top 5 objections sales hears in discovery and demo calls - and creates content that directly addresses them.

Shared Visibility

Marketing and sales use connected technology - CRM is integrated with marketing automation so both teams see the same contact history.

Both marketing and sales can see the same real-time pipeline data - deals by source, stage, and rep - without requesting a report.

Shared Direction

Marketing's annual plan is built around sales' revenue targets, territory priorities, and the segments where deals are most likely to close.

When sales enters a new market, launches a new product, or runs a targeted campaign, marketing is involved from the initial planning stage.

Both teams agree on the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) - specifically who you're targeting, why they buy, and what makes them a good fit vs. a bad fit.

Marketing's budget allocation reflects the channels that sales confirms are generating the most productive conversations and deals.

-

Friction Points Identified

Recommended First Actions

Your score is a starting point, not a verdict.

How do you measure sales and marketing alignment?

Frequently asked questions

Sales & Marketing
Alignment Scorecard.