CEO: "Marketing influenced $10M in pipeline last quarter? Fantastic!"
CFO: "How much actually closed?"
You: "Well... Sales owns that part..."
*Record scratch*
The Pedowitz Group's Revenue Marketing Index 2025 reveals an uncomfortable truth: While 74% of B2B organizations claim pipeline or revenue as their primary metric, only 18% have achieved true Revenue Marketing maturity where marketing is actually accountable for closed revenue.
15% Have it today
The Problem: Your team celebrates MQLs while the board asks about pipeline. They think in campaigns, not customer lifetime value.
The Impact: Marketing remains a cost center, not a growth engine. Budget cuts inevitable.
The Fix: Tie every role to revenue metrics. Make pipeline contribution part of performance reviews.
28% Actually fluent
The Problem: Using AI for content is kindergarten. Your team can't interpret predictive models or optimize AI-driven campaigns.
The Impact: Competitors using AI for revenue forecasting while you're writing blog posts.
The Fix: Mandatory AI certification. Focus on revenue applications, not content generation.
34% Can do it well
The Problem: Your team produces reports, not insights. They show data, not what it means for revenue.
The Impact: Executives tune out. Marketing's strategic value questioned.
The Fix: Train on executive communication. Every metric must tie to business outcomes.
The Hard Truth: Pipeline ≠Revenue. Hope ≠Results.
Yes, measuring pipeline is better than counting MQLs. But here's why it's still not enough:
The Gap: Marketing celebrates $50M in pipeline. The business only sees $11.5M in revenue. Who's accountable for the difference?
Forget vanity metrics. Forget pipeline promises. Here's what Revenue Marketing leaders actually measure:
What it measures: Actual closed revenue from new customers that marketing influenced
Why it matters: Pipeline is hope. Revenue pays the bills.
Target: Marketing influences 40-50% of closed revenue
What it measures: Expansion, cross-sell, and upsell revenue from existing customers
Why it matters: 70% cheaper than new acquisition, 60% higher close rates
Target: 30-40% of total revenue from expansion
What it measures: Revenue growth from your existing base (expansion - churn)
Why it matters: Shows if customers actually value what you're selling
Target: >110% (growing accounts faster than losing them)
What it measures: Revenue generated per dollar of marketing spend
Why it matters: Proves marketing is an investment, not a cost center
Target: 3-5x return on marketing investment
What it measures: Days from first touch to closed revenue
Why it matters: Faster cycles = lower CAC, higher win rates
Target: 20% reduction year over year
Multi-touch attribution is fool's gold. You'll spend millions trying to track every click while missing the forest for the trees. Revenue Marketing leaders have moved on to what actually works:
Focus on the forest, not counting every tree.
Shifted from pipeline metrics to closed revenue accountability. Marketing now owns a revenue number, not a pipeline target.
Marketing accountable for both new and expansion revenue. No hiding behind "Sales owns closing."
Abandoned attribution chaos for marketing mix modeling. Optimizes spend based on revenue impact, not last click.
Stop measuring potential. Start measuring reality. Here's how:
Let's be honest about why only 18% achieve Revenue Marketing maturity:
But here's the thing: The 18% who made the leap are now indispensable. They have board-level influence. They get budget increases. They drive strategy.
The 82% measuring pipeline? They're one bad quarter away from budget cuts.
The evolution is clear:
Keep measuring potential. Keep blaming Sales. Watch your influence erode.
Measure money. Drive growth. Become indispensable to the business.
Pipeline is hope. Revenue is reality.
Which one are you measuring?
Stop hiding behind pipeline promises. Start owning revenue reality.
From The Pedowitz Group's Revenue Marketing Index 2025—exposing the gap between pipeline promises and revenue reality.