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How Should Marketing, Sales, and CS Collaborate on Acceleration?
Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success accelerate journeys when they operate from a shared revenue model, execute joint plays across the lifecycle, and measure progress with one set of metrics—not three competing scorecards.
Marketing, Sales, and CS should collaborate on acceleration by working from a shared customer journey and revenue operating model, co-owning stage definitions and SLAs, and running cross-functional plays that move accounts forward faster. Instead of hand-offs between silos, they align on who does what, when, and with which signals—then use common dashboards to track velocity, conversion, and retention as one team.
What Matters Most for Cross-Functional Acceleration?
One Revenue Story, Not Three — Use a unifying framework like What Is Revenue Marketing? Pedowitz RM6 Insights so leaders across Marketing, Sales, and CS align on how value is created across the lifecycle.
Shared Journey & Definitions — Define common lifecycle stages (MQA/MQL, SAL, SQL, Opportunity, Customer, Expansion) with clear entry/exit criteria owned by all three functions—not just one.
Joint Plays, Clear Swimlanes — Build plays where Marketing, Sales, and CS show up together: pre-opportunity education, deal acceleration, implementation success, adoption, and expansion motions.
Unified Metrics & Dashboards — Replace function-specific dashboards with shared views inspired by What Metrics Belong in a Revenue Marketing Dashboard?, focusing everyone on velocity, conversion, and NRR.
Operating Cadence & Governance — Establish recurring revenue councils, pipeline reviews, and QBRs where the three teams diagnose friction and agree on fixes together.
Customer-Informed Roadmap — CS brings real-world adoption and renewal insights back into content, campaigns, and sales plays, so each iteration of the journey gets faster and more relevant.
The Marketing + Sales + CS Acceleration Playbook
Use this sequence to turn three separate functions into a single Revenue Acceleration team that moves buyers and customers forward together.
Align → Map → Design → Orchestrate → Measure → Optimize
- Align on outcomes and operating model: Bring leaders from all three teams together to agree on revenue, pipeline, and retention targets. Use models such as the Revenue Marketing Index or Revenue Marketing Assessment (RM6) to benchmark maturity and identify the biggest acceleration opportunities.
- Map the end-to-end journey: Co-create a single journey map from first touch to renewal/expansion. For each stage, define: who leads, who supports, required signals, content, offers, and time-bound SLAs.
- Design cross-functional plays: Build a library of plays (e.g., “Late-stage acceleration,” “Onboarding to first value,” “At-risk renewal rescue”) that detail how Marketing, Sales, and CS collaborate—channels, messages, owners, and success measures.
- Orchestrate systems and data: Align CRM, MAP, and CS platforms so intent signals, engagement, product usage, and support data trigger unified plays, not disconnected actions from each team.
- Measure velocity together: Use shared dashboards to track time-in-stage, conversion, pipeline velocity, and expansion by segment and motion. Review them together in weekly pipeline reviews and monthly acceleration councils.
- Optimize and institutionalize: Turn learnings into updated playbooks, enablement, and content. As wins emerge, codify them into your Revenue Marketing operating system so acceleration isn’t a project—it’s how you run the business.
Cross-Functional Acceleration Maturity Matrix
| Dimension | From (Siloed) | To (Orchestrated) | Primary Owner(s) | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals & Targets | Separate MQL, quota, and renewal targets by function. | Shared revenue, pipeline, and NRR goals with function-level contributions. | CRO / CMO / CS Leader | Revenue vs. Plan; NRR |
| Journey Definition | Multiple, conflicting lifecycle stages and definitions. | One standard lifecycle with agreed entry/exit criteria and SLAs. | RevOps | Stage Acceptance & SLA Compliance |
| Plays & Campaigns | Marketing runs campaigns; Sales and CS react ad hoc. | Joint plays where all three teams have defined roles, assets, and actions. | Revenue Marketing + Sales Leadership + CS Leadership | % Opportunities & Accounts Touched by Joint Plays |
| Data & Insight | Function-specific reports and disconnected views. | Shared dashboards spanning demand, pipeline, product usage, and retention. | RevOps / Analytics | Pipeline Velocity; Time-in-Stage |
| Operating Rhythm | Separate team meetings; ad hoc collaboration. | Recurring revenue councils, joint pipeline reviews, and QBRs. | Executive Revenue Team | Action Items Completed per Cycle |
| Customer Experience | Fragmented messages and duplicate outreach. | Coordinated account-level experiences from first touch through renewal. | Marketing + Sales + CS | CSAT / NPS; Expansion Rate |
Client Snapshot: Cross-Functional Alignment That Drove $1B in Revenue
In the Comcast Business case study, The Pedowitz Group helped unify Marketing, Sales, and Operations around a shared lead management and automation strategy. By standardizing definitions, orchestrating plays, and using common KPIs, the teams worked as one revenue engine—contributing to $1B in revenue impact and significantly faster progression from initial interest to closed-won.
When Marketing, Sales, and CS collaborate through a shared operating model, standard plays, and unified dashboards, acceleration stops being a slogan and becomes a measurable, repeatable way of running the business.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cross-Functional Acceleration
What is “acceleration” in a Revenue Marketing context?
Acceleration is the deliberate effort to reduce time and friction between key milestones in the customer journey—from first engagement to opportunity, from opportunity to close, and from go-live to expansion. It’s not just “going faster”; it’s making each step clearer, more relevant, and better orchestrated across Marketing, Sales, and CS.
What role does Marketing play in acceleration?
Marketing fuels acceleration by creating demand, shaping education, and orchestrating engagement across accounts. That includes persona-based programs, content that addresses buying committees, and nurture plays that support both net-new and expansion motions in partnership with Sales and CS.
What role does Sales play in acceleration?
Sales drives acceleration by using insights, content, and signals from Marketing and CS to prioritize outreach, tailor discovery, and remove obstacles to decision. Sellers are the connective tissue between early interest and commercial value, and they help refine plays based on what actually resonates in the field.
What role does Customer Success play in acceleration?
CS accelerates time-to-value, adoption, and expansion. They bring real customer outcomes back into campaigns, messaging, and sales plays, and they co-own expansion and renewal motions. Their insights are essential for shaping credible proof points and “next best” experiences for similar accounts.
How do we keep all three teams aligned over time?
Use a consistent operating model like RM6 and establish a recurring rhythm: weekly pipeline reviews, monthly acceleration councils, and quarterly business reviews that include leaders from all three teams. Shared dashboards and documented plays make it easier to adjust together instead of in isolation.
How can dashboards support cross-functional acceleration?
Dashboards inspired by What Metrics Belong in a Revenue Marketing Dashboard? help all three teams see the same velocity, conversion, and retention metrics. They make it obvious where journeys stall, which plays work, and where Marketing, Sales, or CS needs to step in to keep accounts moving.
Turn Marketing, Sales, and CS into One Acceleration Engine
We’ll help you build a shared operating model, design joint plays, and stand up dashboards so every team pulls buyers and customers forward together.
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