What data needs to be shared between marketing, sales, and customer success?

Key shared data includes account hierarchy, contacts and buying roles, engagement scores, opportunity data, product usage and health indicators, and lifecycle dates such as onboarding completion, renewals, and expansions. This should live in a shared CRM and analytics layer.

How do frameworks like RM6 help with collaboration on lifecycle programs?

RM6 provides a common language for revenue marketing maturity across strategy, people, process, technology, and results. It helps marketing, sales, and customer success see where they are misaligned today and what needs to change in order to run lifecycle programs as a unified revenue engine.

How should marketing, sales, and CS collaborate on lifecycle programs?

Marketing, sales, and CS should collaborate on lifecycle programs by co-owning a single lifecycle map, agreeing on entry/exit criteria and SLAs, and designing plays together for each stage— from acquisition to onboarding, adoption, expansion, and renewal. A shared operating cadence, unified data and definitions, and revenue-based KPIs keep every team aligned on moving accounts to the next best action, not just hitting functional activity goals.

What Matters Most in Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration?

Shared Lifecycle Map — One documented customer journey with named stages, owners, and exit criteria that all three teams reference when planning programs and forecasting revenue.

Common Definitions & KPIs — Agreement on what “MQL,” “SAL,” “SQL,” “Customer,” and “Expansion” mean—and how they roll up to pipeline, NRR, and GRR instead of just opens, calls, or tickets.

Stage-Based SLAs — Time-bound SLAs for follow-up, handoffs, and onboarding milestones that define what each team does when a customer moves from one stage to the next.

Shared Planning — Quarterly planning where marketing, sales, and CS jointly prioritize lifecycle segments and design coordinated plays instead of building disconnected campaigns and sequences.

Unified Data Spine — A common account and contact model in CRM and marketing automation so everyone sees the same signals, health scores, and expansion opportunity data.

Feedback Loops — Structured feedback from sales and CS on play performance, content gaps, and customer objections that marketing uses to refine lifecycle programs continuously.

The Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration Playbook

Use this sequence to align marketing, sales, and CS around lifecycle programs that drive pipeline, NRR, and GRR—not just activity volume.

Align → Map → Design → Orchestrate → Enable → Review

Align on revenue outcomes: Start with a joint view of targets for pipeline, bookings, NRR, and GRR. Agree on which lifecycle stages matter most for the next 12–18 months (e.g., new logo, onboarding, expansion).
Map the shared lifecycle: Co-create a lifecycle map that includes stages, entry/exit criteria, data requirements, and owners. Document how leads, contacts, and accounts move between teams and systems.
Design stage-based plays: For each lifecycle stage, define coordinated plays: target segments, offers, content, channels, and orchestrated actions from marketing, sales, and CS (including outreach and in-product touchpoints).
Orchestrate in your systems: Implement plays in marketing automation, CRM, and CS tools with consistent naming, scoring, and routing rules so handoffs and alerts are clear and trackable.
Enable teams on the plays: Train marketing, sellers, and CSMs on lifecycle definitions, SLAs, messaging, and how to use dashboards. Provide talk tracks, content menus, and play cards that live where they work.
Review and optimize together: Hold recurring revenue meetings where leaders inspect lifecycle dashboards, agree on what’s working, and prioritize changes to plays, content, and SLAs based on impact.

Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration Maturity Matrix

Capability	From (Ad Hoc)	To (Operationalized)	Owner	Primary KPI
Lifecycle Strategy	Channel plans and activity goals by function	Joint lifecycle strategy and targets for pipeline, NRR, and GRR	CMO / CRO / CCO	Revenue by Lifecycle Stage
Stage Definitions & SLAs	Competing definitions of lead and opportunity	Standardized stage names, criteria, and response SLAs	RevOps	SLA Adherence %
Handoffs & Routing	Manual handoffs via email or spreadsheets	Automated routing with clear ownership and alerts	Sales Ops / Marketing Ops	Time-to-First Touch
Plays & Content	One-off campaigns and ad hoc outreach	Reusable lifecycle plays with aligned messaging and assets	Lifecycle Marketing	Stage Conversion Rate
Measurement & Dashboards	Separate reports for each function	Shared dashboards for pipeline, NRR, GRR, and stage performance	RevOps / Analytics	Forecast Accuracy
Operating Rhythm	Fire drills and post-mortems	Structured revenue meetings with agreed actions and owners	Revenue Council	Action Completion Rate

Client Snapshot: Aligning GTM Teams Around a Shared Lifecycle

A large B2B provider rebuilt its lead management and lifecycle programs by bringing marketing, sales, and operations to the same table. Together, they defined a shared lifecycle, standardized handoffs, and used automation to keep every team working from the same playbook. The result: better conversion at every stage and more than $1B in revenue impact tied to a disciplined, cross-functional operating model. See how a unified approach to lifecycle and lead management can transform performance in Transforming Lead Management: How Comcast Business Optimized Marketing Automation and Drove $1B in Revenue .

When marketing, sales, and CS share one lifecycle strategy, one set of definitions, and one view of the truth, lifecycle programs stop competing for attention and start compounding into durable revenue growth.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration

Who should own lifecycle programs—marketing, sales, or customer success?

Lifecycle programs should be co-owned. Marketing often leads design and orchestration, sales and CS own high-value human touchpoints, and RevOps coordinates data, systems, and governance. Strategic ownership typically sits with a revenue council or joint leadership team, not a single function.

How do we align incentives across marketing, sales, and CS?

Shift from activity-based goals to shared revenue outcomes by lifecycle stage. Tie compensation and scorecards to pipeline, win rate, expansion, and retention metrics that each team can influence, instead of isolated KPIs like MQL volume or dials alone.

How often should teams meet to review lifecycle performance?

Many organizations hold monthly lifecycle reviews to inspect dashboards and plays, plus quarterly strategy sessions to reset priorities and design new programs. The key is a consistent rhythm where data, decisions, and actions are captured and tracked.

What data needs to be shared between marketing, sales, and CS?

At a minimum: account hierarchy, contacts and roles, engagement scores, opportunity data, product usage and health, and key lifecycle dates (onboarding completion, renewals, expansions). This information should live in a shared CRM and analytics layer.

How do frameworks like RM6 help with collaboration?

The RM6 Revenue Marketing framework provides a common language for maturity across strategy, people, process, technology, and results. It helps marketing, sales, and CS see where they are misaligned today and what needs to change in order to run lifecycle programs as a unified revenue engine.

Where should we start if teams are currently siloed?

Start with a joint working session to document the current lifecycle, identify friction points between teams, and choose one or two high-impact stages (like onboarding or renewal) to tackle first. Use that progress to build trust and momentum before expanding to the full lifecycle.

Turn Lifecycle Collaboration into a Revenue Engine

We’ll help marketing, sales, and CS align around shared lifecycle programs, dashboards, and operating cadences.

Explore Revenue Marketing Dashboard Metrics Define Your Content Strategy

Explore More

Key Principles of Revenue Marketing What Is Revenue Marketing? Pedowitz RM6 Insights Revenue Marketing eGuide

How Should Marketing, Sales, and CS Collaborate on Lifecycle Programs?

What Matters Most in Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration?

The Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration Playbook

Align → Map → Design → Orchestrate → Enable → Review

Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration Maturity Matrix

Client Snapshot: Aligning GTM Teams Around a Shared Lifecycle

Frequently Asked Questions about Cross-Functional Lifecycle Collaboration

Turn Lifecycle Collaboration into a Revenue Engine

Get in touch with a revenue marketing expert.

Send Us an Email

Schedule a Call

Solutions

Resources

About TPG