Friction between sales and marketing often stems from using separate definitions for a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) and a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). The most effective approach is to have one unified definition: a potential customer that sales can realistically close. This focuses both teams on the ultimate goal of revenue generation.

A more effective mental model than PLG vs. SLG is analyzing which activities create new demand versus which ones harvest existing demand. Both sales and product can serve either function. Creating demand is always the harder, more critical challenge for any revenue engine.

The 'MQL death cycle' is over. Forward-thinking marketing organizations should align around Net Annual Recurring Revenue (Net ARR) as their ultimate measure of success. This metric, which combines new customer acquisition with retention, forces a focus on the entire customer lifecycle and proves marketing's contribution to sustainable business growth.

Encourage sales and BDR teams to disqualify leads and close-loss deals quickly. This 'fail fast' approach cleans the pipeline, focuses effort on viable opportunities, and provides a rapid, clear feedback loop to marketing on lead quality and campaign effectiveness.

Metrics like "Marketing Qualified Lead" are meaningless to the customer. Instead, define key performance indicators around the value a customer receives. A good KPI answers the question: "Have we delivered enough value to convince them to keep going to the next stage?"

Focusing on a low Cost Per Lead is a common mistake; cheap leads often fail to convert. The more meaningful metric is Customer Acquisition Cost—total marketing spend divided by actual new customers. This shifts focus from lead volume to profitable growth and true campaign effectiveness.

In B2B sales with multiple decision-makers, tracking individual MQLs is a "lazy metric" that misrepresents buying intent. Success depends on identifying and engaging the entire buying group. Marketing's goal should be to qualify the group, not just a single lead.

Instead of chasing quantifiable but often misleading metrics like MQLs or pipeline attribution, focus on qualitative feedback from sales. Successful brand marketing means the sales team enters 'warm rooms' where customers are already familiar with and receptive to the company, eliminating the need to start from zero.

Adding qualification steps to a sales funnel weeds out bad-fit leads. This increases cost-per-lead but lowers overall customer acquisition cost (CAC) and boosts morale by letting salespeople focus only on high-intent, closable deals.