Sales vs. Marketing: The Talent War That’s Holding Your Business Back

If there’s one business challenge that never seems to go away, it’s the tension between sales and marketing. Some call it a “necessary rivalry.” Others call it a “frustrating standoff.” But in 2025, it’s not just about working better together—it’s about survival.

Recent studies show that while 82% of executives believe their teams are aligned, 65% of sales and marketing professionals report a disconnect. (Forrester, 2024)

With AI, automation, and evolving buyer behavior shaking up traditional sales funnels, the old ways of collaborating (or not) just don’t cut it anymore. And guess what? The missing link isn’t just strategy—it’s talent.

If you hire sales and marketing leaders without considering alignment, you might be setting your company up for friction instead of forward motion.

Why the Sales-Marketing Tug-of-War Is Still Happening in 2025

While many companies have made strides in aligning these functions, challenges still exist, especially with rapid technological advancements and shifting customer expectations. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Companies with tightly aligned sales and marketing functions achieve higher customer retention rates and higher sales win rates.

Yet despite these numbers, sales and marketing teams remain disconnected, costing businesses untapped revenue and wasted resources. So why is alignment still a struggle?

1. AI and Automation Are Changing the Game (But Not Everyone Likes the Rules)

AI now drives lead generation, predictive analytics, and hyper-personalized marketing, revolutionizing how businesses attract and engage prospects. Marketing teams embrace AI for its ability to scale outreach, refine targeting, and deliver data-driven insights that optimize campaigns. However, for many sales teams, automation feels like a double-edged sword. While AI can streamline processes, it also raises concerns about diminishing personal connections and shifting too much control of the customer relationship to marketing. The key to success isn’t choosing between AI and human connection—it’s hiring leaders who know how to integrate both.

?? Hiring Tip: Look for sales professionals who embrace AI rather than resist it. Sales leaders should be data-driven, tech-savvy, and willing to collaborate with marketing on AI-driven strategies.

2. Buyer Journeys Are More Complex Than Ever

Gone are the days when sales reps could swoop in early and guide prospects through every step. Today’s B2B and B2C buyers are more independent than ever, conducting extensive research before engaging with a salesperson. In fact, 70% of the buyer’s journey is completed before?sales even enters the conversation.

This shift has made marketing’s role more crucial, yet it also creates new friction. Sales teams demand high-quality leads, while marketing struggles to prove exactly which efforts are driving conversions. Without alignment, businesses risk losing potential customers before they reach the closing stage.

?? Hiring Tip: Seek marketing leaders who understand lead scoring, data analytics, and attribution models. They should be comfortable proving ROI to sales and ensuring that marketing efforts generate revenue, not just clicks.

3. Revenue Accountability: Who’s Responsible for Closing the Deal?

As businesses push for more measurable ROI, Revenue Operations (RevOps) has emerged as a game-changer, aligning sales, marketing, and customer success under one unified strategy. But with this shift comes a big question: Who owns the pipeline?

Should marketing be responsible for pipeline metrics?

Should sales leaders play a bigger role in content strategy?

Where does customer success fit into the equation?

Without clear accountability, teams risk finger-pointing instead of progress. Companies that succeed in this new landscape will be those that hire leaders who embrace shared revenue goals—not just departmental wins.

?? Hiring Tip: If you don’t have a RevOps leader, now is the time to consider one. This role ensures both sales and marketing teams work toward revenue goals together—not in isolation.

4. Content Marketing Is the New Sales Pitch (But No One Gave Sales the Script)

Customers expect value before they buy. Thought leadership, educational content, and storytelling aren’t just marketing buzzwords anymore—they’re essential to moving deals forward. But here’s the challenge:

Sales teams struggle to get the right content at the right time.

Marketing creates great content but isn’t always in sync with what sales actually needs.

Customers expect a seamless experience, but they notice when messaging between teams is inconsistent.

The best-performing companies aren’t just producing great content; they’re hiring sales teams who know how to use it effectively.

?? Hiring Tip: Look for salespeople who understand social selling and know how to leverage marketing content—not just rely on cold calls. On the marketing side, prioritize content strategists who work alongside sales, rather than just creating content in a vacuum.

5. Hybrid & Remote Work: The Alignment Killer

Hybrid and remote work environments have changed the way teams communicate, and not always for the better. While technology helps teams stay connected, it also creates new challenges:

Sales and marketing teams operate in silos, missing out on real-time collaboration.

Fewer organic conversations mean fewer spontaneous ideas and problem-solving moments.

Over-reliance on Slack, CRMs, and dashboards leads to data overload—but not always true alignment.

Companies that fail to address this gap risk losing efficiency, creativity, and, ultimately, revenue. The solution? Hiring leaders who know how to build cross-functional collaboration, even in a remote-first world.

?? Hiring Tip: Prioritize candidates who thrive in cross-functional collaboration, even in remote settings. Ask interview questions about how they’ve worked with other departments to achieve shared goals.

How Hiring Smarter Can Solve the Sales-Marketing Divide

Alignment isn’t just a leadership issue—it’s a hiring issue. When recruiting for sales and marketing roles, consider:

Collaboration Over Competition – Seek candidates with experience working across departments. Ask about past conflicts and how they resolved them.

Tech-savvy—With AI, CRMs, and automation ruling modern sales and marketing, your next hire must be comfortable using technology.

Revenue Mindset – Whether it’s a marketing strategist or a sales executive, candidates should see revenue as a shared responsibility—not a departmental divide.

Cultural Fit – Beyond skills, hire people who align with your company’s vision for how sales and marketing should work together. Misalignment in mindset leads to misalignment in execution.

The Future: Hire for Alignment, Not Just Expertise

Sales and marketing alignment isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing challenge that requires the right people as much as the right processes.

As an executive search firm, we see firsthand how misalignment at the hiring stage leads to long-term dysfunction. The next time you hire a sales or marketing leader, ask yourself:

1. Are they a team player, or a department loyalist?
2. Do they see AI and automation as tools or threats?
3. Can they think beyond their role and drive company-wide revenue goals?

If the answer to any of these is unclear, it might be time to rethink your hiring approach. Because in 2025, the companies that win will not only have great sales and marketing teams but also teams that work together.

Need help finding leaders who can drive alignment? Let’s Talk.

Ken