90-Day Sales & Marketing Alignment Playbook (Step-by-Step)

You understand the problem. You know the strategic framework. Now comes execution.

This playbook transforms the strategic concepts from the previous two articles into a practical 90-day implementation plan. You'll get specific actions for each week, templates for every deliverable, and clear milestones to track progress.

Ninety days is aggressive but achievable. It's long enough to build real foundations and see measurable improvement, but short enough to maintain momentum and executive attention. Organizations that commit to this timeline typically see:

15-25% improvement in lead acceptance rates
20-30% reduction in lead response time
10-15% increase in MQL to SQL conversion
Significantly improved team satisfaction scores

This isn't theory. These are the results organizations achieve when they execute this playbook with discipline and executive support.

Who this playbook is for:

Revenue Operations leaders tasked with driving alignment
Marketing and sales leaders ready to commit resources
Operations teams that will do the tactical implementation
Executives sponsoring alignment initiatives who need to understand the work involved

Prerequisites before starting:

This playbook assumes you've diagnosed your misalignment issues and understand the strategic framework. More importantly, it assumes you have:

Executive sponsorship from both marketing and sales leadership
Dedicated resources (people's time, not just goodwill)
Authority to make changes to processes and systems
Willingness to confront difficult conversations and structural issues

Without these prerequisites, this playbook becomes aspiration rather than action plan. If you're not there yet, go back and secure leadership commitment before proceeding.

Pre-Launch: Getting Leadership Aligned (Week 0)

Before the 90-day clock starts, you need the foundation in place. Week 0 is about securing commitment and assembling your team. Don't skip this step. Alignment initiatives that launch without proper sponsorship typically fail within the first month.

Securing Executive Sponsorship

Objective: Get joint commitment from your CMO/VP Marketing and CRO/VP Sales (or equivalent leaders) to sponsor this initiative.

Why this matters: Teams will resist change. Processes will need adjustment. Technology may require investment. Without C-suite backing, you'll lack the authority to overcome resistance when it appears.

The conversation to have:

Schedule a meeting with both leaders together (not separately). Present:

The business case: Use data from Why Sales and Marketing Alignment Fails. What's misalignment currently costing? (Lead waste, conversion gaps, team friction)
The opportunity: Companies with strong alignment see 19% faster growth, 38% higher win rates, 208% higher marketing revenue
The 90-day plan: High-level overview of what will happen (shared foundations, operating mechanisms, technology integration)
Required resources: Dedicated project lead, cross-functional working group, time from both teams, potential technology costs
What you need from them: Active sponsorship (not passive approval), tie-breaking authority when teams disagree, enforcement of commitments, celebration of wins

Deliverable: Executive sponsor agreement document both leaders sign. Include:

Commitment to 90-day timeline
Resource allocation approval
Agreement to attend key milestone reviews
Commitment to jointly enforce decisions and hold teams accountable

Assembling Your Alignment Team

Objective: Form a cross-functional working group to drive implementation.

Core team (required weekly participants):

Project lead: Ideally RevOps or Marketing Ops leader. Owns the overall initiative.
Marketing operations: Owns marketing systems, data, and processes
Sales operations: Owns CRM, sales processes, and territory management
Sales leader: Manager or director level, represents sales perspective and can drive adoption
Marketing leader: Demand generation or campaign leader who can influence marketing priorities

Extended team (monthly participants):

Sales enablement (if you have this function)
Content marketing
Sales development (SDR/BDR leadership)
IT/Systems (if significant technology work required)

Roles and responsibilities:

Project lead: Drives timeline, facilitates meetings, escalates blockers, reports to executives
Workstream owners: Marketing ops owns marketing system changes; sales ops owns CRM/sales process changes; both collaborate on integrations
Executive sponsors: Provide air cover, make tie-breaking decisions, hold teams accountable, celebrate progress

Meeting cadence:

Core team: Weekly 60-minute working sessions (review progress, problem-solve blockers, plan next week)
Executive sponsors: Monthly 30-minute check-ins (milestone reviews, escalations)
Extended team: As needed for specific workstreams

Conducting Your Alignment Audit

Objective: Establish baseline metrics so you can measure progress.

Why this matters: Without baseline data, you can't prove ROI or know if changes are working. The audit also helps prioritize. You'll identify which problems to tackle first.

Quantitative assessment:

Pull the last 90 days of data from your CRM and marketing automation platform:

Lead acceptance rate: Of MQLs passed to sales, what percentage does sales accept as qualified? (Baseline should be 60%+; below 40% indicates serious quality issues)
MQL to SQL conversion rate: Of accepted MQLs, how many become sales-qualified? (Target: 25-40%)
Average lead response time: How long from MQL creation to first sales contact? (Target: <24 hours; best-in-class: <4 hours)
Win rate: Percentage of opportunities that close-won (to measure if alignment improves deal quality)
Sales cycle length: Average days from opportunity creation to close (to measure if alignment accelerates deals)
Content utilization: If you have content tracking, what percentage of marketing assets are actually used by sales?

Qualitative assessment:

Survey both teams (anonymous to encourage honesty):

Sales questions:

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the quality of leads from marketing?
What percentage of MQLs do you consider actually qualified?
Do you have the content you need to close deals? (Yes/No/Sometimes)
What's the biggest friction point between sales and marketing? (Open-ended)

Marketing questions:

On a scale of 1-10, how responsive is sales to the leads we provide?
Do you receive adequate feedback on lead quality? (Yes/No/Sometimes)
Does sales use the content we create? (Yes/No/Don't know)
What's the biggest friction point between marketing and sales? (Open-ended)

Prioritize your focus:

Based on the audit, identify the top 3 pain points to address. Examples:

If lead acceptance rate is below 40%: Lead qualification criteria is your priority
If response time is over 48 hours: Lead handoff process is your priority
If both teams complain about lack of feedback: Meeting cadence and feedback loops are your priority

Deliverable: Current state report (2-3 pages) with:

Baseline metrics
Survey results summary
Top 3 prioritized opportunities
Proposed 90-day goals (e.g., increase lead acceptance from 35% to 55%, reduce response time from 3 days to 1 day)

Month 1: Establish Shared Foundations (Weeks 1-4)

The first month focuses on building the foundational agreements everything else depends on. You'll define who you're selling to, what qualifies as a good lead, and what success looks like. This month requires the most cross-functional collaboration. Expect several workshops and significant discussion.

Week 1-2: Define ICP and Lead Qualification Criteria

Objective: Create unified Ideal Customer Profile and lead qualification matrix that both teams agree on.

Week 1 Actions:

Workshop 1: Sales Closed-Won Analysis (2 hours)

Sales pulls data on last 50-100 closed-won customers
Analyze patterns: Common industries? Company sizes? Technologies used? Buyer personas?
Identify sweet spots: Where do we have shortest sales cycles? Highest win rates? Largest deal sizes?
Document outliers: Who are our best customers that don't fit the pattern? (Could indicate expansion opportunities)

Workshop 2: Marketing Engagement Analysis (2 hours)

Marketing pulls data on highest-engaging accounts and contacts
Analyze patterns: Which segments consume most content? Show strongest intent signals? Return most frequently?
Cross-reference with sales data: Where do engagement patterns overlap with closed-won patterns?
Identify mismatches: Are we marketing to segments that don't convert? Or missing segments that do?

Workshop 3: Combined ICP Definition (3 hours)

Both teams present findings
Draft unified ICP covering: Firmographics (company size, revenue, industry, geography), Technographics (tech stack, infrastructure, digital maturity), Behavioral signals (content engagement, website activity, engagement frequency), Buying committee (typical roles, decision-making process)
Define tiers if appropriate (Tier 1: Perfect fit, Tier 2: Good fit, Tier 3: Possible fit)

Week 2 Actions:

Build Lead Qualification Matrix (Workshop 4: 3 hours)

Define lifecycle stages: Inquiry → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Customer
Choose qualification framework: BANT, MEDDIC, CHAMP, or hybrid
Define MQL criteria specifically: Firmographic requirements (must be in ICP Tier 1 or 2), Behavioral requirements (minimum engagement score, specific high-intent actions like pricing page visit or demo request), Completeness requirements (valid business email, company name, contact info)
Define SQL criteria: Sales has contacted and confirmed fit, Budget exists or can be created, Authority identified (decision-maker or influencer), Need confirmed, Timeline established (even if loose)
Define disqualification criteria: Company too small/large, Wrong industry or geography, Student/consultant/competitor, Personal email domain, No response after 3+ contact attempts, No budget or authority

Configure Scoring in Marketing Automation:

Update lead scoring model based on new criteria
Weight firmographic fit heavily (in ICP = +50 points baseline)
Weight high-intent actions more than passive consumption
Set MQL threshold based on what both teams agreed constitutes qualification

Deliverables:

☐ One-page ICP document with firmographic, technographic, behavioral criteria
☐ Lead qualification matrix defining each lifecycle stage
☐ Updated lead scoring model configured in marketing automation
☐ Both teams have signed off on the criteria

Week 3: Set Shared Goals and KPIs

Objective: Define shared metrics both teams will be measured on and create unified dashboard.

Actions:

Review Current Goals (Meeting 1: 90 minutes)

Document current marketing goals and KPIs
Document current sales goals and KPIs
Identify misalignment: Where do the goals conflict or pull in different directions?

Define Shared KPIs (Meeting 2: 2 hours)

Pipeline generated (dollars): Total qualified pipeline created. Both teams own this number.
MQL to SQL conversion rate: Percentage of marketing-qualified leads that sales qualifies. (Target: 25-40%)
SQL to Opportunity conversion: Percentage of SQLs that enter pipeline. (Target: 30-50%)
Opportunity to Closed-Won: Win rate. (Track to see if alignment improves deal quality)
Revenue attribution: How much closed revenue traces to marketing-sourced leads vs. sales-sourced opportunities
Pipeline velocity: Average days to move through each stage
Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Combined marketing spend + sales resources per customer acquired

Set 90-Day Targets:

Based on baseline audit, set realistic improvement targets
Example: If MQL to SQL conversion is currently 20%, target 28% by day 90
If response time is currently 3 days, target <1 day by day 90

Build Shared Dashboard:

Create single dashboard both teams access (Salesforce reports, HubSpot dashboard, Tableau, Looker)
Include all shared KPIs with current performance vs. targets
Update frequency: Real-time or daily
Access: Both full teams can view (transparency)

Get Executive Approval:

Present shared KPIs and targets to executive sponsors
Get agreement that these are the metrics both teams will be evaluated on
Confirm that compensation/bonuses will include these metrics (even if not fully implemented until next review cycle)

Deliverables:

☐ Shared KPI framework document with definitions, targets, owners
☐ Unified dashboard accessible to both teams
☐ Executive approval and commitment to measure both teams jointly

Week 4: Draft and Sign Service Level Agreement

Objective: Formalize mutual commitments in an SLA both teams sign.

Actions:

Draft SLA (Collaborative workshop: 3 hours)

Marketing commits to:

Lead volume: Deliver X qualified MQLs per month (based on historical average and upcoming campaigns)
Lead quality: All MQLs will meet the agreed qualification criteria (reference the matrix from Week 1-2)
Complete context: Provide full engagement history, campaign source, lead score breakdown
Content support: Provide sales support content quarterly, respond to content requests within 2 weeks

Sales commits to:

Response time: Contact all MQLs within 48 hours (high-intent leads within 4 hours)
Status updates: Update lead status in CRM within 5 business days (qualified/disqualified/nurture)
Feedback quality: When disqualifying, specify reason based on agreed criteria
Monthly reporting: Provide monthly feedback on lead quality trends, objections, content gaps

Consequences and governance:

Monthly SLA review meeting to examine compliance metrics
If marketing consistently delivers below quality threshold (based on sales feedback showing >60% disqualification), escalate to CMO for targeting review
If sales consistently misses response time (>20% of leads not contacted within 48 hours), escalate to CRO for capacity review
Quarterly SLA refresh to adjust based on what's working/not working

Legal/Leadership Review:

Share draft with executive sponsors for feedback
Ensure commitments are realistic (don't over-promise)
Get legal review if required by your organization

Sign and Launch:

Both team leaders sign the SLA
Communicate to full teams: "This is what we've committed to each other"
Set effective date as start of Month 2 (when new handoff process launches)

Deliverables:

☐ Signed SLA document (3-5 pages)
☐ SLA compliance dashboard or tracking mechanism
☐ Communication to both teams about new commitments

Month 1 Milestone Checkpoint:

By end of Week 4, you should have:

☐ Unified ICP defining ideal customer
☐ Lead qualification matrix defining MQL and SQL criteria
☐ Shared KPI dashboard both teams use
☐ Signed SLA formalizing commitments
☐ Executive sponsorship confirmed and engaged

Common Month 1 challenges: Workshops taking longer than planned (add extra time buffers). Disagreement on ICP or qualification criteria (escalate to executives for tie-breaking). Teams wanting to rush through to "get to the real work" (resist this, foundations matter). Limited data for baseline audit (start with what you have, commit to improving data quality).

Month 2: Build Operating Mechanisms (Weeks 5-8)

With foundations established, Month 2 focuses on building the operational processes that make alignment work day-to-day. You'll automate the lead handoff, establish meeting rhythms, create feedback loops, and align messaging. This is where strategic agreements become practical reality.

Week 5-6: Design and Automate Lead Handoff Process

Objective: Create automated workflow that transfers leads from marketing to sales with complete context.

Week 5 Actions:

Map Current Lead Flow (Workshop: 2 hours)

Document current state: How do leads move from marketing to sales today? (Email forwarding? Manual list pulls? Some automation?)
Identify gaps: Where does context get lost? Where do leads sit untouched? What information sales wishes they had?
Map ideal state: What should happen automatically when a lead hits MQL threshold?

Design Automated Workflow:

Create workflow that:

Assigns lead ownership based on territory, industry, or account
Sends immediate notification to sales rep (email, Slack, CRM task)
Creates follow-up task with deadline (24-48 hours based on SLA)
Makes all engagement history visible in lead record
Includes context: content consumed, intent signals, campaign source, scoring breakdown, next best action

Week 6 Actions:

Build and Configure Automation:

Configure lead routing rules in CRM
Set up automated task creation
Build integration to push marketing engagement data to CRM lead record
Create notification templates (email, Slack)
Set up lead views/dashboards for sales reps showing their assigned MQLs

Test with Pilot Leads:

Run test scenarios with sample leads
Verify routing works correctly
Confirm all context transfers properly
Check notifications trigger as expected
Get feedback from pilot sales reps

Train Teams:

Train marketing on new workflow and when/how leads get passed
Train sales on how to access lead context, what they're expected to do within SLA timeframe
Create documentation and quick reference guides

Deliverables:

☐ Automated lead routing workflow configured and tested
☐ Lead handoff process documentation
☐ Training materials and quick reference guides
☐ Pilot test results showing workflow functions correctly

Week 7: Establish Meeting Cadence and Feedback Loops

Objective: Create regular touchpoints and systematic feedback mechanisms.

Actions:

Schedule Recurring Meetings:

Weekly Tactical Meeting (30 minutes):

Attendees: Marketing ops, sales development leader, demand generation leader
Agenda template: Lead quality review (acceptance rate this week, disqualification patterns), Campaign performance (which campaigns drove pipeline), Immediate issues (urgent blockers), Quick intelligence (objections sales is hearing, engagement patterns marketing is seeing)
Day/time: Choose consistent slot, protect it from other meetings

Monthly Strategic Meeting (60 minutes):

Attendees: CMO/VP Marketing, CRO/VP Sales, marketing ops, sales ops, demand generation, sales support
Agenda template: Pipeline analysis (conversion trends, deal velocity), Content effectiveness (which assets sales is using, what correlates with closed-won), Campaign deep dive (major campaigns, attribution), Upcoming priorities (what's launching, what sales needs to know)
Day/time: First week of each month

Quarterly Planning Meeting (half-day):

Attendees: Full marketing and sales leadership teams
Agenda template: Goal setting for next quarter, ICP refresh, Process audit (what's working, what's broken), Strategic initiatives (ABM, new markets, product lines), Team development needs
Day/time: Last month of quarter

Set Up Real-Time Feedback Channels:

Create shared Slack or Teams channel for daily questions and intelligence sharing
Configure CRM feedback fields (required when updating lead status: qualified/disqualified/nurture, disqualification reason dropdown, next action notes)
Set up automated reminders if lead status isn't updated within SLA timeline
Create monthly feedback survey for sales (lead quality satisfaction, content gaps)

Build Feedback Dashboards:

Lead status breakdown (how many MQLs qualified, disqualified, in nurture)
Disqualification reasons trending (which criteria are leads failing most often?)
Response time compliance (percentage of leads contacted within SLA)
Content usage tracking (which assets sales is sending to prospects)

Deliverables:

☐ Recurring meetings scheduled with standing agendas
☐ Shared communication channel created and adopted
☐ CRM feedback fields configured with required status updates
☐ Feedback dashboards built and accessible to both teams

Week 8: Align on Messaging and Content

Objective: Create unified messaging framework and organize content library.

Actions:

Joint Messaging Workshop (3-4 hours):

Review current materials: What does marketing say in campaigns? What does sales say in calls? Where's the disconnect?
Capture customer language: Sales shares exact words customers use to describe problems, pain points, objections
Draft unified framework: Core positioning statement, Primary value propositions (3-5), Key differentiators vs. competitors, Proof points (data, case studies, testimonials), Common objections and recommended responses
Test with customers: Plan to validate messaging with actual buyers

Audit Content Library:

Inventory all existing content
Tag by type (case study, whitepaper, battle card, ROI calculator, implementation guide)
Tag by use case, industry, deal stage
Identify gaps: What does sales need that doesn't exist?
Identify waste: What content sits unused?

Create Sales-Driven Content Roadmap:

Prioritize content creation based on sales needs (which gaps hurt deals most?)
Assign owners and deadlines
Plan monthly content planning meeting where sales identifies new needs

Organize Content Repository:

Choose platform (Google Drive, SharePoint, or dedicated sales support system)
Create clear folder structure
Apply consistent tagging (type, use case, industry, stage, last updated date)
Set up search functionality
Add usage tracking if possible

Train Teams:

Train marketing on new messaging framework and how to apply it
Train sales on where to find content and how to use search/tags
Create content one-pager showing what exists and when to use it

Deliverables:

☐ Unified messaging framework document both teams reference
☐ Content audit results with gaps and priorities identified
☐ Sales-driven content roadmap for next 90 days
☐ Organized content repository with proper tagging and search
☐ Content training completed for both teams

Month 2 Milestone Checkpoint:

By end of Week 8, you should have:

☐ Automated lead handoff process live and functioning
☐ Regular meeting cadence established (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
☐ Feedback loops built into CRM and communication channels
☐ Unified messaging framework and organized content library
☐ Both teams actively using new processes

Common Month 2 challenges: Automation not working perfectly at launch (expect bugs, fix quickly). Meetings feel unproductive initially (stick with structured agendas, improve over time). Sales not adopting new content repository (make it easier to use than their old methods). Messaging workshop reveals deep disagreements (this is good, surface and resolve them now).

Month 3: Optimize and Scale (Weeks 9-12)

The final month focuses on integration, optimization, and setting up for sustainable alignment beyond the 90 days. You'll ensure technology is fully integrated, launch any advanced initiatives like ABM, and conduct a comprehensive review to plan the next phase.

Week 9-10: Technology Stack Integration and Data Cleanup

Objective: Ensure all systems communicate properly and CRM data is clean.

Week 9 Actions:

Audit Current Integrations:

Document all systems in use (CRM, marketing automation, sales engagement, intent data, analytics)
Map data flows: What syncs where? What's manual? What's broken?
Identify critical gaps: Where does lack of integration cause friction or data loss?

Implement Critical Integrations:

Marketing automation to CRM: Ensure lead data, engagement history, scoring all sync properly
CRM to Marketing automation: Ensure lead status updates, opportunity data, closed-won/lost outcomes flow back
Test bidirectional sync: Create test lead, verify data flows both directions correctly
Fix any field mapping errors or sync delays

Week 10 Actions:

CRM Data Cleanup:

Run deduplication (merge duplicate contacts and accounts)
Standardize field values (industry, company size should use dropdowns, not free text)
Update stale data (run enrichment tool like ZoomInfo or Clearbit to refresh firmographics)
Purge dead records (invalid emails, unsubscribes, competitors)
Fill required fields (enforce completeness going forward)

Establish Data Governance:

Document required fields (can't create lead without company name, industry, email)
Create dropdown menus for standardized values
Set up deduplication rules (automatic merging)
Schedule regular cleanup (quarterly data hygiene sprints)
Assign data steward roles (who owns data quality in each system?)

Train Teams on Unified System:

Show both teams how to access complete customer data across systems
Train on dashboards and reporting
Explain data governance rules and why they matter
Create system documentation and help resources

Deliverables:

☐ All critical systems integrated with bidirectional data flow
☐ CRM database cleaned (duplicates merged, stale data updated)
☐ Data governance policy documented and enforced
☐ System training completed for both teams

Week 11: Launch ABM Pilot (Optional)

Objective: If ABM is relevant to your strategy, launch coordinated account-based approach with aligned teams.

Note: This week is optional. If ABM isn't a priority or you're not ready, use Week 11 to optimize existing processes or get ahead on Week 12 deliverables.

Actions:

Select Pilot Accounts (Joint meeting: 2 hours):

Sales nominates high-value target accounts
Marketing validates with engagement data and firmographic fit
Jointly select 10 pilot accounts (small enough to manage, large enough to prove value)
Assign account owners (paired sales rep + marketing campaign manager)

Build Account Playbooks:

Document buying committee (who are the decision-makers, influencers, blockers?)
Identify key pain points and value propositions specific to each account
Map content and messaging to personas
Plan coordinated outreach (sales touches + marketing campaigns)

Set Up Account Dashboards:

Create account-level views in CRM showing all activity (contacts, opportunities, engagement)
Track account engagement score (activity across multiple contacts in the account)
Monitor intent signals (website visits, content downloads from the account)

Coordinate Aligned Outreach:

Marketing launches targeted campaigns to account (personalized ads, direct mail, events)
Sales conducts outreach using account intelligence from marketing
Both track activities in shared CRM account record

Establish Weekly Account Reviews:

30-minute weekly meeting to review pilot account progress
What's working? What engagement are we seeing? Any deals progressing?
Adjust tactics based on what's resonating

Deliverables:

☐ 10 pilot accounts selected and assigned
☐ Account playbooks created for each
☐ Account dashboards built in CRM
☐ Coordinated outreach launched
☐ Weekly review cadence established

Week 12: Review, Measure, and Plan Next Phase

Objective: Analyze results, celebrate wins, identify gaps, plan next 90 days.

Actions:

Analyze 90-Day Metrics vs. Targets:

Pull data from your shared dashboard:

Lead acceptance rate: Did it improve from baseline? By how much?
Response time: Are leads getting contacted faster?
MQL to SQL conversion: Did qualification improve?
Pipeline velocity: Are deals moving faster?
Win rate: Any improvement in close rates?
Team satisfaction: Run the same survey from Week 0. Did scores improve?

Compare to targets you set in Week 3. What hit target? What fell short?

Conduct Team Retrospective (2 hours):

Bring both teams together:

What worked well? (Keep doing this)
What didn't work? (Fix or stop doing)
What surprised us? (Unexpected wins or challenges)
What should we change? (Process improvements for next phase)

Use a blameless format. Focus on systems and processes, not individuals.

Survey Team Satisfaction:

Re-run the anonymous surveys from Week 0:

Are sales and marketing working better together? (Scale 1-10)
Are lead quality/responsiveness better? (Yes/No/Somewhat)
Do you have what you need to succeed? (Yes/No/Somewhat)
What's still frustrating? (Open-ended)

Compare to baseline. Improvement = success, even if not perfect.

Present Results to Executives (30-45 minute meeting):

Create executive summary showing:

Baseline vs. current metrics (with graphs showing improvement)
Key wins (automated handoff working, lead acceptance up 20%, faster response time)
Remaining challenges (content gaps, technology issues, process refinements needed)
ROI estimate (time saved, deals accelerated, efficiency gained)
Plan for next 90 days

Get executive feedback and renewed commitment for continued investment.

Plan Next 90 Days:

Based on what you learned:

Double down on what's working: If automated handoff is driving results, optimize further
Fix what's broken: If meetings aren't productive, restructure agendas
Expand successes: If ABM pilot worked, expand to more accounts
Set new targets: What's the next level of performance to aim for?

Create roadmap for Days 91-180 with priorities, owners, timelines.

Celebrate Wins:

Don't skip this. Alignment is hard work.

Recognize teams publicly for improvements
Celebrate specific individuals who drove change
Share success stories in company meetings
Use wins to build momentum for continued improvement

Deliverables:

☐ 90-day results report with metrics, wins, challenges
☐ Team retrospective findings and improvement recommendations
☐ Executive presentation delivered and feedback incorporated
☐ Next 90-day roadmap with priorities and owners
☐ Team celebration and recognition completed

Month 3 Milestone Checkpoint:

By end of Week 12, you should have:

☐ All systems integrated and data clean
☐ 90-day results measured and documented
☐ Team retrospective completed with improvement plan
☐ Executive presentation showing ROI and progress
☐ Roadmap for next phase of alignment work

Making Alignment Sustainable

The 90-day playbook gets you to functional alignment. Making it sustainable requires embedding these practices into your operating model.

Embedding Alignment into Culture

Celebrate joint wins: When deals close, recognize both the sales rep and marketing contribution publicly. Show that revenue is a team sport.

Address failures jointly: Conduct blameless post-mortems on lost deals. Focus on system improvements, not individual fault. Ask "what in our process allowed this to happen?" not "whose fault is this?"

Cross-functional recognition: Marketing attends sales team meetings to share insights. Sales attends marketing reviews to provide feedback. Build mutual understanding.

Hire for alignment: Include collaboration questions in interviews. Assess candidates on teamwork, not just individual skills. Onboard new hires with exposure to both functions.

Continuous Improvement Mechanisms

Quarterly process audits: What's working? What's broken? What's changed in the market that requires adaptation?

Bi-annual ICP refresh: Has your ideal customer evolved? Are you seeing new buying patterns? Update targeting accordingly.

Annual SLA review: Are commitments still realistic and relevant? Adjust based on what you've learned.

Ongoing training: Keep teams updated on each other's priorities, market changes, and process improvements. Avoid "random acts of marketing" that drift from strategy.

Common Implementation Challenges

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Sales pushback: "We don't have time for more marketing initiatives."

Response: Show time saved with better leads and faster handoffs. Start with pilot to prove value. Demonstrate results quickly.

Marketing pushback: "Sales will just complain anyway."

Response: Involve sales in co-creating solutions. They own part of the fix, not just the complaint. Make them invested in success.

Both teams: "This is just more meetings."

Response: Prove value in first 30 days with quick wins. Show that meetings drive action, not just talk. Keep meetings focused and productive.

What to Do When Progress Stalls

Identify the blocker: Is it process, technology, people, or leadership? Address root cause, not symptoms.

Escalate strategically: Use executive sponsors to clear blockers when needed. Don't let issues fester for weeks.

Celebrate small wins: Maintain momentum even when big goals lag. Highlight progress to keep teams engaged.

Adjust timeline if needed: 90 days is aggressive. 120-150 may be realistic for some organizations. Better to succeed slowly than fail fast.

Stay focused: Don't try to fix everything. Master the basics (ICP, lead criteria, handoff, cadence) before expanding.

Executive Summary (TL;DR)

The 90-Day Plan: Transform misaligned sales and marketing teams into a unified revenue engine through three phases: Month 1 (establish shared foundations), Month 2 (build operating mechanisms), Month 3 (integrate technology and optimize).

Month 1 Deliverables: Unified ICP defining ideal customer, lead qualification matrix with agreed criteria, shared KPI dashboard both teams use, signed SLA formalizing mutual commitments.

Month 2 Deliverables: Automated lead handoff process transferring complete context, regular meeting cadence (weekly, monthly, quarterly), systematic feedback loops built into CRM, unified messaging framework and organized content library.

Month 3 Deliverables: Integrated technology stack with clean data, optional ABM pilot with coordinated outreach, comprehensive 90-day results report, roadmap for next phase.

Expected Results: Organizations executing this playbook with discipline see 15-25% improvement in lead acceptance rates, 20-30% reduction in response time, 10-15% increase in MQL to SQL conversion, and significantly improved team satisfaction.

Prerequisites: Executive sponsorship from both CMO and CRO, dedicated project lead and cross-functional team, authority to change processes and systems, baseline metrics from alignment audit.

Success Factors: Start with Week 0 (secure leadership commitment before launching), don't skip Month 1 foundations (everything else builds on these agreements), use executive sponsors to clear blockers when teams disagree, celebrate small wins to maintain momentum.

Sustainability: Embed alignment into culture through joint recognition, blameless retrospectives, cross-functional exposure, and hiring for collaboration. Maintain through quarterly audits, bi-annual ICP refresh, annual SLA review, and ongoing training.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the 90-day playbook actually take?

For most organizations, 90-120 days is realistic. The timeline assumes 10-15 hours per week from your core team (project lead, marketing ops, sales ops, team leaders). Month 1 is most intensive with workshops and alignment sessions. Months 2-3 shift to implementation and optimization. Some organizations need 150 days if technology integration is complex or teams are highly resistant.

What if we don't have a dedicated RevOps team?

You don't need a formal RevOps function. You need a project lead (often Marketing Ops or Sales Ops) who can dedicate 50% of their time to this initiative. The core team (marketing ops + sales ops + team leaders) collaborates to handle the work. The playbook is designed for this reality.

Can we skip Month 1 and jump straight to automation?

No. Organizations that skip foundations (ICP, lead criteria, shared goals) end up automating the wrong things. You'll build workflows that perpetuate misalignment at scale. Month 1 feels slow but prevents expensive mistakes. Automation without agreement just creates automated chaos.

What if sales and marketing can't agree on the ICP or lead criteria?

This is why you secured executive sponsorship in Week 0. When teams reach impasse, escalate to your CMO and CRO for tie-breaking decision. Present both perspectives with supporting data. Let leadership decide. Then both teams commit to executing the decision, even if they disagree.

How do we measure ROI of alignment work?

Compare baseline metrics from Week 0 to results at Week 12: lead acceptance rate improvement (fewer wasted leads), response time reduction (faster conversion), MQL to SQL improvement (better qualification), pipeline velocity increase (deals close faster), team satisfaction scores (less friction). Calculate time saved, deals accelerated, efficiency gained. Most organizations see positive ROI within 90 days.

What technology is required for this playbook?

Minimum: CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics) and marketing automation platform (Marketo, Pardot, HubSpot, Eloqua) with bidirectional integration. Optional: sales engagement platform (Outreach, SalesLoft), intent data (ZoomInfo, 6sense), content management system. Total cost for mid-sized team: $5,000-8,000 monthly. Fix processes before buying new tools.

What if executives lose interest after Month 1?

Prevent this by scheduling executive check-ins monthly (not just at kickoff and end). Share quick wins early (automated handoff working, lead acceptance improving). Show progress with data, not just activity reports. If engagement drops, escalate: "We need your active support to succeed. What's changed?" Get recommitment or pause the initiative rather than continuing without backing.

How do we handle team turnover during the 90 days?

Document everything. Create playbooks, process docs, training materials so knowledge isn't locked in people's heads. If key people leave, use it as opportunity to onboard replacements into the new aligned model from day one. They'll have no attachment to the old misaligned way of working.

Can small companies (under 50 people) use this playbook?

Yes. Smaller companies often align faster because fewer people need to coordinate. You may compress the timeline to 60 days. The principles remain the same: establish foundations, build mechanisms, integrate technology, measure results. The advantage of small size is speed and agility.

What comes after the 90 days?

Continuous improvement. Use your quarterly process audits to identify what needs optimization. Expand successful pilots (like ABM) to more accounts. Tackle next-level challenges (advanced attribution, predictive analytics, cross-sell/upsell alignment). The 90-day playbook builds the foundation. What you build on top depends on your strategy.

Your Path Forward

You now have a complete 90-day implementation plan:

Month 1: Build shared foundations (ICP, lead criteria, shared KPIs, SLA)

Month 2: Implement operating mechanisms (automated handoff, meeting cadence, messaging alignment)

Month 3: Integrate technology, optimize processes, measure results, plan next phase

The organizations that execute this playbook with discipline typically see 15-25% improvements in lead acceptance, 20-30% faster response times, and 10-15% better conversion rates within the first 90 days. More importantly, they build the foundation for sustainable alignment that compounds over time.

The work ahead isn't easy. It requires:

Executive commitment that doesn't waver when things get difficult
Cross-functional collaboration that moves beyond performative alignment to actual change
Process discipline that turns strategy into daily habits
Willingness to confront structural issues rather than applying band-aids

But the alternative (continuing with misalignment) is more expensive. It costs you in wasted marketing budget, lost deals, team frustration, and competitive disadvantage.

Most organizations won't do this work. They'll continue running separate revenue functions that occasionally talk to each other, missing the performance gains that come from true integration.

That's precisely why alignment is a competitive advantage. The companies that master it in 2025 will pull away from competitors still treating sales and marketing as independent functions.

The question is: will your organization be among them?

Day 1 starts now. Secure your executive sponsors, assemble your team, conduct your audit, and begin Week 1. The 90-day clock is ticking, and the ROI is waiting on the other side.

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