Unpopular Opinion: Marketing and Sales are Different

Let’s just say what everyone’s thinking: Marketing and Sales are not the same. They never were, nor do they want to be. And pretending they are is why so many go-to-market teams are stuck in a cycle of finger-pointing and “whose fault is it this quarter?” meetings.

Marketing builds the runway. Sales flies the plane.
Both are essential—but they operate on different time horizons, success metrics, and skill sets. One is about precision storytelling, data-driven awareness, and long-game pipeline creation. The other is about execution, relationships, and revenue right now. Both can (and should) align—but alignment doesn’t mean sameness.

Here’s where most organizations miss it: they confuse shared goals with shared functions.

Marketing isn’t a sales support department. Sales isn’t a marketing feedback loop. And yet, every boardroom seems to treat them like two sides of the same coin when really, they’re two parts of a larger engine that only works when both are optimized and respected for what they do best.

If you’re operating under private equity, this difference matters even more.
You’re being measured on efficiency, scalability, and repeatability. That means your marketing engine needs to be a predictable source of qualified demand while your sales team needs to convert that demand into revenue with discipline. PE firms don’t want “busy.” They want velocity, visibility, and verifiable ROI.

So, stop forcing marketing to sell and sales to market.
Let marketing own the brand narrative, pipeline quality, and data insights that guide smart investments. Let sales own the human connection, the close, and the customer expansion. Measure both. Respect both. Integrate, but don’t conflate.

Because when you finally stop treating them like the same thing, you actually start building a system that works.