Who should own the number?

Traditionally, sales teams are expected to close deals and deliver revenue.  Because of that, they usually own the number.

But consider this.  The majority of research and engagement buyers have is with marketing during the long time they spend in self education before they're ready to speak to a sales person.  This means the most successful businesses today have successful sales teams, closely aligned with successful marketing teams.

Neither team forgets that the most important thing of all is the customer. They hold the budget, they decide.

If you're in a business that treats those people holding the money as pawns in a process to be prodded and shoved through funnels, quarterly cycles by being automated at every step, then you're already on a path to diminishing returns. 

In times of economic uncertainty especially, it's not a bad time to consider if you're holding on to any archaic B2B practices learn some lessons from our B2C comrades.

Going back to the number, who owns it is becoming an increasingly blurred line.  There is a marketing budget.  There is a sales revenue number.  For many this means siloed teams, budgets, and processes.

Some are starting to fix this by having a CRO to bridge the divide.  If this isn't something you've considered before, perhaps is worth pausing for thought.

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Of course, sales own the number!

For decades, the prevailing wisdom in most organisations has been that sales teams are the ultimate drivers of revenue. The sales team owns the number because they are the ones directly interacting with customers, closing deals, and pushing revenue across the finish line. Marketing, in this model, is seen as the support system responsible for creating awareness and content, generating leads and running events to help sales engage with prospects.

Marketing’s influence on the number

Marketing has evolved far beyond its traditional role. Today, marketing is not just about creating content or running campaigns - it’s about influencing every stage of the buyer’s journey, from awareness to purchase. Buyers are more informed than ever, with 70% of B2B buyers preferring to self-educate before even engaging with a sales rep.

This means that by the time a prospect expresses interest, they’ve already made significant decisions, and much of that research was influenced by marketing efforts.

With marketing having such a significant impact on buyer behaviour, the question arises: IF marketing is driving demand, nurturing prospects, and providing valuable insights, why isn’t marketing more involved in the final stages of revenue generation?

Now who owns the number?

Playing devil's advocate, there's a strong case for marketing to own the number.

1. Marketing controls the pipeline: Marketing is the first point of contact for most buyers. From lead generation to qualification, marketing sets the stage for sales to succeed. By the time a lead reaches sales, it’s already been nurtured and informed by marketing efforts. Therefore, marketing is directly responsible for the quality and flow of the pipeline.
2. Marketing owns the buyer journey: Marketing has the power to shape the buyer’s perception of the brand and influence their purchasing decision long before they engage with a sales rep. By controlling key touch-points and providing relevant, timely information, marketing plays a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth transition to sales.
3. Marketing drives revenue strategy: Marketing has a unique vantage point, with access to data across multiple touch-points. This gives marketing the ability to craft revenue strategies that are aligned with customer needs and behaviours, ensuring that sales efforts are focused and more likely to convert.
4. Marketing owns the conversion process: With the buyer journey increasingly digital and self-guided, marketing plays a central role in converting interest into revenue. The final purchase decision isn’t made in a vacuum; it’s heavily influenced by the content, messaging, and experiences delivered by marketing.

The benefits of marketing owning the number

When marketing takes ownership of the number, the benefits are clear:

• Aligned goals across teams: With marketing driving the pipeline and revenue strategy, sales teams can focus on what they do best - closing deals. This alignment ensures that the entire organisation is working toward the same goal: revenue growth.
• More efficient use of resources: By owning the entire revenue cycle, marketing can ensure that resources are allocated effectively, eliminating waste and focusing on the strategies that have the highest potential for success.
• Increased conversion rates: Marketing’s influence throughout the buyer journey ensures that leads are better qualified and more likely to convert, which in turn boosts overall conversion rates for the sales team.
• Reduced revenue fluctuations: With marketing in control of the buyer experience, organisations can create more predictable and consistent revenue streams, reducing the volatility that often comes from sales teams chasing leads that aren’t a good fit.

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A new approach to revenue ownership

So, who should own the number? We believe that marketing should not just support sales or work alongside it, but be more accountable for the part it plays in sales outcomes. It’s what they’re originally trained to do until it's knocked out of them to become the support act.

Now that doesn’t mean your events person is suddenly going to be promoted beyond their wildest dream (or nightmare).  This is an experienced leader at the top of their game having been through the school of hard knocks on the way up - just like your Sales VP, not in title only.  They have the support of their peers to make the changes needed to ensure both marketing and sales are aligned in their pursuit of revenue and value of the customer.

And guess what?  Marketing people should have a relationship with buyers beyond digital engagement.  If their relationship is purely data-driven, it is severely hampered.

By taking a more holistic approach to the buyer journey, marketing can drive better results across the board, from lead generation all the way to the final sale.

The result? More efficient processes, higher conversion rates, and ultimately, more predictable revenue.

The question isn’t really whether marketing should own the number in B2B, it’s whether organisations are ready to embrace a better, more integrated, more profitable model that puts the buyer first.

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