It is the oldest story in business: Marketing claims they sent hundreds of leads, but Sales complains they were "junk." Sales claims they are working hard, but Marketing sees leads sitting untouched in the CRM for days.
This friction isn't a personality conflict; it's a process failure. It happens when there is no defined agreement on what a "Lead" is and what actions must be taken when one appears.
What is a Sales & Marketing SLA?
An SLA is a formal contract between the two departments that defines:
- Definitions: Exactly what criteria make a lead an MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) versus an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead).
- Handoffs: How and when a lead is transferred.
- Accountability: The specific timeframe in which Sales must contact a new lead.
Step 1: Define "Qualified" Together
The biggest source of resentment is definition. Marketing often marks a lead as "Qualified" because they downloaded a PDF. Sales only considers them "Qualified" if they have budget and timeline.
I bring both teams into a room to build a shared scoring model. We agree that demographic fit + behavioral intent = MQL. If a lead doesn't meet that standard, Marketing keeps nurturing it. If it does, Sales accepts it.
Step 2: The "Speed to Lead" Protocol
Data shows that contacting a lead within 5 minutes increases conversion rates by 9x compared to 30 minutes. Yet, without an SLA, leads often sit for 24-48 hours.
In my SLA frameworks, I implement a strict "Time-to-Touch" rule. For example: "High-priority MQLs must be contacted within 2 business hours." This is tracked in the CRM, and alerts are triggered if the SLA is breached.
Step 3: The Closed Feedback Loop
An SLA isn't a one-way street. Marketing needs to know why a lead was rejected. I mandate that Sales cannot simply ignore a lead; they must update the status to "Unqualified" and select a reason (e.g., "No Budget," "Bad Timing," "Competitor").
This data flows back to Marketing, allowing us to refine ad targeting and stop paying for leads that Sales can't close.
The Result: Revenue Alignment
When an SLA is active, the blame game stops. Marketing is accountable for Quality, and Sales is accountable for Speed. The result is a predictable pipeline, higher conversion rates, and a unified team focused on revenue rather than arguments.