If you have ever wondered who really owns a lead or when marketing should hand things off to sales, this episode breaks it down. You will learn how to prevent handoff confusion, reduce pipeline gaps, and improve the flow between your teams.
To hear the full conversation, listen to Revenue Rewired Episode 40: Where Does Marketing Stop and Sales Start on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts.
The Moment That Started This Conversation
This topic was born from a simple moment between Sarah and me during one of our weekly marketing meetings. We were reviewing what had been working, what needed improvement, and what we were learning by testing new tactics on ourselves.
Then I showed her a cold email I was rewriting. I thought it was a normal part of the meeting. But she stopped me and asked,
“Why are you writing this? You lead sales and I lead marketing. Shouldn’t I handle this?”
That question hit harder than I expected.
It made us both realize we needed to talk about something bigger.
Where does marketing stop and where does sales start?
This episode grew from that exact moment.
Why This Question Matters
You can have the best systems, the best tools, the best CRM setup, and the clearest org chart. None of it prevents confusion if the roles blur during real work.
And they always blur.
Marketing wants to stay in the loop.
Sales wants to personalize quickly.
Everyone wants to do what is best for the prospect.
The problem is not skill. The problem is that these teams sit close together, so their work naturally overlaps.
That is why this question is so important for revenue leaders.
What Actually Creates Misalignment
- Responsibilities feel clear until something unexpected happens
You think you know who owns a task until a situation pops up that does not fit the usual flow. That is when someone steps in without warning, and suddenly, the line is blurry.
- There is a difference between who knows the prospect and who writes strong messaging
Sales knows context and timing.
Marketing knows messaging and positioning.
Both sides matter, which makes ownership feel tricky.
- Real life is never as clean as your documented process
People move quickly. Prospects change direction. Opportunities shift from warm to cold and back again. When work moves at real speed, your process has to leave space for flexibility.
Sarah and I noticed all of this during our discussion. What started as a small email question turned into a bigger look at how teams actually work.
So, Who Should Write the Cold Email?
Here is the simple way to think about it.
If the person has not engaged yet, it belongs to marketing.
It is part of building awareness, starting conversations, and setting the tone.
Once the person responds, it becomes sales.
At that point, it is personal.
Sales needs to bring the context, the details, and the relationship.
Marketing sets the direction.
Sales takes the conversation forward.
This was the biggest insight from our chat.
Why Communication Solves the Problem
During the episode, Sarah talked about how much marketing learns from listening online. She sees trends, problems, and questions long before they show up in a sales call. If she does not share those insights, my conversations with prospects lose relevance.
And on the other side, I see things in sales calls that she never sees.
Tone. Frustrations. Timing. Priority shifts. Personal reactions.
If I do not share those with marketing, the messaging falls flat.
The handoff works when both sides talk early, talk often, and talk honestly.
That is what stops leads from falling through the cracks.
FAQ: What Leaders Want to Know
Q: What is a ghost handoff?
A ghost handoff happens when a lead gets stuck between teams and no one knows who owns the next step.
Q: Who owns early outreach?
Marketing. Once the prospect engages, sales steps in.
Q: Why do these roles feel confusing?
Because real buyers do not move in straight lines. The journey loops, pauses, and shifts.
Q: Can one person own both teams?
It rarely works. The responsibilities compete with each other and the workload becomes overwhelming.
Q: Should messaging be standardized or personalized?
Both. Marketing gives structure. Sales brings relevance.
Why You Can Trust These Insights
I have spent more than twenty years leading revenue teams, coaching companies through alignment challenges, and building strategies that actually work. Sarah has spent a decade shaping operations, improving systems, and building stronger collaboration between departments.
We do not teach theory. We teach what we test on ourselves first.
Everything in this episode comes from real work, real experiences, and real results.
The Real Takeaway
If you want cleaner handoffs, fewer missed leads, and faster revenue momentum, do not rely only on rigid rules.
Focus on better conversations.
Focus on shared context.
Focus on working as one team instead of two separate groups.
That is how you create true alignment.
If you want help cleaning up your revenue engine, our team is here to support you.
