Why Marketing Leadership Should Be Measured Like Sales

If there’s one question I've heard more than any other in my 20+ years working in marketing, it’s this:

“How do we really know our marketing is working?”

Most businesses can tell you their sales pipeline, revenue targets, win rates, quarterly forecasts…

But ask about their marketing KPIs and you’ll often get something like: “Website traffic is up” or “We’re doing more on LinkedIn” or “Our agency says the campaign performed well.”

These statements don’t answer the real question - Is marketing generating commercial impact?

And that’s why marketing leadership, full-time or fractional, must be measured like sales: clearly, consistently, and commercially.

Sales Has Clear Accountability. Marketing Often Doesn’t.

Sales has always had a simple rulebook - Hit the number. Show your pipeline. Prove the forecasts.

Marketing often doesn't operate with the same clarity.

That’s partly because marketing:

• plays a longer game.

• is responsible for brand and demand.

• influences revenue indirectly as well as directly.

• uses channels that don’t always have instant attribution.

But none of this is an excuse for fuzzy accountability. With modern tools, data, and processes, most marketing can be measured just as rigorously as sales - and when that happens, performance improves dramatically.

According to LinkedIn’s B2B Benchmark Report, companies with aligned sales & marketing measurement see 38% higher revenue growth than those without.

Why Marketing Leadership Should Be Held to Sales-Style Standards

1. Marketing is a revenue engine, not a cost centre

High-performing businesses treat marketing like a growth function, not a “creative department.” When you measure marketing commercially, you unlock:

• better forecasting.

• clearer budgets.

• more precise investment decisions,

• stronger marketing & sales alignment.

2. It eliminates vanity metrics

Click-through rates and impressions tell you very little about business impact. Sales-style measurement forces leaders to ask:

• Did this activity generate pipeline?

• Did it shorten the sales cycle?

• Did it improve conversion rates?

• Did it help win more of the right customers?

3. It keeps teams aligned on outcomes, not activity

When Marketing is measured like Sales, both teams work toward the same goal.

Revenue that closes.

Not just leads that click.

4. It builds trust between the CEO, Sales, and Marketing

Misalignment disappears when everyone sees the same performance truth. No more:

“Sales aren’t following up leads.”

“Marketing leads are rubbish.”

“We don’t know what’s working.”

Clarity means trust. Trust means results.

What Sales-Style Measurement Looks Like in Marketing

A good CMO, or a Fractional CMO, will typically introduce a reporting structure that mirrors the rigour of sales dashboards.

Here are the core elements:

1. Pipeline Contribution Metrics

The ultimate measure of marketing leadership. Key KPIs include:

• Marketing-sourced pipeline (£)

• Marketing-influenced pipeline (%)

• Pipeline velocity improvement (%)

• Opportunity-to-Win rates by channel

These aren’t nice to have. They’re the backbone of commercial accountability.

2. Demand Generation Performance

Metrics that link top-of-funnel activity to revenue. Examples include:

• MQL to SQL conversion rate

• SQL to Opportunity rate

• Cost per qualified lead

• Sales cycle length reduction

If your marketing leadership isn’t measured here, they’re not truly accountable.

3. Channel & Campaign ROI

Every channel should earn its budget. ROI metrics include:

• Cost per opportunity

• Cost per acquisition (CPA)

• Revenue per channel

• Lifetime value vs acquisition cost

A CMO uses these to cut waste and double-down on what works.

4. Brand Strength Indicators (with commercial linkage)

Brand matters. Always. You can measure brand via:

• Direct traffic growth

• Brand search demand

• Share of voice

• Content engagement depth

• Organic conversion rates

These metrics show whether brand-building is translating into pipeline momentum.

5. Efficiency Metrics (critical for SMEs)

Marketing leadership should always be measured on efficiency, not just outcomes. KPIs include:

• Spend vs ROI

• Resource utilisation

• Cost efficiency over time

• Waste reduction score

Fractional CMOs can add discipline where previously there has been guesswork.

The Framework - How a Fractional CMO Brings Sales-Level Accountability

Here’s the structure I install in organisations.

1. Define the North Star metric

Usually something like:

• Pipeline created

• Marketing-attributed revenue

• SQL growth rate

2. Build a marketing scorecard

A simple dashboard combining:

• Commercial KPIs

• Tactical KPIs

• Efficiency KPIs

3. Implement weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting rhythms

To ensure consistent visibility and accountability.

4. Align marketing & sales measurement

Both teams report from the same data source (typically CRM).

5. Make leadership accountable for outcomes, not activity

Marketing leadership is judged on the impact they create, not how many channels they manage.

What CEOs and Founders Gain from This Approach

• Clarity - You finally see what’s working

• Confidence - You know where to invest

• Control - You remove waste and focus on growth levers

• Alignment - Sales and marketing pull in the same direction

• Momentum - Performance improves because accountability improves

It transforms marketing from a mystery into a strategic advantage.

Marketing leaders, whether full-time, interim, or fractional, should be measured the same way sales leaders are: with clarity, commercial accountability, and revenue-linked KPIs.

When you hold marketing leadership to higher standards, performance improves, waste disappears, and growth becomes predictable

That’s how I work as a Fractional CMO - focused on outcomes, commercial value, and clarity for your entire business.