10 Questions Every Marketeer Should Ask Sales

We all know how it goes: you’re deep into your marketing strategy, pumping out campaigns, creative ideas flying, and… oops. You forget to touch base with Sales. They drive your plan and they need to look at it, poke it, challenge it & somehow help you shape it.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own world that we work in silos, forgetting that success doesn’t happen in isolation.

Here's the truth for marketeers: Sales is your secret weapon. Their win is your win, so if you’re not regularly chatting with your sales team, you’re missing out. Those leads you're generating? They’re closing them. The brand you’re building? They’re out there representing it. You get the idea. Your very first customer on the job is your sales, then your operations then you of course, your customers.

Here’s a simple thought experiment: what would happen if your campaigns weren’t driving sales or, worse, were overpromising? Marketing without Sales input is like driving without GPS—you might move fast, but who knows if you’re going in the right direction.

I understand that this is sensitive topic for many marketers as they need not fall into sounding like Sales and reserve creativity and originality for their brands, neverthles,, asking the right questions can only help you

Let’s break down 10 questions you absolutely need to be asking your Sales team to level up your Marcomms game:

1.      Are you satisfied with the leads generated by our marketing campaigns?Let’s face it, we all know leads aren’t just numbers—they’re potential clients, partnerships, future business. Get Sales to tell you if the leads are high-quality, relevant, and actually converting.

2.      Are the campaigns meeting your conversion KPIs?While our marketing hearts beat to the rhythm of reach, engagement, and awareness, the Sales team lives by conversions. If your campaigns aren’t converting leads into customers, something is off.

I remember working on a campaign that had killer creative, a catchy slogan, and huge engagement on social media. But the feedback from Sales? Crickets. The leads weren’t converting. That’s when I realized the messaging didn’t connect with what prospects needed at the decision-making stage. We tweaked it, and suddenly, everything clicked.

3.      What campaigns worked in the past?

Before you spend hours ideating the next big thing, find out what’s already worked. Look back before you look ahead. It’s not just about replication, it’s about understanding the core components of why a particular approach worked. Trends evolve, but the core principles of what resonates with people often remain consistent over time.

4.      What sponsorships worked in the past?Sponsorships can be hit or miss. Make sure you’re investing in the right partnerships that actually build your brand and, more importantly, support sales efforts.

Take a page out of Red Bull’s book. Their extreme sports sponsorships are aligned perfectly with their brand, helping them become synonymous with adventure and high-energy activities. And guess what? That brand awareness supports sales in those exact demographics.

A not so good recent examples is Tarte’s decision to gift $700 Hermes bracelets to select influencers in their PR packages. While this generated buzz, many customers felt it was tone-deaf, isolating a large part of their audience by coming off as elitist.

Tarte defended the move, explaining that long-term relationships with influencers were worth more than short-term media buys. Again – draw the link, is this marketing tactic going to work on the majority of your customers – the regular makeup-buying folk?

5.      Is the PR we’re providing building a solid brand image to back up your sales efforts?

No one wants to push a product or service that doesn’t match its public persona. Your sales team needs PR efforts that don’t just create buzz but create trust. Again, Tarte is a perfect example of what not to do. It positions the brand as luxury when it’s not, having accidentally pigeonholed itself in the press.

6.      Are our messages overpromising or underpromising to customers?Are we selling dreams that Sales can’t deliver? Or maybe we’re not selling ourselves hard enough. Either way, misalignment between the message and the product is the quickest way to lose a sale.

7.      Does the retail or service environment live up to the brand promise?Imagine creating a luxury campaign for a brand, only for customers to walk into a store that looks outdated. Not a good look. Marketing and Sales teams talking to each other is essential to ensure you’re selling the same narrative through your campaigns as you are your products and vice versa.

8.      How, in your opinion, can conversion rates be improved?No one knows better than Sales how close they are to closing deals. They can offer insights on what’s missing in the marketing message that could push a customer over the finish line.

9.      How do you integrate customer feedback into marketing initiatives?Sales gets the raw, unfiltered feedback that marketers often don’t. Use that intel to shape your campaigns and product messaging.

10.  How dynamic is the brand in responding to changing consumer needs?

We live in a world of fast-changing customer behavior. Are your marketing strategies nimble enough to keep up? Sales knows when customers’ needs have shifted—and that’s the insight you need to adapt fast. Brands that adapt to customer needs in real time are more likely to outperform their competitors. Think about that the next time you get customer feedback from Sales.

Bonus tip: Being a great marketeer doesn’t mean knowing it all—it means knowing how to ask the right questions, listen, and then act. Whether it’s Sales, Customer Service, or Operations, someone has the insights you need to improve your efforts. Marketing isn’t about working in a bubble—it’s about working together.

If you want more tangible tools, frameworks, and strategies on how to improve your Marcomms game by working cross-functionally with teams like HR, Talent Acquisition, and even Finance, I’ve got you covered in my book Marketing and Communications on the Job.

Get your copy here: https://amzn.eu/d/2YkuNUc