"Hi Rich,
I work in product marketing and everything is being judged through a 'revenue lens' by the new Head of Sales, but I do not even own the levers that directly drive revenue.
Sales controls sales. Product management controls pricing. The service line controls strategy. Yet it feels like product marketing is being asked to explain why the numbers are not being met.
It is exhausting trying to defend work that is only one part of a much bigger picture. I would really value your view on how I can navigate this and still have real influence instead of just being the messenger when targets are missed."
Sarah, Boston, USA
Rich’s reply
Sarah, your frustration is completely understandable. Let’s unpick what is really going on to help you find a way forward.
You say everything is being judged through a revenue lens. As B2B marketers, that is actually the right lens. We may not control every lever, but our work exists to support commercial outcomes. Marketing cannot declare success if the business has failed to hit its number.
I learned that lesson early in my career. I once watched a VP of Marketing celebrate a great year on stage while sales had missed target badly and the business was about to write down billions. It never sat right with me. From that moment on, I have believed that marketing only wins when sales wins.
Your Head of Sales is new. That matters. He will be under pressure to prove himself quickly, to deliver against the number he committed to when he took the role, and to identify where performance can be lifted. One of the first things most new sales leaders do is turn up the heat across the organisation. Marketing is just one of those places he will ask questions of.
You are also right that product marketing does not control pricing, strategy, or the final sales conversation. Most B2B marketers live with that tension. In time, I think our profession will need to be far more influential in those areas. But in the short term, the most productive response is not to defend your patch. It is to lean into the commercial agenda.
The best advice I can give you is to help your new Head of Sales be successful.
Recognise that he is now one of your most important stakeholders. He has momentum. He has board level support. And he has a very direct line of sight to the outcomes everyone ultimately cares about. Position yourself as an ally, not as someone explaining why things are complicated.
A few practical things you can do:
Spend time with customers alongside sales. Sit in on meetings. Listen to objections. Understand how deals really move or stall. Being able to reference real sales conversations will give you credibility and context in every discussion you have with him.
Build campaigns with sales, not for sales. That does not mean being dictated to, but it does mean involving them early. Let them shape messaging, proof points, and prioritisation. When they feel ownership, they use the work and they defend it.
Be forensic about your budget. He will look under the bonnet of every function. Make sure you can explain not just what you are spending, but why, and how each major investment is meant to support pipeline, win rates, or deal confidence.
Clarify your role and your impact. Put together a simple view of where product marketing sits across the sales cycle. Show how you influence awareness, consideration, validation, and conversion. Be explicit about what you own, what you support, and where your success is tied to sales success. I have often argued that marketing should share responsibility for won business targets, not just pipeline, to demonstrate true alignment.
Proactively bring ideas. What could improve pipeline quality. What could help sales win more often. What content, proof, or enablement is missing. What friction do you see in the buying journey. Do not wait to be asked.
And finally, build a relationship. He is new, probably still finding his feet, and likely under more pressure than he is letting on. A coffee, a lunch, an invitation to a team event, all help build trust and openness whilst you may benefit from an inside track into why he is asking certain questions and what he is trying to do.
You will always feel some heat when revenue is the ultimate measure. That is part of the job. You can fight it, but it is a losing battle. Or you can reframe your role as one that is inseparable from sales success.
When sales wins, marketing wins.
When sales struggles, marketing has work to do.
Position yourself as someone who understands that reality and is actively helping to change it, not just explain it.
Onwards!
