“Where did the lead come from?”
“Marketing.”
I watched my coworker roll their eyes.
We were young guys, a few years out of college, giving sales a try.
I doubt either of us dreamed of selling water coolers for a living. I mean, really — want to clear out a room? Tell people you sell water coolers — real exciting stuff.
But bills exist, and I doubt either of us wanted to be homeless. So, a career was born, and we both took jobs selling reverse osmosis water coolers for the #1 dealer in the country.
As salespeople, we were responsible for drumming up our own leads, but every now and then, if the stars aligned, marketing would throw us a bone.
Unfortunately, these “gifts” were about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
The leads were unqualified, barely lukewarm, and almost never resulted in sales. Over time, anything that came from marketing carried a stigma among us. They were like an annoying little brother — well-meaning, but ultimately more of a hassle than a help.
Fast forward five years and life came full circle.
I found myself working in marketing as a copywriter for the #1 home security company in the nation. I had become what I once loathed — a “marketing guy.”
And with that came a revelation I use to this day: Marketing gets better when it talks to sales.
The Truth About Sales and Marketing
After working both sides of the aisle, I’ve learned something that seems obvious but is often overlooked:
Sales and marketing are two sides of the same coin.
They’re yin and yang — with 401(k)s.
Marketing involves selling an idea, while sales involves marketing yourself.
The ultimate goal is the same: promote and sell a product.
Yet, there’s this odd rivalry. Marketers see salespeople as loudmouths chasing commission checks. Salespeople see marketers as overpaid latte drinkers who slap buzzwords on PowerPoints.
But here’s the kicker: They’re both right — and they’re both wrong.
And this leads to unproductive tension.
But when sales and marketing work together?
That’s where the magic happens.
Marketing gets sharper messaging, and sales gets better tools to close deals.
Why Marketing Departments Should Talk to Your Sales Team
Here’s the uncomfortable truth, marketers: Your sales team is the face of your marketing efforts.
They’re the ones living at the intersection of theory and reality. They spend their days in the trenches, talking to real customers and hearing real feedback. They know what people love, what they hate, and what they secretly wish for but won’t admit.
And guess what? It’s rarely the feel-good fluff you put in your branding.
It’s not the sustainability initiatives. It’s not the titanium components. It’s not the “employee-owned” vibes.
It’s the thing that gets the job done faster, cheaper, and easier.
Period.
When I was selling water coolers, our marketing team pushed this gem:
“We have a six-stage, patented filtration process that removes chemicals and ozonates to reduce mess.”
Sure, it sounded impressive — if you were a scientist.
But what worked in the field was a simpler pitch:
“Cleaner water. Mold-free.”
Why? Because people buy your product, not your pitch.
And generally people just want to know what your product is, what it does, and why it’s better.
You know, what’s in it for me?
It’s boring, but sometimes, Hell, oftentimes, boring works.
And it’s only by talking to your sales team that you can bridge the gap between what customers say they want and what they actually respond to.
The “New Coke” Lesson
Remember New Coke?
Probably not… and for good reason.
Well, in the 1980s, Coca-Cola launched a new formula after extensive customer research showed people preferred it to the original and Pepsi in blind taste tests.
So they rolled it out… then came the backlash.
Customers didn’t just dislike New Coke — they rioted. Coca-Cola had to bring back the original formula as “Coca-Cola Classic” within a few months.
The lesson? What people say they want and what they actually want aren’t always the same.
This lesson is one you can quickly find if you work in sales.
Because you see, salespeople live in that gap.
They see what works in the real world because they’re on the frontlines every day.
What Marketing Needs to Do in 2025
So marketers, let’s cut the guessing game. If you want to win in 2025, here’s your playbook:
- Schedule regular check-ins with your sales team. Make it a habit, not a one-time thing.
- Ask what customers are saying — and what they’re showing with their wallets. Look for the truth in the data.
- Refine your messaging based on real-world insights. Talk to customers about what actually matters to them.
When sales and marketing work together, it’s not just about moving the needle. It’s about breaking the dial.
As marketers, we want to be creative and find new ways to communicate our message — and this is a great quality. But it needs to be balanced by the cold, hard truth only a salesperson can tell: What’s actually working?
If you can continue to come up with new ideas and get feedback from your salespeople, I promise you that your messaging and your marketing will improve.
And your 2025 will be a year to remember.
Please like, comment, share and tell me what you think! Never want to miss my writing? Follow me here: Tonysbologna | Anthony Robert | Substack
I love this post! Thank you so much. I’ve worked in marketing for 15 years, and everything you wrote rings true! SMH. Collaboration is key,
So happy you enjoyed! Thank you for reading
The worst job I ever had was supporting people who marketed computer software. Gaaaa! But heck, it was a job, and I met some interesting people.
That’s a good silver lining! Mine was always was atleast I can write about this
So true… marketing comes up with a pitch, and then it’s extra work for sales to convert that pitch into layman terms to close the deal.
100%
What about when you’re both the salesperson and the marketer?
Then never feel bad for talking to yourself 😉
I seem to remember that “New Coke” had a medicinal taste like Pepsi or Dr. Pepper. I think the marketing was saying that you’re not supposed to like “Sweetness” because it was associated with an unhealthy diet. I might have tried to get used to a less sweet product, BUT I hated the scolding and I didn’t want to be a “good” person. I wanted to be “bad” like a person who likes whiskey for the taste of toughness. A sharp strong taste sometimes helps with it’s analogy to a bad day and is soon followed by a pleasant high without getting sick. Same with dried fruit: I liked when is was thoroughly dried out and hard to bite off. I don’t want soft and plump. Hey look, in the old days, they had instructions on the box for those times you needed it in a specialized recipe. In those “emergencies” you could just boil it and it would re-plump and be soft, sort of like when you ruin wine to cook with it so that all the alcohol evaporates and leaves just a few flavors behind. Oh, don’t quote me but I’m thinking about Date extract for coke-like drink — maybe I don’t need caramel coloring. I’ve just found out how sweet dates are. And I’ve discovered blueberries blended with bananas. I have to do my own experiments because Marketers can’t be trusted. And I don’t know why we can’t cope with the fact that lemon juice is not yellow, and lime juice is not green.