One pattern I’ve seen repeatedly (and am working through with a ~$1M ARR company right now) is when marketing is optimised purely for generating MQLs without looking at what happens after the handoff.
On paper, marketing hits their MQL target and celebrates. But when you follow those leads down the funnel, only a small percentage convert to SQLs, SALs, and Closed Won.
So marketing hit their MQL target, but sales miss their SAL target, and the business misses revenue targets. 🫠
