We’re Bleeding Trillions Right Now.
That’s not a typo. Misalignment is collectively costing B2B firms over a trillion dollars in revenue annually.
Let’s zoom in a little.
IDC Research estimates that B2B companies’ inability to align sales and marketing teams costs them over 10% of annual revenue. That’s not a rounding error—that’s a crisis. Meanwhile, aligned companies are laughing all the way to the bank, growing revenue at an average of 31.6% year-over-year compared to just 6.7% for the rest. (Source: Aberdeen Group)
So, what gives? Have we gotten so used to the constant friction between sales and marketing that we’ve just accepted it as the price of doing business?
The truth is, we’ve normalized the dysfunction. Sales blames marketing for “bad leads”, marketing blames sales for “lazy follow-ups” and the CEO? They’re blissfully unaware of the massive financial black hole this misalignment creates.
The Cost of Misalignment: It’s Ugly
Let’s get specific:
90% of sales and marketing pros agree that alignment improves the customer experience. But guess what? 9 in 10 also admit they are misaligned across strategy, process, content, and culture. (Source: LinkedIn)
Here’s a fun one: 60-70% of marketing content gets ignored by sales, while sales reps waste 50% of their time chasing unqualified leads. (Source: LinkedIn)
And the kicker? Roughly 13% of those hard-earned MQLs will ever grow up to become an SQL. Brutal.
Right now, no one truly owns revenue—just different teams passing the baton and hoping it crosses the finish line.
But what if we stopped treating sales and marketing as separate races? What if we built a structure where everyone’s job was revenue generation—start to finish?
That’s exactly what Demand Pods do.
Why Isn’t Alignment a Priority?
Let’s be real—too many leaders are stuck in “this is how it’s always been” mode. They’re clinging to the idea that sales and marketing have separate missions as if we’re not all here for one reason: to generate revenue.
Sure, sales and marketing need different tools, systems, and strategies. But unless a shared revenue goal ties together those systems, all you’ve got is a dysfunctional machine leaking money.
Until the C-suite decides that the status quo isn’t good enough, this mess will continue.
The Fix: Demand Pods
Here’s the good news: the solution isn’t rocket science. It’s a fundamental shift in team structure.
Demand Pods eliminate the silos that are killing your revenue. Instead of sales, marketing, and business development operating in their bubbles, Demand Pods unite them under one shared goal: revenue.
In a Demand Pod, everyone owns the full pipeline—from awareness to close. There is no more finger-pointing, no more excuses, just results.
And here’s what aligned companies achieve when they get their act together (thanks, Aberdeen Group):
- 32% higher revenue
- 36% more customers retained
- 38% higher win rates
Sound like a dream? It’s not. It’s just what happens when you stop playing tug-of-war and start pulling in the same direction.
Can You Regain That 10% of Lost Revenue?
So what’s it gonna be? Keep letting deals die in the gap between sales and marketing? Keep hemorrhaging revenue because no one actually owns the full pipeline?
Or fix the system. Align your teams. Build a revenue engine that actually works.
Demand Pods make it happen. No more handoffs. No more silos. No more excuses. Just revenue, owned by everyone.
Demand pods turn “not my problem” into “It’s all our problem.”
Let’s look at these “before” and “after” scenarios with demand pods:
Before:
“The prospect had a problem we could solve, but he went dark on me.”
“None of these deals are closing, but the lead quality I’m getting isn’t great.”
After:
“We decided they weren’t the right decision maker anyway and started prospecting everyone around him.”
“We now understand the prospects we’re pursuing aren’t at the right level impacting deal conversion rates and have made some adjustments.”
Who should implement Demand Pods?
- Newly former demand teams
- Demand teams implementing an ABM
- (Account Based Marketing) Strategy
- Demand teams struggling with mid-funnel conversions
KPIs impacted with Demand Pods:
- Lead creation quality
- Sales funnel conversion
- Sales funnel velocity
- Demand team happiness index
- Demand teams struggling with mid-funnel conversions
Fishmongers and the Traditional “Handoff” Approach
Roughly 90% of demand teams operate like the famous fishmongers in Seattle—flinging leads through the air, hoping someone will catch them.
• Marketing tosses MQLs to SDRs.
• SDRs lob SQLs to sales.
• Sales tries to close deals—if they don’t drop through the cracks first.
And when those deals do fall apart? It’s always someone else’s throw that was off.
It’s chaotic. It’s messy. And it’s a guaranteed way to lose revenue.
From Fish Toss to Swiss Precision: The Demand Model
Now, imagine flipping that model on its head.
Instead of dumping leads across departments and praying for conversion, your team operates like a Swiss watch—interlocking, synchronized, and built for precision.
Demand Pods create a system where revenue isn’t just someone’s job—it’s everyone’s job.
How Demand Pods Work:
In short, a Demand Pod is a small (3–8 person), cross-functional team that owns revenue from start to finish.
- They meet and talk frequently—talking daily and meeting at least weekly.
- They prioritize key accounts—focusing on ICP targets instead of aimless outreach.
- They design multi-channel campaigns—ensuring consistent, coordinated outreach.
- They collectively solve blockers—no more waiting for the “next person in line” to figure it out.
And let’s not forget—Pods celebrate wins together. Because when revenue is everyone’s job, success actually feels like a team effort.
Where Pods Fit Best:
- Regional & territory-based sales models
- Quota-carrying sales hunters
- ABM (Account-Based Marketing) strategies with clear ICPs
Demand Pods Roles & Responsibilities
A Demand Pod isn’t about rigid structures or filling every role perfectly—it’s about getting the right people working together toward the same goal: closing more, higher-quality deals.
Not every company will have a dedicated sales ops person or a full-fledged partnerships team. That’s okay. The power of Demand Pods is their adaptability—you can structure them based on the team members you have rather than waiting for the “perfect” lineup.
What matters most is alignment, communication, and execution. If your team is small, people may take on dual roles. If you don’t have a partnership lead, marketing and sales can work together to leverage ecosystem relationships. The key is ensuring everyone in the Pod is focused on moving revenue forward, not just playing their part.
So don’t get stuck trying to check every box. Start with what you have, refine as you go, and keep your focus on the real goal—turning the pipeline into revenue.
Core Pod Roles:
Inside Sales / Business Development: BD reps are the frontline hunters of the Pod. They are responsible for breaking into cold accounts, warming them up, and handing off hot opportunities. Consider adding BD leadership early to help drive pod adoption and execution.
Sales: The closers. Most quota-carrying sales reps focus on warm, hot, and existing accounts, but in a pod structure, top-performing reps should also help break into cold accounts when pipeline activity needs a boost.
Marketing: The binding agent. Marketing team members serve as pod strategists, supporting custom content, pitch materials, multi-touch campaigns, and demand initiative execution. They ensure outreach isn’t just sales-led but fully integrated across multiple channels.
Partnerships: The two-way conduit between your demand team and your ecosystem partners. In a pod, partnership team members help:
- Prioritize accounts based on partner insights.
- Leverage partner resources (cache & cash) to accelerate deals.
- Act as brand ambassadors, ensuring partners stay informed and engaged.
Sales Qualification: If the lead volume is high, a dedicated qualification role can help separate real opportunities from dead weight. This function ensures only high-intent leads move through the pipeline, increasing pod efficiency and preventing wasted effort.
Sales / Revenue Operations: The engine that keeps the pod running. Sales ops or rev ops team members provide:
- Dashboards & data tracking to measure pod success.
- Agenda-setting & facilitation for meetings.
- Process optimization & best practices to improve efficiency.
Sales / Demand Leadership: The pod’s anchor. Leadership should be involved early to:
- Set the tone and expectations.
- Join pod meetings regularly (not just oversee from a distance).
- Ensure pods stay embedded in the revenue organization long-term.
How to Implement Your First Demand Pod
Step 1: Assemble & Formalize Your First Pod
1. Prototype or Go All In → You can start small with one “test pod” or roll out multiple at once across your demand teams. Either way, the goal is to get cross-functional alignment and see results fast.
2. Structure It Right → Keep it lean—ideally 1–2 BDRs and 1–2 sales reps per Pod. Then, add in marketing, partnerships, and sales ops. Leadership should be involved in the early days, but don’t bog this down in bureaucracy.
3. Make the Mission Clear → Before you throw people into a new group, tell them why it exists. This is not replacing your current marketing and sales structure—it’s a revenue accelerator. Everyone is here for one goal: more, higher-quality deals that close.
4. Pick a Pod Leader → Each Pod needs a de facto leader. In most cases, that’s the quota-carrying sales rep. But it could also be a BDR manager, demand leader, or whoever is best positioned to drive momentum.
📍Exit Criteria: Your Pod has been assembled, the mission is clear, and a leader is designated.
Step 2: Step Up Communication Protocols
Pods work because they talk to each other. Constantly. This step makes sure that actually happens.
1. Create Your Communication Hub → Slack, Teams, email groups—whatever works for your org, set it up before launch. This is your Pod’s home base for updates, quick check-ins, and wins.
2. Lock in the Meeting Cadence → The bare minimum:
- Daily check-ins (async or quick huddles)—because momentum dies in silence.
- Weekly strategy meetings (30 minutes max)—forward-looking, not status updates.
3. Prep Your Go-To Playbooks & Reports → Pods should regularly reference:
- Priority account lists
- Lead engagement & conversion reports
- Your Purposeful Pursuit process
📍 Exit Criteria:Communication channels are live, calendars are booked, and everyone knows when and how to engage.
Step 3: Run the First Pod Meeting
1. Set the tone. This is about alignment, action, and acceleration.
2. Walk through the process. Who does what, how do we communicate, and what success looks like?
3. Start problem-solving immediately. Which deals are in motion? What’s blocking progress? What’s the next move?
🔄 Ongoing Weekly Meetings:
- Not a status update. This is a strategy session.
- Cover 5–20 priority accounts. Where do they stand? What’s the next move?
4. Adjust & adapt. Demand Pods are built for agility—if something’s not working, fix it in real-time.
📍 Exit Criteria: Your Pod is meeting regularly, and discussions are actionable, not reactive.
Step 4: Track Success and Optimize
“How do we know this is actually working?”
Simple: the numbers don’t lie.
1. Set a Baseline → Before launch, grab these numbers:
- Top-of-funnel quality → Are we generating better leads within target accounts?
- Mid-funnel conversion rates → Are we moving more leads through the pipeline?
- Sales velocity → Are deals closing faster?
2. Watch the Trend Line → Within 6–12 weeks, all three metrics should be heading in the right direction.
3. Tie Wins Back to the Pod → If new leads and deals can be directly attributed to pod collaboration, you’re on the right track.
📍 Success Criteria: You’re seeing better leads, faster conversions, and closed deals that wouldn’t have happened without the Pod.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Over Engineer It
Demand Pods aren’t meant to be complicated. They work because they force collaboration, cut the excuses, and get teams moving in sync.
What does success look like? No more leaks. No more silos. No more excuses. Demand Pods aren’t the future—they’re the fix.
The companies that do this will win. The ones that don’t? Well… they’ll keep bleeding revenue.
