SLA (Marketing-Sales)
A marketing-sales SLA is a formal, two-way agreement defining the quantity and quality of leads marketing will deliver and how quickly and thoroughly sales will follow up on them.
In depth
The agreement is bidirectional: marketing commits to delivering an agreed number of qualified leads that meet a shared definition, and sales commits to working those leads within a defined timeframe and number of attempts. Putting these obligations in writing replaces finger-pointing with measurable commitments that both teams can be held to.
The value comes from forcing a shared definition of a qualified lead and a clear contract on follow-up, which dramatically reduces leakage between the two functions. A common pitfall is creating an SLA but never instrumenting it, so no one tracks whether sales actually worked the leads on time. In a quiz-funnel workflow, an SLA might specify that any lead scoring above a threshold on a scorecard is a qualified lead that sales must contact within one business day.
Example in practice
Frequently asked questions
What should a marketing-sales SLA include?
It should define the shared lead qualification criteria, the volume marketing commits to deliver, and the speed and number of follow-up attempts sales commits to. Strong SLAs also specify how breaches are measured and reviewed.
Why are marketing-sales SLAs bidirectional?
Because both teams hold obligations: marketing must deliver quality leads at volume, and sales must work them promptly and thoroughly. A one-sided agreement just shifts blame instead of fixing the handoff.
How do you enforce a marketing-sales SLA?
Enforcement requires instrumentation, typically a shared dashboard tracking lead volume, quality, and follow-up speed against the agreed targets. Regular revenue meetings then review breaches and adjust the agreement as needed.