The Challenge: Misaligned Teams, Missed Opportunities
Imagine this scenario: A high-growth software company is gaining traction, and the sales team is aggressively bringing in deals. But cracks begin to appear. Engineers feel blindsided by unrealistic deadlines and unfeasible promises. Sales, on the other hand, is frustrated by the lack of feature delivery and delayed timelines. Customers are left unsatisfied, churn increases, and growth begins to stall.
This disconnect is more common than it should be, and it costs companies millions in lost revenue and trust. As a CTO, I’ve seen this friction play out, but I’ve also witnessed the incredible power that a harmonious sales-engineering collaboration can bring. The key is to intentionally align the two teams to operate as a cohesive unit that prioritizes the customer above all.
Here’s how.
1. Create a Shared Understanding of the Customer
Problem: Engineers often work in isolation from customers, relying on secondhand insights from sales. This leads to features that don’t solve real problems.
Solution: Build mechanisms for engineers to interact directly with customers.
Example: At a previous company, we initiated a “Customer Connect” program where engineers joined sales calls and post-sale onboarding sessions. Hearing customers describe their pain points firsthand fostered empathy and gave engineers context to prioritize impactful solutions.
2. Use Data to Speak the Same Language
Problem: Sales and engineering often prioritize different metrics—sales targets vs. system scalability. This creates misalignment on what “success” looks like.
Solution: Establish shared KPIs that bridge the gap.
Example: In one company, we introduced metrics like feature adoption rate and time-to-value. These KPIs incentivized both teams to focus on delivering products that customers loved and adopted quickly, ensuring alignment from ideation to implementation.
3. Introduce a Transparent Roadmap Process
Problem: Sales often feels left out of roadmap planning, while engineering struggles to accommodate ad hoc requests.
Solution: Build a collaborative roadmap planning process.
Example: At one of my previous companies, we held quarterly roadmap workshops where sales pitched top customer asks, prioritized by revenue impact and market fit. Engineering evaluated feasibility, and together, we defined a realistic delivery timeline. This process gave both teams visibility and ownership over the roadmap.
4. Empower Cross-Functional SWAT Teams
Problem: When issues arise, the blame game often starts—sales blames engineering for bugs, while engineering blames sales for overselling.
Solution: Form cross-functional teams to tackle high-stakes challenges together.
Example: When an enterprise customer threatened to churn due to a critical feature gap, we deployed a SWAT team comprising sales, engineering, and customer success. By working together, we delivered a tailored solution in record time, turning a potential loss into a glowing testimonial.
5. Foster a Culture of Mutual Respect
Problem: Engineers may view sales as overly aggressive, while sales may see engineers as overly rigid.
Solution: Break silos by building empathy.
Example: At a company offsite, we ran a role-switching exercise where engineers tried to “sell” our product and sales teams participated in debugging challenges. This exercise broke down stereotypes and created a newfound respect for each other’s skills and challenges.
6. Leverage Technology to Close Gaps
Problem: Miscommunication often arises due to a lack of shared tools or processes.
Solution: Invest in integrated tools that foster collaboration.
Example: By using platforms like Salesforce integrated with Jira, we enabled sales to log customer requests directly into engineering’s backlog, complete with revenue impact and urgency. This automation reduced miscommunication and ensured customer needs were appropriately prioritized.
7. Celebrate Wins as a Team
Problem: Sales often gets the glory for closing deals, while engineering’s contributions go unrecognized.
Solution: Celebrate customer wins together.
Example: When a major deal closed, our CEO made it a point to highlight the engineering team’s role in delivering the features that clinched the sale. This fostered pride and a sense of shared achievement.
Why This Matters
Companies with aligned sales and engineering teams have a superpower—they can move faster, deliver more value, and retain customers longer. This synergy fuels sustainable growth and creates a competitive edge in crowded markets.
Call to Action
If you’re a CEO, founder, or board member, ask yourself:
- Are your sales and engineering teams working as one, or are they pulling in different directions?
- Have you created systems to align priorities, build empathy, and ensure both teams focus on delivering customer value?
Investing in collaboration between sales and engineering isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for scaling your business and delighting customers. It’s the difference between a product that stagnates and one that dominates its market.
Let’s build bridges, not silos. Spectacular results are waiting.
What do you think of this framework? Would you add any examples from your own experiences?