Alignment usually dies because Marketing builds a list based on company size and industry codes while Sales builds a list based on gut feeling and old LinkedIn connections. When the two lists don't match, you're burning money.

To fix this, lock the leaders of both departments in a room. Don’t let them out until they agree on one "Must-Win" list.

Once that list exists, the rules change: Marketing stops chasing leads from companies that aren't on it. Sales commits to hitting those specific accounts with everything they’ve got. This setup ends the endless finger-pointing about "bad leads" or "ignored prospects."

In the old volume-based model, Marketing "warms up" a lead and throws it over the fence to Sales. In a lean ABE model, there is no fence. Both teams work the same account at the same time.

It’s a tag-team approach:
* Marketing runs hyper-specific LinkedIn ads and sends physical mailers to the office.
* Sales researches the decision-makers and starts direct conversations.

This is where tracking job changes pays off. When a former customer moves to a new company on your target list, that’s your opening. Marketing adds that contact to a specific nurture track, while Sales sends a personal note. You’re using the trust you’ve already built to get a foot in the door without a single cold call.

If you want your teams to work together, stop giving them different goals. Marketing usually chases "Marketing Qualified Leads" (MQLs), while Sales only cares about revenue. This disconnect makes Marketing prioritize quantity, which usually means lower quality.

Ditch the MQL. In an ABE model, everyone should look at the same three numbers:
1. Pipeline Velocity: How fast are target accounts moving through your funnel?
2. Meeting Rate: How many target accounts actually agreed to talk?
3. Closed-Won Revenue: How much cash did the "Must-Win" list actually bring in?

When the scorecard is shared, behavior shifts. Marketing stops bragging about a webinar with 500 random attendees and starts focusing on the three attendees who actually work at your target accounts.

A small team that actually talks to each other will beat a massive department with expensive tools and zero communication every time. Success isn't about the software you buy; it's about knowing exactly who you want to sell to and hitting them with a unified message.

You don’t need a new platform to start. You just need to stop working in silos and start giving your highest-value accounts the focus they deserve.