How Can Sales and Product Management Teams Work Better Together?

If you've ever felt like your product and sales teams speak entirely different languages, you're not alone. George Mueller faced this challenge when tasked with putting a man on the moon in the 1960s. Reflecting on NASA's fragmented structure, he described the business units as "independent fiefdoms" and "warlords dominating the organization." He said, "We just weren't going to get there, in my opinion, unless we changed the organization."

Mueller implemented a "five-box" management system, fostering direct communication between departments and transforming NASA into a unified, efficient operation. This approach was instrumental in the success of the Apollo missions.

Fast-forward to today and collaboration remains challenging but still just as essential. According to Forrester Research, companies with high alignment in sales goals and product development see 2.4 times higher revenue growth and double profitability growth. So, how do we unite product and sales team members to achieve their shared goals?

This article will explore the distinct roles of product management and sales, how these teams can support each other, practical collaboration examples, and actionable strategies for improving partnership. 

What Is the Difference Between a Product Manager and a Sales Manager?

Product managers and sales managers are important for business growth in their unique ways. Product managers 'own' the product and define its roadmap and features, while sales managers work to build customer relationships and close deals. Understanding the distinctions and overlaps will help promote collaboration.

Product Manager Role and Responsibilities

Product managers have become the driving force behind innovation and growth in many companies. They are the visionaries steering the product strategy, deciding what to build next based on customers’ needs and market trends. Unsurprisingly, 59% of professionals agree that PMs lead their company's digital transformation efforts. 

What's more, product leadership is gaining recognition. Just a few years ago, the Chief Product Officer (CPO) role was rare. Now, 31% of companies have a CPO on their executive team, and 16% of CEOs come from a product background. This means PMs are gaining more influence, shaping big decisions, and even defining company culture. 

Sales Manager Role and Responsibilities

Sales management focuses on revenue generation. They lead sales teams, track pipelines, and develop strategies to meet sales targets. Their role involves building relationships, negotiating deals, and acting as the customer's voice within the organization. Strong sales leadership ensures that their deep understanding of customer needs and business objectives align.

While these roles seem naturally complementary, aligning their efforts is easier said than done.

Bridging the Gap: The Role of Presales Sales Engineers

Presales Sales Engineers or Solution Consultants play the perfect role in bridging the product and sales gap. They are skilled at translating complex features into easy-to-understand demos that show real-world value. They’re the ones who can confidently say, “Here’s how this will solve your problem,” backed by technical know-how, existing product understanding, and strategic thinking.

Sales team members also appreciate working with presales engineers because buyers tend to trust them. They’re knowledgeable, consultative, and, most importantly, honest. They’re not just trying to meet a quota. They’re there to help buyers make smart decisions. Product teams, on the other hand, rely on them for their direct line to unfiltered customer feedback, which helps prioritize missing features and avoid building things no one needs.

Common Friction Points Between Product and Sales Teams

Despite the efforts of presales to bridge the gap, collaboration between product and sales teams often breaks down due to different goals, timelines, and metrics. A Gartner survey found that businesses with high levels of 'collaboration drag' are 37% less likely to achieve their sales goals.

Let's explore the root cause of this misalignment and how it disrupts growth.

• Misaligned product strategy and sales management goals: Sales teams typically care about immediate revenue, while product teams concentrate on the long-term roadmap. This mismatch often leads to disagreements over feature priorities and delivery timelines.
• Feature requests clashing with roadmap priorities: These misaligned goals often manifest in specific feature debates. Sales teams may push for quick feature updates to close deals, while product managers must balance these requests against the strategic roadmap. Without direct customer interactions, product may also misinterpret the urgency or value of these requests, further exacerbating the tension.
• Communication gaps: Without regular updates, sales might not know what new features are in the pipeline. Meanwhile, product managers lose valuable customer feedback that only sales can provide. It's a recipe for misunderstandings and missed opportunities.

How Can Sales and Product Management Teams Work Better Together?

Achieving alignment starts with shared ownership of the product vision, clear sales enablement processes, and strong communication among all team members. Aligned teams close deals faster, reduce churn, and deliver products that hit the mark. In fact, companies with "tightly aligned" teams see 24% faster revenue growth and 27% quicker profit growth.

Here's how to improve team connections:

1. Establish regular feedback loops: Short weekly or biweekly syncs help both sides align on the latest deals, feature requests, or user pain points. This prevents issues from festering and develops a sense of shared ownership. Including product marketing team in these meetings can further enhance communication.
2. Create shared documentation: Consider a central platform for logging feature requests and publishing product roadmaps. This transparency will improve internal and external communication and reduce misaligned promises and expectations.
3. Encourage early involvement: Product managers can benefit from joining a few sales calls to hear real-time customer feedback. Similarly, sales leaders can provide input on the product roadmap early on, helping PMs prioritize what truly impacts revenue and retention.

Consider these practical collaboration scenarios and their success:

ScenarioExampleProduct manager working with salesWhen product management relies on sales to surface recurring customer pain points, impactful decisions are made. For example, after sales highlighted frequent requests for a bulk editing feature, the team fast-tracked its product development. The result? A $500k deal closed within a month of release.Sales leader working with productOpportunities arise when sales shares blockers in the sales process. A sales leader flagged the absence of integration with a popular CRM as a significant obstacle. Acting on this, product delivered the integration, leading to three closed deals totaling $1.2M.Enhancing collaboration through regular syncsCross-departmental syncs are critical for staying competitive. In one sync, sales flagged a competitor's new ‘must-have’ feature. Product quickly developed a comparable solution, helping retain a key account worth $800K.

Enhancing The Collaboration Between Sales and Product Teams

Collaboration starts with data. Replacing anecdotal feedback with actionable data ensures product teams prioritize features that drive revenue and sales teams sell what’s available. Regular cross-departmental meetings build trust, as Seismic's SVP Brian Cotter explains: "When both departments understand the anatomy of a deal, win rates and product strategies improve."

Ultimately, accountability and open communication between sales and product enable teams to deliver more competitive products that meet market demands and increase revenue.

Metrics That Help Align Sales and Product Teams

Metrics that track and analyze data impacting both sales and product keep everyone aligned and accountable. They reveal the true connection between the two teams, showing how communication improves product-market fit and boosts sales performance.

Below are metrics that turn feedback into actionable priorities. 

1. Opportunity and account gap revenue by product gap: This metric calculates the total revenue tied to unresolved product gaps. It identifies which product issues are stalling deals or renewals, allowing teams to prioritize fixes that unlock the highest revenue potential. For example, a feature request associated with $5M in stalled deals becomes a clear priority for the product roadmap.
2. Recent product gap trends: This metric identifies shifts in top product gaps over time, allowing teams to adjust priorities based on evolving market demands. For example, addressing related product gaps becomes a competitive priority if a new competitor's feature set surfaces in more opportunities.
3. Lost opportunities linked to resolved gaps: This measures previously lost deals tied to product gaps that have since been fixed. It highlights re-engagement opportunities where prospects may now be ready to buy. For example, if a previously missing feature is now available, sales can revisit lost deals and potentially revive them.
4. Renewals at risk due to product gaps: This focuses on accounts with upcoming renewals that might churn due to unresolved product gaps. Early identification allows teams to mitigate risks through proactive outreach or roadmap adjustments. For example, if a feature critical to a large renewal is missing, addressing it could secure the customer for another term.
5. Product innovation impact: This tracks how new product releases address previously identified gaps and their influence on deal closures or customer retention. It ensures that the product teams' efforts are aligned with measurable business outcomes. For example, a feature released last quarter that closes many large deals demonstrates the ROI of roadmap decisions.

Read more about metrics that matter to product management and sales team alignment. 

Turn Product and Sales Collaboration into Business Results

Defining a clear product strategy that aligns with sales goals allows companies to deliver what customers need, close more deals, and drive growth. Like George Mueller learned with NASA, silos don’t work. Success came once he enacted open communication, shared goals, and trust between teams.

Companies can turn collaboration into real results by defining roles and relying on actionable data. Better teamwork means better products, happier customers, and more closed deals.

At Vivun, we’re making this alignment easier than ever. Our latest advancements in VivunOne, powered by Generative AI, help translate customer feedback into actionable product gaps, bringing sales and product teams closer together. 

Learn more about Vivun’s solutions and start driving revenue-centric product roadmaps today.