The hidden cost of misaligned GTM priorities
And how enablement turns alignment into revenue
Alignment looks great in a slide deck.
But when your GTM teams are pulling in different directions, the cost shows up in real business performance. And no one feels it more than the C-suite.
Misalignment hits where it hurts: the numbers
When priorities aren’t aligned across Sales, CS, Marketing, and RevOps, you don’t just slow down execution.
You lose traction where it matters:
Win rates drop when messaging is inconsistent
Ramp time increases when onboarding serves too many masters
Forecast accuracy tanks when Sales and RevOps aren’t aligned
Customer experience breaks when CS doesn’t have the right handover context
Rework multiplies across every initiative
It’s rarely visible on the P&L - but it’s absolutely hitting your revenue.
Real example: the forecast that broke board trust
I spoke with this one company, the sales org was forecasting $2.8M in revenue for Q2. But only $1.9M closed.
Why? The forecast methodology was solid, but it was ignored.
Sales leaders didn’t reinforce the process, reps filled in CRM based on gut feel. RevOps was frustrated, Enablement was sidelined, and Finance had to explain a $900K gap to the board.
The cost?
Lost credibility
Emergency pipeline pushes
Executive fire drills
Internal finger-pointing
And it all started with one thing: misalignment.
Enablement is your multiplier - if aligned
Here’s the good news: when GTM teams are aligned on what matters, enablement becomes your revenue execution system.
In the forecast example, here’s what I recommended to that company:
Step 1: Make the process visible
Ensure the forecasting methodology is clearly documented, easy to access, and communicated across the entire revenue org.
That includes defining the stages, expectations, and what good data hygiene looks like.
Step 2: Equip managers to reinforce it
This is where the adoption happens. Provide managers toolkit with pipeline review prompts, deal stage coaching questions, and follow-up reminder.
Support them with light data hygiene coaching and regular check-ins so they can hold the process over time.
Forecasting isn’t overly technical - it’s about consistency and shared understanding. Enablement doesn’t necessarily own the process, but it does own the execution layer that ensures it’s actually followed.
Because how many times have you seen a great process… that nobody actually sticks to?
Start with visibility, then fix what matters
Misalignment isn’t always obvious.
That’s why every Scaling Edge engagement starts the same way: with a GTM Enablement Audit.
We look at:
Where teams are misaligned
Where execution is breaking down
Where enablement can have the highest impact
Only once you see the gaps, you can finally fix them.
Missed the last edition on how to run an audit? It’s worth the read.
And if this edition hit a little too close to home? Let’s talk.
— Ambre
