The Revenue Engine Blind Spot: Why B2B Marketers Don’t Feel Like Revenue Generators

I was recently invited to speak to a college digital marketing class to provide an industry perspective on the future of our industry. An insight that struck me was how little we educate future marketers about their role and objectives. 

I’m going to say it as plainly as possible: marketers need to be in the revenue game. 

It’s a common, yet unspoken, truth in the B2B world: many marketers don’t see themselves as a true part of the revenue engine. They’re driving awareness, generating leads, and supporting sales, but when the conversation shifts to moving the needle on revenue, they often feel disconnected.

This isn’t a lack of motivation; it’s a structural and philosophical misalignment that DemandLab sees far too often. Marketers are focused on what they know—new deals—when the real impact lies in what they often overlook: deal velocity.

The Illusion of Pipeline Focus

For years, B2B marketing success has been measured by top-of-funnel metrics: MQLs, SQLs, and pipeline contribution. These are essential, but they cultivate a mindset that marketing’s job ends once the deal is safely in the sales pipeline.

We celebrate the sheer number of opportunities we create, but how often do marketers seriously dive into these two critical questions:

1. Why did the deal stop? (Stalled pipeline)
2. How quickly did the deal close? (Deal velocity)

When B2B marketers limit their scope to solely “getting new deals,” they miss out on the most powerful leverage they have: accelerating the buying journey.

The Deal Velocity Gap

Deal velocity refers to the speed at which a prospect moves from initial engagement to a closed-won customer. This is calculated by considering the total value of all deals, multiplied by the close rate, and then divided by the length of the sales cycle.

If you, as a marketer, are not thinking about deal velocity, you are neglecting the most significant way to impact revenue today. A 10% increase in MQL volume might yield a small revenue bump, but a 10% decrease in sales cycle length can dramatically increase realized revenue without any new pipeline creation.

Shifting from Lead Generator to Revenue Accelerator

To truly become a part of the revenue engine, B2B marketers must transition their focus. Here’s how to start thinking like a Revenue Accelerator:

1. Own the Middle and Bottom of the Funnel

Stop treating the middle of the pipeline as “Sales’ problem.” Marketing technology, content, and data insights are critical for reducing friction in the sales process. This involves:

• Content Mapping: Identifying where deals stall and creating targeted assets (e.g., competitive battlecards, implementation guides, ROI calculators) to push them forward.
• Sales Enablement: Ensuring Sales Reps have the right materials at the right time, often delivered via a centralized platform or directly into the CRM.

2. Measure Activities by Time, Not Just Volume

Start adding a time-based metric to your reporting. Instead of just reporting on how many prospects received a webinar invite, track:

• The average time from MQL to Opportunity for prospects who engaged with X pieces of content.
• The difference in sales cycle length between customers who were marketed to with an account-based strategy versus a traditional lead strategy.

3. Integrate with Sales Operations

To solve the velocity problem, you need granular data. Marketers should be deeply embedded in sales operations discussions, focusing on understanding the friction points in the CRM and the sales process itself.

• Ask the Right Questions: Why do prospects often request a second demo during the evaluation stage? Is there a piece of content or a tool we can automate to answer that earlier?
• Aligning on Goals: Ensure that every marketing touchpoint supports the defined sales stages and conversion goals.

By focusing on deal velocity, B2B marketers elevate their role from mere lead generators to indispensable revenue accelerators. It’s time to claim your rightful place in the engine room, not just by filling the funnel, but by optimizing its speed and efficiency.

Ready to optimize your revenue operations? Talk to the experts at DemandLab about building a marketing strategy that prioritizes velocity and demonstrable revenue contribution.