Compensation or Consequence? How to Remunerate Marketing to Drive Revenue
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
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Marketing compensation for revenue generation is long overdue. For years, marketing has been the unsung hero of revenue growth – crafting campaigns, generating leads, warming up prospects, and often acting as the first touchpoint in the customer journey – only to watch from the sidelines while sales cash in the commissions. But as businesses shift towards more joined-up, revenue –first thinking, it’s time to ask a bold question: Why aren’t marketing teams paid like revenue drivers?
Time to Ditch the Old Playbook
Let’s be honest: traditional marketing pay structures are stuck in the past. While sales teams are driven by targets and rewarded for closing deals, marketing is often judged on vanity metrics (clicks, impressions, reach).
That’s fine if your goals is brand awareness, but if your marketing function is contributing directly to pipeline and revenue? Flat salaries and KPIs just won’t cut it.
Marketing has a seat at the revenue table – it’s time to give them a slice of the pie too.
How to Structure Marketing Compensation for Revenue Generation
More marketing teams are being held accountable for bottom-line impact (and rightly so). But expectations need to be met with the right incentives. Here’s how to rethink compensation to drive real results:
- Performance Bonuses Based on Revenue Metrics
Forget impressions. Start rewarding marketing based on outcomes like lead-to-customer conversion, pipeline velocity, or campaign-attributed revenue. QuotaPath’s bonus structure examples show how you can link MQL growth or CAC reduction to real bonuses.
- Campaign-Specific Incentives
Did the ABM campaign bring in £250k of new pipeline? Then everyone involved should feel the win (not just sales). This fosters creativity with commercial intent.
- Shared Targets Across Functions
Yes, sales and marketing have very different skillsets – but they are chasing the same outcome, so it’s time to play together. Shared revenue goals (and shared rewards) build a real momentum across the business (and both teams).
So… How Do You Make It Happen?
You don’t need to blow up your comp model overnight. But if you’re serious about treating marketing as a growth driver, here’s where to start:
1. Get Specific
Set hard, commercial KPIs (not vanity metrics). Think pipeline generated, MQL-SQL conversions, revenue attribution, velocity. Put real numbers behind your expectations.
2. Tie Rewards to Outcomes
Bonuses shouldn’t be a pat on the back – they should be a recognition of real impact. If marketing helped close the deal, they deserve their share.
3. Break Down Silos
Marketing shouldn’t be lobbing leads over the fence and sales shouldn’t be ghosting MQLs. Incentivise collaboration – not handoffs.
4. Different Roles, Different Measures
Compensation models should reflect each role’s proximity to revenue and influence on conversion. For example:
Performance/ABM marketers – tied to pipeline
Content marketers – tied to influenced revenue or deal acceleration
Event marketers – tied to leads converted post-event
5. Bring Finance into Marketing Compensation Planning
Finance should be a part of the ‘what-if’ conversations – running scenarios and helping you create bonus structures or commissions models. Whether that is a quarterly bonus tied to marketing-sourced revenue, or a reward for campaigns that exceed targets, you’ll want a structure that’s both exciting and sustainable.
6. Sense Check Regularly
Markets shift – so does headcount, strategy and spend. Make compensation planning a conversation (not a set and forget spreadsheet).
Final Word: Embrace a New Paradigm
If you want marketing to own revenue, it’s time to pay them like it. It’s that simple.
Compensation drives behaviour – so if your marketing team is bringing in qualified leads into pipeline, shortening sales cycles, and warming up deals that close faster and bigger, don’t just thank them.
It’s time to turn the tide. No more ‘support’ function. No more background player.
Sales and marketing shouldn’t be working in silos. Let’s fix the gap!