Marketing and Sales in 2026 is not about piling on more tools. It is about orchestrating strategy across marketing and sales so CEOs can see measurable, repeatable growth. On the October 13, 2025 MITechTV segment, hosts Mike Brennan and Matt Rousch welcomed Melih Oztalay of SmartFinds Marketing and Ken Cheo of Our Sales Coach to preview a CEO Strategy Session designed to help leaders align marketing and sales where it matters most: lead quality, conversion, and close rates. This article recaps key takeaways from that conversation and provides direct links to register for the upcoming session.

The conversation highlighted how Marketing and Sales in 2026 will require CEOs to blend strategy, analytics, and leadership to stay competitive.

Why Marketing and Sales in 2026 Matter for CEOs

The business infrastructure that drives revenue is shifting. AI is changing how prospects discover solutions, how they evaluate vendors, and how companies must personalize journeys. On the marketing side, conversion rate optimization (CRO) makes existing traffic work harder by turning more visitors into qualified leads. On the sales side, repeatable process and ratio-based management determine whether those leads become revenue. A CEO cannot delegate this entirely to tools or silos. Leadership must set strategy, align expectations, and measure outcomes across the entire journey from first visit to closed-won deal.

“As we move into 2026, CEOs must drive the direction of the company. Basic lead generation isn’t enough anymore. The strategy now requires integrating AI, CRO, and sales enablement to turn visibility into measurable growth.” — Melih Oztalay

Manufacturing and B2B technology companies feel this shift acutely. Marketing may deliver more inquiries, yet sales does not see enough qualified opportunities. Or sales sends proposals but close rates stagnate. The answer is not simply “more leads.” The answer is orchestrating marketing and sales together so the right prospects engage, the right conversations happen, and the right metrics are visible to guide decisions.

 

From Traffic to Leads: How Marketing and Sales in 2026 Work Together

SmartFinds Marketing’s approach centers on building “journey funnels” that adapt in real time. As website visitors show more interest, AI-driven experiences escalate the call to action. Early in the journey, a visitor might see a short video or a downloadable resource. As intent signals increase—more time on page, more visits to buying-intent pages, repeated return visits—the experience becomes more direct, guiding the visitor to contact sales or schedule a consultation.

Practical CRO work includes A/B testing, heat maps, form optimization, content sequencing, and disciplined analytics to ensure traffic quality. When these tactics are combined in a system and maintained consistently, they produce compounding results. Over a typical 3–4 month period, it is reasonable to see significant improvements in lead volume and lead quality, provided that traffic sources are aligned with buyer intent and the on-site journey is continually tuned.

There is a common pitfall to avoid. When lead flow increases, sales teams may unintentionally cherry-pick inquiries that feel easier or faster to close. Organizations then assume the “extra leads” were low quality, when in fact a material share could have closed with a targeted follow-up plan. CRO will get you to more and better leads, but only a coordinated sales process will turn that improvement into revenue growth.

“Sales performance is measured in ratios. Close rate, proposal-to-win, meetings-to-close, and lead source conversion—if you are not tracking these, you are flying blind.” — Ken Cheo

From Leads to Revenue: Ratio-Based Sales Management for 2026

Ken Cheo emphasizes a simple truth: if a process is not measurable, it is not consistently repeatable. Many CRMs make it easy to log activities but harder to view the ratios that matter. Executives need to see proposal-to-win rate, meetings-to-close ratio, and the conversion rate by lead source. They also need insight into pipeline velocity and cycle time. Without these ratios, it is easy to misdiagnose a revenue problem. Teams may assume they need more top-of-funnel activity when the real bottleneck is in qualification, discovery, or stakeholder alignment.

In practice, this means defining what each stage means, what exit criteria qualify a deal to advance, and which ratios will be reviewed weekly. CEOs should insist on a short list of non-negotiable ratios so nothing drifts into subjectivity. The result is a repeatable process that helps leaders allocate resources, coach sales teams effectively, and prioritize opportunities with the highest probability and value.

AI signals and lead prioritization

AI can assist both marketing and sales with better prioritization. On the marketing side, behavior signals such as pages viewed, time on site, and return frequency indicate intent. On the sales side, enrichment data provides firmographics such as industry, employee count, and geographic footprint. Combined, these signals help route the right lead to the right person at the right moment. A technical buyer consuming product documentation should reach a subject-matter expert. A multi-plant manufacturer browsing integration content may merit an executive-level discovery meeting. The goal is to raise the quality of first conversations and reduce time wasted on low-value pursuits.

What CEOs will learn in the strategy session

  • How to align marketing and sales around a shared set of ratios that predict revenue
  • How to deploy CRO and buyer journey funnels that adapt as intent increases
  • How to use AI signals to prioritize leads and route them to the right expert
  • How to prevent cherry-picking and ensure systematic follow-up on qualified demand
  • How to design a weekly operating rhythm that keeps the system measurable and accountable

This session is built for CEOs and senior executives who want practical steps, not buzzwords. Manufacturing leaders and B2B technology executives will find the examples especially relevant, but the frameworks apply to any organization aiming for measurable growth in 2026.

Preparing Your Organization for Marketing and Sales in 2026

Success in 2026 will depend on how effectively CEOs align their teams, systems, and technology. The companies leading in marketing and sales will be those that combine AI insights, measurable processes, and collaborative leadership. The upcoming CEO Strategy Session offers a roadmap to help organizations integrate these components into a unified growth plan.

About the speakers

Melih Oztalay is the CEO of SmartFinds Marketing, a digital marketing agency focused on AI-powered CRO, SEO, and full-funnel growth systems for B2B brands. His team builds measurable marketing infrastructure that turns website traffic into qualified demand and pipeline.

Ken Cheo is the President of Our Sales Coach, helping leadership teams implement measurable, repeatable sales processes. Ken’s ratio-based approach improves proposal-to-win rate, shortens cycles, and aligns resources to higher-value opportunities.

Links and resources

This collaboration between SmartFinds Marketing and Our Sales Coach offers practical direction for executives preparing their organizations for Marketing and Sales in 2026 and beyond.

Published by MITechNews. This article summarizes a segment from MITechTV featuring hosts Mike Brennan and Matt Rousch with guests Melih Oztalay and Ken Cheo, recorded on October 13, 2025.