For many advisors and business support professionals working with SMEs, marketing conversations often start in the same place: “We’re doing lots of marketing… but we’re not entirely sure what’s making the difference.”

We are delighted to share the news that Performance For Sales partner, The Spark Labs, has been shortlisted at the UK StartUp Awards 2026 North East, Yorkshire & The Humber regional final in the category of Creative StartUp of the Year.

When marketing, sales and team performance aren’t aligned, even the best ideas struggle to deliver results. The real issue isn’t effort, it’s a lack of shared direction, structure and accountability across the business. In this blog, we explore the critical link between marketing, sales and team performance and why bringing them together through a clear, strategic framework is often the missing piece for sustainable growth.