The right marketing automation platform, combined with smart organizational and process alignment, makes it possible to connect the dots between that promotional email you sent last month, that webinar you hosted last year, and the revenue your CEO sees this week or can expect to see next quarter.

Enterprises increasingly look to marketing to drive top-line growth, which is great for building credibility. But to meet the demands of what’s being called margin marketing (driving top line growth and keeping the bottom line constant) marketing organizations must transform the way they have historically operated — streamlining processes and people, and designing each program and tactic so that it can be measured relative to its effect on the bottom line.

In addition, marketers must be acutely aware of the types of metrics they are tracking. To earn respect at the revenue table, a CMO must walk into the boardroom on a regular basis with a simple spreadsheet that answers the questions her CEO and board care about most.