Written by: Suzanne Ratti, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
RevOps is the new buzzword of the decade, and more and more business owners realize the tremendous impact it can have on business growth initiatives. But, what is RevOps, and why is it critical to business growth? We’ll explore the value, the candidates, and the outcomes in this article.
What is RevOps?
RevOps is a multi-faceted role that provides leadership and accountability for Sales, Marketing, and operations, focusing on revenue growth and customer experience. The ideal candidate for RevOps is not always embedded in the existing organization. Sometimes, a fresh perspective or change advocate is necessary to stimulate growth initiatives. The biggest challenge is to break down the walls between these three departments in an organization. So, the leader should have a background and understanding of each of these areas and make decisions that bring about collaboration and enhance the customer journey.
Sales Are Not the Only Department Responsible for Revenue
Well, that’s a headline grabber for some, but it’s an important concept to grasp. Sales have always been the revenue-generating department, so what’s changed? Everything! The sales funnel no longer a ‘sales-driven process. Technology and buyer behavior have dramatically changed the way people research and buy things. In 2015, Ideas360 created a sales funnel for a client to show how the sales funnel was changing.
As you can see, the “Then” version was heavily influenced by the Sales organization. The “NOW” sideshows that the primary responsibility is on the marketing team. This is a big shift in how we approach revenue and how we approach sales training.
Sales & Marketing Alignment
This shift emphasizes the importance of alignment. After all, the Marketing department is touching the prospect, on average 10x, BEFORE the sales team is presented with an opportunity to sell. The target audience, messaging, branding, and Unique Selling Proposition (USP) must be aligned for the leads to convert into revenue. Without proper alignment, the sales team may never get opportunities. Other times, the sales team had to deprogram the prospect if the marketing message was not on point with the USP. But, if the alignment occurs, not only will conversions go up and your sales team be more effective, but the ROI for every marketing dollar will be higher, too, resulting in a lower cost per lead!
The alignment will increase revenue and create a better customer experience as the prospect makes their way through the funnel.
How Does Operations Fit In?
When an organization wants to implement growth strategies, there may be a silent “Ugh” from the Operations side of the house. After all, if the Revenue team (no longer called Sales and Marketing) hits their targets, the operations team has a lot more work. So, the goal is to bring the Operations team into the last part of the sales process – the conclusion of the sale and the last part of the customer experience. After all, what good is a big sale if the customer is dissatisfied or leaves a bad review at the end of the process? If the product is not delivered on time, not installed properly, or has a bad experience with billing, this can leave a bad taste in their mouth and certainly doesn’t bode well for repeat business.
Ideally, growth initiatives are discussed among the team with awareness for scaling operations in alignment with revenue. Technology and systems may need to be integrated to increase efficiencies and communication. Educating the entire team on the client journey and experience helps bring team members into the Solutions Way of Thinking rather than the Not My Job way of thinking. This culture shift occurs because Sales, Marketing & Operations are now reporting up through one leader and held accountable for the entire customer experience and conclusion of the sale. Here is an example of some lessons I learned first-hand from this process.
RevOps Creates a Culture of Collaboration
When RevOps is done well, it creates a culture of collaboration. All teams are now communicating and focused on the same goals vs. an “Us vs. Them” mentality. A RevOps leader may also suggest that leaders and teams in the Sales, Marketing & Operations be compensated based on revenue goals and customer satisfaction. This doesn’t always mean more compensation, but perhaps compensated in a better way aligned with growth initiatives.
If your organization wants to implement growth initiatives, consider the impact that RevOps can have! If you need help, Ideas360 serves as an Outsourced RevOps consultant to help you implement these changes for short or long-term growth strategies.
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Suzanne Ratti, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Suzanne Ratti is a Sales & Marketing Strategist, a proven performer, and an entrepreneur with a passion for helping businesses revolutionize how they deliver their products and services to their target audience. Her extensive sales and marketing background and 20+ years in the Home & Design industry allow her to translate real-world experience, critical skill sets, and proven business results. Suzanne also provides engaging coaching and presentations that inspire, motivate, and empower business owners, solopreneurs, and their teams to think differently.
