Product designers, particularly those involved with software, have long struggled against a particular tendency in human nature. You see, when we make a thing, we naturally want that thing to be as good as it could possibly be.
Unfortunately, building a product that is as good as it can be requires long hours coming up with seemingly endless lists of product requirements. And then it can take months, years, even decades to build a product that successfully meets those requirements.
Of course, by then, the market may have changed so much that the original requirements are no longer applicable.
To circumvent this natural desire for perfection, product managers follow a principle known as minimum viable product (MVP). An MVP is a basic version of the product that is just functional enough to get some customer reactions. Nothing more. Nothing less. It allows a company to get products to market as soon as possible and to start integrating customer feedback into the next iteration.
In sales operations, while we aren’t directly creating products, we often drive strategic improvements. And it’s tempting to want these improvements to be flawless.
But remember, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”
Our research consistently demonstrates that it’s more effective to implement some improvements — any improvements — even if they’re not yet perfect. “Best practice” isn’t best if it never gets put into practice. Instead, it’s far better to initiate some progress and make incremental adjustments over time.
Our research team here at SellingBrew has developed several resources that explain different ways to get an “MVP” mindset into production:
- “Better” Practices for Sales Operations aims to help you figure out which initiatives will be both beneficial and doable in your organization. It advocates for a pragmatic approach that can start to move the needle in the right direction.
- Quick Wins in Sales Operations highlights some tactics that don’t require a lot of time or knowhow but have an outsized impact on the bottom line. It focuses on very achievable projects that can help your team begin to impact your organization.
Sales Ops Productivity Boosters equips you with strategies and tactics to maximize output within sales operations, despite limited resources and time. It explores eliminating time-wasters, adopting a new definition of productivity, and considering structural changes to increase flexibility and responsiveness.
By implementing these minimum viable product tactics, your sales operations team can evolve into a different kind of MVP — the most valuable player on your company’s team.
