Great sales ops teams are never content with just administering programs.
What do we mean by that?
When B2B companies first set up their sales ops groups, they usually put in place a series of processes for measuring the metrics that are important to them. Average and even good sales ops will focus primarily on managing those processes. They view their job as completing a set group of tasks that someone else has already pre-ordained for them to do.
But great sales ops teams are quite a bit different. They understand that the practice of data analysis is constantly evolving, so they are always looking for ways to do things better. They are tweaking their current processes all the time, and they regularly consider abandoning their current methods if something better comes along. They get bored with the status quo; simply being an administrator just isn’t in their DNA, even though they are quite good at administrative tasks. They are hungry for improvement—and it shows in the ways they perform their jobs.
What does that look like in the real world?
One obvious example is the area of technology. Great sales teams are constantly on the lookout for tools that would make the sales team more effective. They aren’t just after software that will save the salespeople a little bit of time; they want the kind of intelligent solutions that can help the company close more sales and keep their current customers happier. When they find something that looks promising, they try it out on a small scale. If it fails, no harm done, and they move on to something else. If it succeeds, they roll it out on a larger scale so that the business experiences a larger benefit.
Another example is their area of influence. Good and average sales ops teams generally keep their focus pretty squarely on the sales department. But great sales ops teams aren’t afraid to look beyond the narrow confines of sales for opportunities for improvement. They’re analyzing the data for ways to improve lead gen and marketing. And they’re talking to the pricing people and the product people about what they might be able to do to make the company more successful.
And these great teams aren’t just working to improve the business—they’re also working to improve themselves. They’re investing in training, and they take advantage of every opportunity they can to learn new skills. In particular, they focus on improving their soft skills. They might not be the most naturally outgoing folks in the company, but they work to master the change management capabilities that are really necessary for them to do their jobs well.
What about your sales ops team? Have you become a bunch of paper pushers or are you actively looking for ways to tweak and improve your existing programs?
If your group is ready to get serious about becoming a truly great sales ops team, check out the webinar on Exceptional Sales Ops Teams. It explores the differences between most B2B sales ops groups and those that are outstanding, and it delves into the traits and behaviors that average groups should emulate if they want to improve.
Exceptional Sales Ops Teams
Sales Ops is still evolving and there are no long-standing rules for how everything should work. But there's a lot to learn from teams with a track record of success. In this on-demand webinar, we explore the common traits and mindsets of successful Sales Operations groups.
