Directors get too much credit for the most beloved movie franchises.
Sure, The Lord of the Rings might not have been as successful with someone other than Peter Jackson at the helm. But just like how championships aren’t won solely on the backs of one elite athlete, your favorite movie was a collective triumph.
RevOps functions a lot like a world-class film crew. What you see on screen is only possible with the hard work happening behind the scenes.
A leading RevOps thought leader and consultant, Jen Iguarta is the CEO of Go Nimbly and recently joined G2 advisor Mike Weir for the latest episode of the GTM Innovators podcast. In this episode recap, you’ll learn about the role of RevOps and how it can bring teams together.
The problem with silo syndrome
Despite how common they are, organizations know that silos hinder progress. Cross-functional teams have the same goals, yet they have to accept isolation at some level.
Communication and collaboration work fine vertically within silos, but this isn’t the case across them. The result points towards one thing: misalignment.
During the episode, Jen briefly talks about the concept of the “silo syndrome.” First coined by Phil Ensor during his time at Goodyear, the idea is that businesses tend to operate within silos where the primary objective is solving challenges without addressing root causes.
The consequences of silo syndrome
Success with your GTM strategy is more likely when everyone’s on the same page. When they aren’t, you can face common problems such as:
- People run away from organizational problems
- Information hoarding happens more often
- Fingerpointing and blaming
- Significant drops in open collaboration
- Poor communication across silos and favoring top-down over bottom-up
Busting down silos like a movie producer
Organizations need to find a better way to overcome a diagnosis of silo syndrome. Jen argues that RevOps is one way to achieve this.
“I don't need marketing, sales, and customer success to be one team. I need them specialized as they have different skills and roles. That's why RevOps exists – to break these silos down and have a more holistic approach.”
Jen Iguarta
CEO, Go Nimbly
Think about your favorite movie. Whether it’s the writing, filmography, acting, or worldbuilding, the end product you love results from many pieces coming together. What was a few hours of entertainment is a fraction of the thousands of hours it took to make it.
Much like the hundreds of supporting crew members that make it all possible, RevOps teams are doing critical behind-the-scenes magic that makes marketing and sales teams more efficient and successful.
Jen argues that RevOps acts as a crucial supporting function that ensures sales and marketing teams have everything they need to be successful. RevOps and film crews are doing similar things, whether they’re making an award-winning picture or closing more deals.
Why early planning and communication are must-haves
RevOps provide invaluable support to sales and marketing teams. Similarly, RevOps also needs something in return.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations can make is failing to loop in the right people as early as possible. Because RevOps are often facilitators that enable greater collaboration across these teams, they need to be a part of those conversations sooner.
“What happens a lot is you will have your systems teams and operators hear about strategy really late in the game,” says Jen. “What we want to do is make sure to insert ourselves to stay close with the people that are making those kinds of decisions and make sure that we're we're in the conversations early.”
When you enable RevOps to have a role in strategic discussions, they’re in a better position to share their expertise and have a meaningful impact on decision-making.
Fueling GTM success with RevOps
RevOps is the linchpin of GTM success, ensuring data-driven decision-making and seamless alignment between marketing and sales efforts. Their early involvement streamlines processes, identifies bottlenecks, and enables agile adaptations.
Other learnings from Jen in this episode
In episode 10 of GTM Innovators, the full conversation includes other takeaways such as:
- How to empower RevOps folks to become better ambassadors.
- How well-integrated tech stacks and clear data architecture empower GTM motions.
- Why CMO’s and CRO’s should consider becoming best friends.
Watch the full episode on YouTube and learn more about Jen and other GTM experts by subscribing to the GTM Innovators podcast today - available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and more.
