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Revenue Operations vs Sales Operations

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The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedNov 20212 min read

Whatever you do, and whatever your goals, it’s likely that you’re looking for ways to improve operational efficiency. Trimming the fat off your operations and processes can reduce time spent on tedious admin, cut unnecessary operational spending, ease cash flow and help you get the best out of your team.

But in separating the operational wheat from the chaff, a little clarification goes a long way. In recent years, we’ve seen operations obfuscated by companies in a sadly misguided attempt to engage younger millennials. Remember when every tech company was recruiting for “content delivery ninjas” and “SEO superheroes”?

Revenue operations and sales operations can streamline your processes, improve operational efficiency, and ensure that each member of your team knows exactly where their duties and responsibilities lie.

Let’s break it down…

What is sales operations?

The whole point of sales operations is to reduce the administrative load of sales professionals, so that they can spend more time doing what they do best – closing deals and generating revenue for your business.

Your sales ops team takes on many of the tasks that sales staff often end up doing themselves. Tasks that are a frequent cause of friction and frustration for sales teams. The duties of a sales ops team may include:

Sales forecasting
Data management
Technology management
Organising the sales team
Performance management and training

Essentially, the sales ops team is responsible for building an operational infrastructure that enables and empowers your sales team to be the best that they can be. A potent sales ops team needs a different set of skills to those of a sales team. They need to be technically minded and okay with potentially repetitive tasks – two things that are usually anathema to sales teams.

What is revenue operations?

Revenue operations is a relative newcomer to the job market, but one that has gained traction around the world.

The role of revenue operations is more holistic than that of sales ops. As well as assisting sales teams, revenue operations teams will be actively involved in marketing, customer success and even finance operations. Essentially, they are involved in anything that drives revenue for the company.

They are the perfect antidote to the departmental silos that can often arise in business operations, and the inefficiencies that can come with them.

The duties and responsibilities of a revenue ops team may include:

Managing specific operations in line with company objectives and targets
Enabling the sales, marketing and customer success teams by eliminating friction in their processes
Managing the technological tools used by sales, marketing and customer success teams
Leveraging data to provide insights and analysis that can inform strategy and keep operations agile

Ultimately, rev ops are responsible for everything that goes into creating an optimal customer experience. The kind that keeps them coming back, making referrals and building consistent revenue streams for the company.

Revenue operations vs sales operations: Which is the best fit for you?

Now that we know a little about the nature of revenue operations and sales operations, you may be wondering which is the best fit for your business. Of course, this is a question that only you can answer. After all, who knows your business better than you? Nonetheless, we can help you to make the best-informed decision possible.

Sales operations is the best option for you if:

Your sales team spend more time on paperwork than they do with clients
You worry that your sales team are reactive rather than proactive
Your budget is limited

Revenue operations will be more expensive, and harder to find a team. But they’re a better fit for you if:

You have growth on your agenda
You have issues with interdepartmental communications and accountability
You operate in a market that requires you to adapt quickly to new changes

We Can Help

If you’re interested in finding out more about revenue ops, sales ops, and increasing operational efficiency, then get in touch with our financial experts. Discover how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.