AMA: Sound Agriculture Revenue Operations Leader, Mollie Bodensteiner on Revenue Ops Career Path

First off, I love this question! Here are a few of my go-to revenue operations questions: 1. I always ask candidates how they prepared for the interview. I am looking for beyond just the "I visited your website" and looking for more research and looking to understand their insights as to why we might be hiring for the role, questions on the organizational structure, etc. I want to see if they have done research and want to ask questions about the current state of the team/organization. 2. Revenue Operations is noisy - even if you have a great center of excellence, intake process, and methodology for project management. The day-to-day is always changing and prioritization is always a critical aspect of the function. I tend to ask several questions on collaboration, communication, organization, and prioritization. 3. The last question favorite question is about the best criticism the candidate has ever received and from whom and how they apply it to their professional or personal life. This looks for the humbleness and ability to take feedback and learn from it - and being vulnerable enough to share and grow. Regarding the best answer I have ever heard...this is tough but I think the best general interviews I have had were when the candidate did not try to answer questions on how they would do things for the current company, but instead spoke through experience and how they made the decisions they needed to best support the business and did not try to assume a one-size-fits-all for the current company and instead addressed the decision points they would need answers to before being able to determine the right solution. This shows their ability to build proper requirements based on the needs of the business.

When looking at performance evaluations regarding compensation adjustments there are two paths that I look at 1. Compensation adjustment no role change 2. Compensation adjustment w/ role change If I am looking at a compensation adjustment without changing the role, this is more ensuring the employee is being properly compensated as it relates to the current pay band and able to see financial growth in the role even if not ready for the promotion. I tend to look at consistency in performance and meeting the needs of the role (but generally not demonstrating readiness for the next level). Regarding promotions, I am typically looking at consistently exceeding performance and demonstrating the ability to meet the expectations of the responsibilities for the next-level role. In these situations, I have typically worked with the team member to set clear goals and metrics around what success looks like for this type of role adjustment (specific outcomes based on projects and deliverables) that would indicate readiness for the advancement in their career.

I think the fundamental difference between a senior and a non-senior operations role centers around these core competencies: 1. Proactivity and stakeholder management: A senior manager should be able to operate on projects autonomously with stakeholders and proactively drive output, where a manager generally needs some additional support in these functions. As well as close out a project with insights and data to drive action vs building reports (I would expect a senior to drive decisions with data and closed-loop analytics) 2. Systems & technical acumen: A senior manager typically is completely ramped on the stack and can apply knowledge immediately whereas a manager might still be ramping on best practices, etc. (this is an experience lever) 3. Typical ramp time: In hiring a difference in my mind between a senior and a manager is the time for the ramp - the amount of industry knowledge, product knowledge, general business acumen, and experience in executing the goals we are focused on achieving. I would expect a senior to be fully ramped in 3 months whereas a manager is probably closer to 6 months

I think my biggest frustration is generally around "time in the day" and "goal post-shifting without proper foresight." With these challenges, you have to focus on what you have control over. Unfortunately, I have not been able to figure out how to add hours to the day, so instead, I have to drive clear prioritization and delegation (and sub-prioritization throughout the team) to make sure that we are focused on the right outputs at the right time to drive business value. This also requires the necessity of being able to properly set expectations with stakeholders as to why their request is being de-prioritized, etc. What I have found is that if you as a RevOps leader are organized around what you are focused on, delivery dates, and prioritization it becomes an easy conversation with stakeholders when you look at stack ranking against capacity - but if you are not able to properly communicate and articulate roadmap/prioritization it makes it harder to justify why. Businesses change - but ensuring that Revenue Operations is not at the tail end of the shift is critical. We talk a lot about Revenue Operations getting a seat at the table and it's important to remember that seats are earned and not given. However, having foresight into what business decisions might cause an impact before the decision is made allows Revenue Operations to properly work through requirements and timelines necessary to set expectations upfront with business leaders. This is where having clear roadmaps, prioritization, and timelines are very helpful. Instead of saying "This is going to be a lot of work" be able to articulate why it is a lot of work (remember who your audience is - if technical or not) and why the work is critical to the success of the project and by doing this what has to change due to the capacity of your team. I have yet to work on a team that is not operating at full capacity - so if something comes in - something has to come out (or more resources are needed).

Whenever I am assessing a career move, I have a self-actualization template that I have built that allows me to properly assess what is important for me personally and professionally in my next career move. It allows me to evaluate each opportunity and weigh decisions based on importance. The areas I look at, are career aspirations, industry, company, management and leadership, culture, scope of the role, work-life balance, and general worries, risks, concerns, and excitement. I then have a set of decision factors and statements that I rank score and weight to help me properly assess the opportunities against what is important to me. Note this is not foolproof - sometimes my gut is different than the data - but it does help me do proper reflection and assessment. It also helps me identify areas where I might need additional clarity from a potential company if I don't feel confident in my scoring. The advice I give in this is your next role should be setting you up for the next role - so make sure as you think about opportunities do not look for just today, make sure you are factoring tomorrow in as well.

Here are my predictions for the future of Revenue Operations: * Integration of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success: Revenue operations will involve breaking down silos between sales, marketing, and customer success departments. A unified approach will ensure seamless collaboration and consistent messaging throughout the customer lifecycle. * Advanced Analytics and Predictive Modeling: RevOps will leverage advanced analytics and predictive modeling to forecast revenue, identify trends, and optimize pricing strategies. AI-driven tools will help businesses make data-driven decisions to maximize profitability. * Customer-Centric Revenue Strategies: Businesses will focus on understanding customer needs and preferences to tailor their revenue strategies. This includes personalized pricing models, subscription-based services, and add-on offerings that enhance the customer experience and increase revenue streams. * Focus on Customer Retention: While acquiring new customers is essential, retaining existing customers will be equally crucial. RevOps will work on strategies to enhance customer loyalty, reduce churn, and increase customer lifetime value through personalized retention initiatives. * Agile and Adaptive Strategies: RevOps teams will adopt agile methodologies to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer demands. Flexibility and the ability to pivot strategies rapidly will be essential in the dynamic business landscape. Regarding the skills needed, my hope is most Revenue Operations leaders have these soft skills (they just get applied differently) around adaptability, problem-solving, process optimization, etc.). But I think we will see the need for stronger hard skills around data analytics/modeling and financial analysis - getting into the FP&A data and planning to properly model and plan (and adjust the plan) is going to be critical. I think FP&A and RevOps are going to become even closer partners in the future.

Qualities and Skills of Strong RevOps Leaders: 1. Data-Driven Decision Making 1. Understanding: Proficiency in analyzing and interpreting data to make informed decisions. Great Revenue Operations leaders rely on data to identify trends, forecast revenues, and optimize strategies. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations heavily rely on data analytics to align sales, marketing, and customer success strategies. Expertise in data-driven decision-making is invaluable. 2. Cross-Functional Collaboration 1. Understanding: Experience in collaborating with various teams, including marketing, sales, finance, and customer success, to achieve common objectives. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations require seamless collaboration between departments. Leaders need to bridge gaps and facilitate effective communication among different functions. 3. Process Optimization 1. Understanding: Expertise in streamlining processes, identifying bottlenecks, and enhancing operational efficiency. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations leaders optimize end-to-end processes, ensuring smooth transitions from marketing-generated leads to sales and customer success interactions. 4. Technology Proficiency 1. Understanding: Familiarity with CRM systems, marketing automation tools, analytics platforms, and other technologies used in Revenue Operations. 2. Importance: Proficiency in technology enables Revenue Operations leaders to integrate systems, automate workflows, and leverage tools for data analysis and reporting. 5. Strategic Vision 1. Understanding: Ability to see the bigger picture, align operations with business goals, and develop long-term strategies for revenue growth. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations leaders formulate strategic plans, ensuring that operational activities are in line with the company's overarching revenue and growth objectives. 6. Customer-Centric Focus 1. Understanding: Understanding of customer journeys and the impact of operational decisions on customer satisfaction and loyalty. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations leaders design processes that enhance customer experience, contributing to customer retention and lifetime value. 7. Adaptability 1. Understanding: Willingness to adapt to new technologies, industry trends, and best practices in revenue generation. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations is dynamic, and leaders must stay updated with evolving technologies and market demands to drive continuous improvement. 8. Leadership and Communication Skills 1. Understanding: Strong leadership qualities, including effective communication, delegation, and conflict resolution skills. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations leaders lead cross-functional teams, making leadership and communication crucial for fostering collaboration and maintaining team morale. 9. Problem-Solving Abilities 1. Understanding: Ability to identify challenges, analyze root causes, and develop creative solutions to complex problems. 2. Importance: Revenue Operations leaders encounter diverse challenges that require innovative problem-solving to optimize processes and drive revenue growth. 10. Decision Making 1. Understanding: Commitment to ethical business practices and making decisions that align with the organization's values. 2. Importance: Ethical decision-making ensures that revenue strategies are sustainable and contribute positively to the organization's reputation and customer relationships.