5 Reasons RevOps Should Own the Sales Playbook

“Having one group in charge of process and technology changes in an organization is the only way to eliminate silos.”

I’m going to paint you a picture before I make the case for why Revenue Operations (RevOps) should own the sales playbook.

Typically, there are two steps in which sales playbooks get created today. The first is a new Sales Leader comes in and says We need to build or scale our playbook and implement XYZ methodology. Rarely is this decision concerning a new playbook based on data of what’s broken in an organization’s specific sales process.

Then the actual development of the sales playbook is owned by the Sales Enablement group, who may or may not have a sales background.  It’s not a requirement for great Sales Enablement people to have a sales background, but the problem is this group not understanding or having access to the current sales tech stack and how the sales playbook is going to be reinforced in it. 

So you have a Sales Leader who is implementing a process or methodology not based on their current company’s data and an Enablement team who is siloed from Sales and Sales Operations trying to make decisions without the full scope. Not to mention every other piece of the customer journey and the process for Marketing and Customer Success is also not being represented.

This is why there should be one group that owns process improvements across an organization because when you have one group responsible for making process and technology changes, you start to eliminate these silos. You eliminate the thought that you should eliminate a problem in a singular way.

Overhauling a sales playbook is one of the most important decisions a company can make. Companies that enlist RevOps to own the end-to-end playbook are the companies with an aligned revenue organization.

Here are five reasons why:

1. 1. RevOps has a clear view of the entire journey (Marketing > Sales > Customer Success)
   2. RevOps is focused on process optimization and efficiency (and data flow)
   3. RevOps can be more objective than Sales Leaders
   4. RevOps is typically more familiar with the tech stack, its setup, and advancements
   5. RevOps owning the playbook can free Sales leaders to focus on more impactful activities

Recap: Why RevOps Should Own the Sales Playbook

Skip ahead to:

• • 0:09 – Many organizations operate in silos, such as operations, enablement, sales, marketing, and success teams, leading to inefficiencies. Today, I’m going to make a case for why RevOps should own the playbook.
  • 2:20 – There should be one group that owns the process improvements in an organization. And in my opinion, having one group in charge of process and technology changes is the only way to illuminate silos.
  • 3:18 – I have five reasons for you why RevOps should own the playbook. The first is the playbook must cover every entry point of the buyer journey, not take a tunnel view.
  • 4:40 – The second is RevOps’ objective is to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Since RevOps has this end-to-end view, they can pinpoint the real problem in the sales process and tech stack and make targeted process changes rather than broad overhauls. 
  • 6:03 – The third is RevOps can be more objective than Sales leaders. They solve based on data instead of subjective gut or previous sales experience.
  • 7:56 – The fourth is RevOps can align playbook changes with the sales technology stack for effective implementation.
  • 8:00 – Last, but not least, if RevOps owns the playbook, it can free Sales leadership and other people to go focus on other activities: coaching, closing, more deals, and other high-impact activities that contribute to sales.
  • 8:50 – Overhauling a playbook is truly one of the most important decisions a company makes. The companies that make sure RevOps owns the end-to-end playbook are the companies with an aligned revenue organization.

#1 RevOps has a clear view of the entire journey (Marketing > Sales > Customer Success)

With this full view, RevOps can ensure that strategies are consistent with broader revenue goals and integrated across teams.

RevOps should maintain a comprehensive understanding of the entire customer journey. This includes marketing touchpoints, transitions into the middle and bottom of the funnel, success metrics, and organizational churn. It’s important to recognize that sales playbooks cannot be limited in scope. Rather, they should encompass the entire customer experience, from initial contact to final stages. This approach is crucial, even for teams focused on new business. Understanding the early stages of the funnel is essential to tailor interactions appropriately.

Treating all prospects identically from the onset is a flawed strategy, particularly in today’s market. Modern buyers are often well-informed and have thoroughly researched and vetted their options. Sales must develop strategies to effectively triage different levels of informed buyers. This raises questions about the starting point of sales playbooks for different entry paths. Sales must consider whether to adjust the journey for certain buyers and, if so, how.

RevOps can view the customer journey holistically and craft a playbook that reflects this comprehensive perspective, leading to significantly more wins for your organization.

Related Content: Intent-Based Sales - What You Need to Know

#2 RevOps is focused on process optimization and efficiency (and data flow)

RevOps’ job is to build operational efficiency across the org. They’re more equipped and have a better idea of the data and data flow across departments.

The primary goal of RevOps is process optimization, focusing on effectiveness and efficiency. To put it simply, we can consider these three aspects: how to enhance a process, improve the rate at which people progress through it, and increase its overall success and effectiveness. It’s crucial to understand that efficiency doesn’t always equate to effectiveness, and vice versa. RevOps is able to focus on solving specific challenges through process improvements rather than relying solely on major technological overhauls.

This leads to another observation I have for 2024: I am not in favor of companies spending exorbitant amounts on playbook overhauls. If RevOps is effectively addressing these issues, they will analyze the processes for efficiency and effectiveness and identify specific areas in the playbook that require adjustments. Often, companies don’t need to invest in massive overhauls.

Instead, with their comprehensive end-to-end view, RevOps professionals can pinpoint precisely where changes are needed, determining which parts of the process work and which require modification.

#3 RevOps can be more objective than Sales Leaders

Sales Leaders may have biases based on their personal sales experiences or their specific teams’ needs.  RevOps can provide a level of objectivity and neutrality, ensuring the sales playbook is not overly tailored to one particular style or team but is beneficial for the entire org.

RevOps can offer a more objective perspective than Sales Leaders. No offense to Sales Leaders, but sometimes an objective viewpoint is necessary. For instance, when there’s a suggestion to overhaul the entire playbook, a team with a holistic view like RevOps can step in and say, Let’s review some data here. They might find that only a specific part of the playbook, such as scripting, messaging, or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), needs tweaking. This minor change in messaging could unlock a significant bottleneck. The focus should be on refining specific areas of the playbook based on data rather than relying on gut feelings or intuition to solve everything.

Similarly, when the Enablement team is eager to undertake a major sales playbook project, it might seem exciting, but if they can redirect their efforts towards more training or other tasks instead of fixing non-issues, it creates more benefits for the organization. 

When RevOps adopts an objective approach, it allows for solving specific pieces of the puzzle rather than attempting to address everything at once.

#4 RevOps is typically more familiar with the tech stack, its setup, and advancements

They can ensure that the playbook integrates seamlessly with the tech stack and help eliminate manual inefficiencies.

When it comes to playbook modifications, RevOps already knows the necessary changes in the system. They determine the new customer process and then consider how to reinforce these changes with the sales tech stack. This part is quite straightforward. However, a common issue I’ve observed, especially in the sales playbook work we do at Skaled, is the lack of collaboration between teams. Often, Enablement teams are unaware of what to request in the tech stack, and those working on the tech stack side don’t understand why certain changes are necessary.

If RevOps owns the playbook, this disconnect is resolved. Decisions are made clear regarding what will happen at each step, the processes to be followed, and the technology that will support them. This ensures a more integrated and cohesive approach between the playbook and the technological infrastructure.

#5 RevOps owning the playbook can free Sales Leaders to focus on more impactful activities

Sales Leaders can focus on coaching, closing deals, and other high-impact activities that directly contribute to revenue.

Lastly, but certainly not least, if RevOps takes ownership of the playbook, it can liberate sales leadership and other team members to focus on different activities, such as coaching and closing more deals, which are crucial for sales. This is possible because they can trust that there is a team consistently overseeing the process from end to end and ready to implement changes. It creates a centralized point of reference where, for instance, if a representative has been effectively implementing a part of the process, the team can review the statistics and decide whether to update that process across other teams, especially if a new, more efficient method has been discovered.

With RevOps in charge, they can promptly update sales playbook content, integrate any necessary technological adjustments, and roll out a redeployment plan. This streamlined approach ensures that the organization is always primed for success.

Creating a single, efficient revenue organization

I can confidently say that companies who have RevOps own their end-to-end sales playbook – not just the tech usage aspect, but the entire process and customer journey – are more likely to have an aligned revenue organization. The success you see from deploying a sales playbook, with various workgroups collaborating, is significant. This approach shifts from a non-objective mindset of simply replicating past strategies to a more thoughtful consideration of what actually needs to be updated in the playbook. It allows for a focus on key areas, the creation of a more holistic plan, and ensures cross-functional teams are considering all aspects simultaneously. 

There are very few companies in the world like Skaled that can claim to have built hundreds of sales playbooks and simultaneously overhauled numerous CRMs and sales technologies. This experience informs our understanding that this comprehensive approach is the most effective. Our team’s uniqueness lies in our ability to address problems not just from a process or content perspective but also from a technological standpoint, finding the right balance between these elements to resolve issues. 

If you don’t have a RevOps team owning your sales playbook and other processes of your business, book some time on the calendar below, and we can talk through strategies for turning your revenue teams into a single, efficient revenue organization.