Sustainable business growth is the ultimate goal for every successful company.
Yet, according to Clari’s 2024 Revenue Leak Report, companies are losing a staggering 26% of their annual revenue thanks to Revenue Leak—avoidable breakdowns in the revenue process that lead to misaligned teams, slipped deals, and missed opportunities.
The solution? Revenue Operations (RevOps).
I recently hosted RevOps Workshop: How to Build a Modern RevOps Foundation with Sean Lane (Founding Partner, BeaconGTM) where we shared actionable strategies for RevOps leaders to eliminate revenue-damaging inefficiencies and supercharge company growth.
To help you on your path to creating a modern RevOps foundation, I’m breaking down the top five takeaways from our conversation.
Weren’t on the live webinar? Feel free to watch it here first.
Note: We also had a lot of great questions come up during this webinar. We addressed all of them in this Q&A blog post.
1. RevOps: From Function to Strategic Command Center
RevOps has evolved from a back office function into a strategic team, driving predictable, scalable revenue while eliminating disjointed silos.
It’s no longer just about supporting sales. RevOps now holds a cross-departmental, strategic role in shaping a company’s growth trajectory.
The stats tell the story: Gartner predicts that “By 2026, 75% of the highest-growth companies will adopt a RevOps model, up from less than 30% today.”
It’s happening fast.
RevOps leaders have the opportunity to redefine how revenue is achieved at their organization. It's not just about identifying strategies to grow the company; but the ability to make those strategies a reality. RevOps has to sit on the fulcrum of strategic thought and their operational ability to implement.
YOUR MISSION
Introduce predictability, eliminate end-of-quarter surprises, and scale operations for growth.If you’re in RevOps today, you’re in the driver’s seat of this transformation. Seize the moment.
2. Revenue Cadences Are the Backbone of Predictable Growth
When it comes to revenue projections, revenue leaders must be able to accurately and consistently answer the most critical business question: Will our forecast meet, exceed, or miss revenue goals?
The answer lies in Revenue Cadences: structured, ongoing revenue moments that align teams and deliver predictable, repeatable revenue processes.
Inefficient Revenue Cadences are one of the major reasons organizations miss their goals. Poor processes lead to misalignment, slipped deals, and a lack of visibility into key opportunities.
Clari’s 13-week Revenue Cadence model is our proven approach to fix inefficiencies and prevent Revenue Leak. It focuses on:
- Structure: Align teams on clear Revenue Objectives and milestones.
- Measurement: Understand key metrics.
- Planning: Structure around all key revenue moments.
To make cadences effective, you need top-down backing from the executive team and accountability from sales leaders. Clear communication and continuous improvements are also essential.
Sean and I discussed starting out with a phased approach. First, build a monthly forecast then slowly build it towards longer-term forecasts.
And don’t forget about data, specifically using it to enhance forecasting predictability. Gone are the days of simply pulling data from your CRM.
Data must be ingested from multiple sources to improve predictability and ensure intelligent decision-making. Calibrating cadences for lengthy enterprise sales cycles and scheduling cadence calls must be part of the core strategy.
3. Forecasting is a Team Sport
Forecasting isn’t just the job of the sales team—it’s a company-wide exercise. Cross-functional alignment is critical because revenue forecasts impact everything: hiring, budgeting, product launches, and more.
RevOps leaders must bring finance, product, legal, and other teams into revenue cadence and forecasting discussions. Doing so ensures that everyone has a shared understanding of priorities and contributes to a unified vision.
PRO TIP
Record and transcribe cadence meetings to drive transparency, facilitate coaching, and eliminate misunderstandings.4. AI is Revolutionizing Revenue Operations
If you haven’t already, now is the time to fully embrace the power of AI.
Generative AI enables creative solutions to customer engagement while automating repetitive tasks, freeing teams to focus on strategic initiatives. It enhances forecasting accuracy, improves deal visibility, and accelerates decision-making.
Read Using Artificial Intelligence to Boost Sales: A Complete Guide to learn more about how AI is used in sales and what tools we recommend to begin automating your revenue process.
5. RevOps Leaders Must be Seen as a Strategic Partner
RevOps isn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” function. It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and alignment with business goals.
To thrive, RevOps must be viewed as a strategic partner, not just an operational function. This means demonstrating value through results:
- Spotting and stopping Revenue Leak.
- Aligning teams on Revenue Objectives.
- Driving accountability across teams.
Like we discussed above, to get these results, you need a well-structured Revenue Cadence is a vital tool for RevOps leaders. It prevents deals from slipping, improves forecast accuracy, and ensures the entire organization is aligned on growth objectives—making you the revenue hero.
Conclusion
And that’s it.
Well, kind of. This is a great starting point to building a modern RevOps foundation.
There are a lot more lessons to learn. To help you get started, get yourself a copy of Sean Lane’s and Laura Adint’s new book, The Revenue Operations Manual: How to Build a High-Growth, Predictable and Scalable Business.
And check out Clari’s FREE Revenue Cadence Playbook to learn how to run revenue like a process with consistent and repeatable cadences.