This document discusses 5 secrets to sales operations success. It outlines challenges sales operations teams face like large responsibilities without resources. It then discusses how Apttus grew their sales team from 5 to 90 reps by recruiting a strong sales operations team and setting goals, measuring performance, prioritizing, training, and automating processes. The secrets discussed are to have a plan, keep the team updated, talk in actions not just history, know your plays and make sure everyone is trained on processes, and make initiatives about increasing revenue, margins or efficiencies. It promotes using an opportunity ERP system to manage the full quote-to-cash process within one system instead of multiple manual and homegrown systems.

1. APTTUS
5 Secrets to Sales
Operations Success
• @inboundmarketer • #SalesSummit

2. APTTUS
5 Secrets to Sales
Operations Success
• @inboundmarketer • #SalesSummit

3. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Defining Sales Ops

4. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Key Sales Ops Skills

5. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Challenges in Sales Ops
• Big role with lots of responsibilities
• May lack insufficient investments or resources
• Hard to prove ROI
• Difficult to find strong talent
• Sales teams are often geographically spread
• Viewed as a Cost Center
• Executive team disconnected

6. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Sales Ops At Apttus
• Coping with explosive growth of sales team by:
– Recruiting a Strong Sales Ops Team!
– Goal Setting
– Measuring
– Prioritizing
– Training
– Automating Everything
2011: 5 Reps
2014: 90 BDRs, SEs, and AEs

7. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
1. Have a Plan

8. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
2. Keep the Team Updated

9. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
3. Talk in Actions, Not Just History
+11% Bookings
-90% QTC
Cycle Times
Mix by Product,
Channel, Geo
3% Margin
Improvement

10. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
4. Know Your Plays
• Define the process
• Make sure it’s comprehensive
• Make sure it’s aligned to your systems
• Make sure it’s easy to understand
• Train everyone to succeed

11. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Really Make Sure Everyone Knows
Your Plays!
• Weekly Training + Special Training Calls
• Home Office In-Person Training
• Regional Training
• Bulletins and Update Emails
• LMS Training
• Certification & Badging

12. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
5. Make it About the Big Stuff
• Is it really going to make a difference? How?
• Will it get executive attention and support?
• What are the opportunity costs?
• Key questions to ask:
– Will it increase revenue?
– Will it increase margins?
– Will it decrease spending?
– Will it create efficiencies?
– Will it save the sales team time?

13. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Highest Value Way for Sales Ops
to Show Value
Opportunity ERP

14. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Opportunity
ERP
How Most Do It
Manual Processes
Homegrown Systems
Outside Salesforce

15. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
How to Fill The Quote-To-Cash Gap
Quote Contract RevenueOpportunity ERP

16. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
How to Fill The Quote-To-Cash Gap
Quote Contract RevenueOpportunity ERP
Configure, Price, Quote
to sell anything, from
anywhere, on any device

17. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
How to Fill The Quote-To-Cash Gap
Quote Contract RevenueOpportunity ERP
Request, approve,
negotiate, sign and store
contracts

18. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
How to Fill The Quote-To-Cash Gap
Quote Contract RevenueOpportunity ERP
Manage tasks, milestones
payments & revenue with
full visibility and reporting

19. APTTUSAPTTUS Confidential
Bonus: Be a Marketer!