RevOps Assessment + Maturity Model
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One of my coaching clients is going through a difficult time as a solo RevOps leader at a VC backed company. I’ve been there so I get it! One exercise we’re currently working through is assessing the state of their RevOps maturity.
If you keep hearing the following:
“One day our systems will be able to..”
“He’s good at executing, but not in matters of strategy…”
“I’m stuck in back to back meetings all day, there’s no time to execute…”
“Our processes aren’t well documented…”
“What’s your feeling on…”
The telltale signs you’re in the drudgery. Without a roadmap the path to the top of the mountain can feel like endlessly cutting through the thicket. Nothing wrong with that. I did it. So will many others.
Having a mentor can definitely help. But I think a coach can do so much more. I wish I had one when I first stepped into Revenue Operations.
So what could help? Let’s start with a stupidly simple 4 step framework.
Go-To-Market (GTM) Assessment: where are you today in all important aspects of RevOps
GTM Maturity Model: a framework to show not only where you are today but what good-to-excellent looks like
GTM Roadmap: your plan that you will execute to progress you and your organization to the next level
GTM Execution: this is the part where you actually do the work.
Rinse and repeat.
Go-To-Market Assessment
For my coaching clients I start everyone off with a discovery call and a follow-up confirmation call. The discovery call is meant to get to know more about you, your goals, your organization, how you’re perceived, and the opportunities/challenges you’re facing. The confirmation call dives deeper into operating cadences, metrics, process documentation, etc. Anything that shows me how you’re operating and how far ahead or behind you are with respect to where you want to get to.
Then comes the GTM Assessment. For Paid Subscribers I drop a sample GTM Assessment tool behind the paywall. But for everyone else let’s just go into the structure of the document.
These are the primary categories each assessment question is grouped into:
GTM Systems Architecture
Operating Cadences & Rhythms
Reporting and Insights
Program & Project Management
Internal Relationships
Business Planning
Staffing and Team Capabilities
Below is a sample of an assessment. Feel free to create your own!
I’m a fan of keeping the rating mechanism as simple as possible. For this, I use a Likert scale. But in addition to this, I highly suggest you detail your thoughts on why you graded the way you did.
And obviously… as a coach I need to have you put skin in the game. The assessment is over 100 questions. Call it the “100 point RevOps Audit” (can I trademark this? 🤣) if you will.
GTM Maturity Model
Next up, is the maturity model. A maturity model is a framework or tool that helps organizations assess and improve their capabilities, processes, and practices in a specific area or domain. It provides a structured way to measure an organization's current state of maturity in that domain and provides a roadmap for advancing to higher levels of maturity over time.
Key characteristics of maturity models include:
1. Levels of Maturity: Maturity models typically define a set of maturity levels or stages that represent different levels of proficiency or capability in a particular area. These levels are often labeled with descriptive names (e.g., "Initial," "Repeatable," "Defined," "Optimized") and are arranged in a progressive sequence.
2. Key Process Areas: Maturity models identify key process areas or dimensions that are essential for success in the domain under consideration. These areas may include practices, processes, policies, and procedures that need to be addressed and improved upon.
3. Assessment and Benchmarking: Organizations can use maturity models to assess their current maturity level by evaluating their performance in each key process area. This assessment helps organizations identify strengths and weaknesses, prioritize improvement efforts, and benchmark themselves against industry best practices.
4. Continuous Improvement: Maturity models encourage organizations to strive for higher levels of maturity by providing guidance on the steps and practices needed to progress from one level to the next. This promotes a culture of continuous improvement.
5. Tailoring to Specific Needs: Maturity models can often be customized or tailored to suit an organization's specific needs and goals within the given domain. This flexibility allows organizations to focus on areas that are most relevant to their objectives.
6. Documentation and Guidance: Maturity models typically provide documentation and guidance on the characteristics and expectations of each maturity level, helping organizations understand what is required to reach a higher level of maturity.
I don’t consider myself a consultant. BUT! If I did. I would try to come up with my own RevOps Maturity Model. Again, can I trademark this? 🤣
Why reinvent the wheel. There are already some great maturity models out there:
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) - widely used in software development and other industries to assess and improve process maturity
ITIL Maturity Model
Check out the frameworks below:
And now the ITIL Model:
Now IMAGINE if you take the ITIL graphic above and replace “IT” with “RevOps”. What would you end up with?
Level 0 (Chaotic): minimal RevOps, multiple Ops, undocumented… SOUNDS FAMILIAR!
Level 1 (Reactive): fight fires, inventory (processes, data dictionary, initial problem management processes)… SOUNDS FAMILIAR!!
Level 2 (Proactive): analyze trends, set thresholds, predict problems, automate… OMG SOUNDS FAMILIAR!!!
Level 3 (Service): RevOps as a service provider, guarantee SLAs, measure & report availability… WOW WE’RE REINVENTING THE WHEEL!
Level 4 (Value): RevOps as a strategic business partner. You have arrived at RevOps Nirvana. Now get out of the elevator.
If you don’t want to create your own map that’s totally fine. You might need third party, unbiased (mmm hmmm I bet it is!) models! Just search for RevOps Maturity Model online or LinkedIn. Pluck the one you like. Tailor it. Sell it internally.
Badabing badaboom you’re on the path to helping your business partners see eye to eye with you. But in all seriousness, I suggest building your own maturity model here. The point is to think critically and to spend quality time thinking where you want to take the organization.
RevOps Roadmaps
I’ve already covered this in a previous article. Please check it out.
There you have it. A 3 step process to move a Team Of One and the organization in the right direction. For paid subscribers here’s a sample assessment which you can use. If you’re interested in getting a coach and you’re a Team of One at a Series A or B startup let me know if you’re interested by replying to this newsletter.
Whenever you're ready, there are 2.5 ways I can help you:
1/ Sign up for my Revenue Operations courses in partnership with the RevOps Co-Op.
→ Unleashing ROI course. A ten-week virtual, live instruction RevOps course designed to level up your RevOps Impact (R.O.I.). Lessons from my career scaling from $10M to $100M+. Join 100+ alumni. https://www.revopscoop.com/learn/unleashing-roi-course
→ Sales Ops Masterclass. A six-week virtual, live instruction SalesOps course designed to take your sales operations skills to the next level.
2/ Sponsor this newsletter. Promote your Revenue focused startup to a newsletter with over 1,700 tenacious revenue leaders. Reply to this email if you’re interested in receiving a media kit to learn more.
2.5/ I’m considering launching a coaching offering. If you’re a solo operator and your company has tagged you as a high potential leader then consider my 14-week coaching program. I’ve had some promising early results with a client and I’d like to further test out these services. If you have an L&D budget or an exec sponsor then please email me to inquire.
Paid sub template: Here’s the assessment which you can run for yourself.