Moving RevOps Beyond Spreadsheets to Drive Business Transformation

Revenue Operations (RevOps) is at a crucial crossroads. While many still view it as a caterpillar, others see its potential to evolve into a butterfly that is a strategic driver of business transformation.

In this deep dive, we explore insights from Ian Wessel, Vice President of Revenue Operations and Strategy at Monta, who brings over 17 years of experience in building and scaling high-performing RevOps teams.

The changing face of Revenue Operations

“RevOps itself is the realm of generalists to a degree – it’s people who get bored quickly, love being strategic, and continue growth and learning,” explains Wessel.

This perspective challenges the traditional view of RevOps as merely a support function, instead positioning it as a strategic partnership that drives business outcomes through data-driven insights and cross-functional alignment.

The reality is stark: according to recent data shared in the conversation, up to 75% of sales activities don’t lead to positive outcomes, indicating massive inefficiencies in how go-to-market teams operate. This presents an enormous opportunity for RevOps leaders to drive transformation and create measurable impact.

Beyond the spreadsheet: Strategic discovery and deal excellence

One of the most compelling insights from Wessel’s experience comes from his analysis of enterprise deals. Through detailed data analysis, his team discovered that deals requiring minimum investments of $10-20 million needed at least five hours of thorough discovery to have any chance of closing successfully.

“The deals that had one or two hours where people thought they had filled in MEDDPIC didn’t really move the needle. You needed to get in there and really dig down deep into everything,” Wessel explains.

This finding challenges the common practice of rushing through discovery to move deals forward quickly.

The “Hug vs. Handshake” framework

Wessel introduces a powerful concept for improving coordination between pre-sales and post-sales teams: handoffs should be a “hug, not a handshake.” This approach emphasizes:

1. Deep knowledge transfer between teams
2. Shared accountability across the customer journey
3. Regular deal reviews with both pre and post-sales representation
4. Early identification of potential implementation challenges

Building a data-driven RevOps function

To establish RevOps as a strategic partner, Wessel emphasizes the importance of:

1. Getting a seat at the table

• Bringing unique data insights to every executive conversation
• Aligning operational initiatives with strategic business goals
• Proving ROI through measurable outcomes

2. Enabling sales excellence

• Implementing consistent sales methodologies
• Using AI and technology to reduce administrative burden
• Focusing on quality of discovery and qualification

3. Closing the feedback loop

• Regular reporting on initiative outcomes
• Post-project analysis and learning
• Continuous improvement based on data insights
  

The future of RevOps: Balancing AI and human expertise

As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in sales and operations, Wessel offers a pragmatic view of its role.

“A lot of the times, the work gets done in this business in a rev ops org by rolling up your sleeves and getting down to the good old fashioned spreadsheets or having to dig in deep and find that root cause that AI may be able to point you to, but it’s not gonna solve for you.”

This perspective suggests that while AI will automate many tactical tasks, the strategic thinking and problem-solving aspects of RevOps will become even more crucial.

Action plan for RevOps leaders

1. Audit your discovery process

• Track time spent in discovery by deal size
• Analyze correlation between discovery investment and win rates
• Implement minimum discovery requirements based on deal value

2. Implement the “Hug” handoff model

• Create structured handoff processes between teams
• Schedule regular cross-functional deal reviews
• Track post-sale customer health metrics

3. Build your strategic influence

• Develop a quarterly reporting framework showing RevOps impact
• Connect operational metrics to business outcomes
• Create feedback loops for continuous improvement
  

Summary of RevOps drives business transformation

The future of RevOps lies in its ability to evolve from a tactical support function to a strategic driver of business transformation. Success will require balancing technology adoption with human expertise, maintaining strong cross-functional relationships, and consistently demonstrating measurable business impact.

As Wessel concludes, “The goal is not to fill in MEDDPIC. The goal is get the information you need to serve your customer the right way.” This customer-centric approach, combined with data-driven decision making and strategic thinking, will define the next evolution of Revenue Operations.

By focusing on these key areas and maintaining a balance between tactical execution and strategic leadership, RevOps teams can position themselves as crucial drivers of business growth and transformation in the years ahead.

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[You can view the full interview with Ian Wessel in our podcast episode “How Top Performers Handle Objections 80% Earlier“]