Someone new to the world of Sales Operations recently asked, “What are some activities everyone does daily?”
It’s an interesting question. The person continued, “Its my first time in a Sales Ops role…like to make sure I’m doing things everyday that will have an impact….”
The specific ‘routine’ Sales Operations professionals may follow will vary significantly. The industry, size of company, whether its products or services, management’s demands and expectations, all cause the question to be almost rhetorical.
Most important, in my opinion, is the mindset you bring to work every day: an unending drive to help your team(s) improve. Maintaining a focus on removing sales process kinks, identifying and exterminating obsolete processes, keeping data up to date, being observant for new ways to do things better. Support the team, avoid being adversarial. Yet at the same time know where to spend your precious resources and where not to.
Sales Ops serves a critical role and will be what the practitioner makes of it. Just started? Take the time to observe, learn, -see-, talk with folks. Don’t act out of a compulsion to ‘make an impact.’ Sales Ops is more often in the role of movie director and rarely the star.
Oh, and don’t get lost in the weeds. Yes, Sales Ops has plenty of clerical and administrative (reporting) activities. But that’s not where Sales Ops adds greatest value. Keep your head up, looking around. A big part of Sales Ops is -anticipating- what is coming down the highway. You’ll miss it, if you’re too busy mowing the grass.