Our newest team member, Kyle, a business development consultant, recently sat down with our two managing partners. Yes, we have two; it is one of the ways our team is built to take advantage of people’s diverse backgrounds. Kyle wanted to better understand Greg’s (who leads our Product and Marketing PODs) and J.R.’s (who leads our Revenue Ops POD and Client Management team) perspective on why they built GANI uniquely. As he heard from them, he realized it was a great story, and we have turned that discussion into an interview for all to read, so please enjoy this peek at why our team is built the way it is.
Kyle: Let’s start with the fundamentals. J.R., why did you believe diversity within GANI would be so crucial when forming partnerships with future clients?
J.R.: Diversity brings a range of perspectives, experiences, and skill sets to the table. In the context of an external partnership, this diversity can be invaluable. Different backgrounds and experiences lead to a richer pool of ideas and solutions, ultimately driving innovation and success.
Kyle: So Greg, how do you see your background in Product and Marketing coming together to offer deeper insights for potential clients? These two are often kept separate at other firms.
Greg: As someone who has spent more than 10 years in both areas, I believe a combined involvement from both Product and Marketing brings a holistic understanding of how a partner’s offerings resonate with the market and build revenue growth. This perspective from our teams helps ensure that any client we work with can see the benefits of product vision, market positioning, and then a comprehensive metrics-driven marketing strategy. It’s about ensuring that our collaborations not only enhance their product but also amplify our brand presence and reach.
Kyle: Interesting, but then why Revenue Operations? J.R., this seems to have a counter fit to the Product and Marketing side as they are both strategy and tactics?
J.R.: I can see how people would think that, but the reality is Revenue Operations is essential for optimizing our sales processes and driving revenue growth. This ties in perfectly with helping define what products you build, the personas you target, and the marketing tactics you execute. By adding this diverse background of expertise to the GANI team, we add a new layer of both experience and data that enable our team to approach challenges from multiple angles, identify opportunities for improvement, and adapt strategies to meet evolving market demands.
Kyle: So it is fair to say you see each one of the teams you built at GANI building off each other while also able to exist in their own domains.
J.R.: Yes, that is true, but like on a lot of teams, we truly believe we are stronger together, so the more teams at GANI a client engages, if they don’t already have the expertise in-house, the more it provides exponential results. On average, right now, when a client engages at least 2 teams at GANI, they typically see a 25% higher ROI.
Kyle: Wow, how do you track that?
Greg: Well, a key to our philosophy is being metric-driven. So, when we go through the onboarding process, we outline key measurable goals for each relationship. This helps us and the client stay focused on SMART goals. Throughout each relationship, we can pull data points to see how we are doing compared to the original plan. Each time we have someone engage more than one GANI team, we see them achieve goals faster and at a more sustainable rate.
Kyle: Interesting. So, Greg, how do you ensure alignment between your Product and Marketing perspectives and our external partnerships?
Greg: Alignment begins with clearly understanding our product roadmap, marketing objectives, and revenue goals. When evaluating potential partners, I look for those whose values, capabilities, and offerings align with ours. This alignment ensures that our external collaborations not only support our immediate needs but also contribute to our long-term growth strategy.
Kyle: I couldn’t agree more. Alignment is paramount for success. J.R., how does your focus on Revenue Operations influence our approach to external partnerships?
J.R.: Revenue Operations is all about driving efficiency and effectiveness across the sales process. When engaging external partners, I prioritize alignment in terms of sales strategies, data management, and customer experience. By partnering with organizations that understand our revenue objectives and can complement our operations seamlessly, we can achieve greater synergy and drive sustainable revenue growth.
Kyle: Absolutely, J.R. It’s about ensuring that our partnerships contribute directly to our bottom line. Now, let’s discuss the timeframe aspect of our team’s expertise. Greg, you represent both Product and Marketing, which define success over different timeframes. How does this influence our approach to external partnerships?
Greg: Well, the reality is that building your growth can happen by investing in three areas. I will let J.R. talk about the impact of investing in Revenue Ops, but when a company decides to invest in Product and Marketing we also ensure they understand each has a different timeline in terms of their impact on the company’s growth. Marketing’s speed will be driven by two key things: understanding of ideal customer profiles and depth of contactable database. When a company already has these the impact can be measured in around three to six months. However, if they don’t have this data, we typically see it take six to nine months. While Product is the key to long-term sustainable growth. You want your team to work within a simple but effective process that evaluates market gaps, competitors, line extensions, and more. But different than marketing since this is an investment in building or buying new products/services the time to see the ROI is measured in years, not months.
Kyle: That’s a comprehensive approach, Greg. Now, J.R., Revenue Operations often focuses on short-term revenue gains. How does this immediate focus influence our approach to external partnerships?
J.R.: In Revenue Operations, we prioritize partnerships that can deliver tangible results quickly, whether it’s through increased sales volumes, improved conversion rates, or streamlined processes. So, of three teams, this team is the one to most likely help a partner who is behind plan get back on track and achieve this year’s goal. But again, we will also remind the client about the importance of long-term sustainability. Therefore, we seek to work with our clients who will not sacrifice the overall health and growth of our sales operations for some short-term wins.
Kyle: Well-articulated, J.R. Balancing short-term gains with long-term sustainability is crucial for success. So, from your two perspectives, building GANI to have diversity and team alignment were the cornerstones of being able to offer successful partnerships to GANI’s clients. By leveraging the diverse expertise of our team members and ensuring alignment across Product, Marketing, and Revenue Operations, we can unlock new opportunities, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable growth.
Greg: Absolutely, Kyle. Together, we’re poised to build meaningful partnerships that propel our company and our clients to new heights of success. We are confident that with this team, our clients will see measurable success, and by doing so, GANI will see our goal met both as a whole and for each of our team members.