RevOps: The Devil’s in the Details

The difference between average and elite RevOps is execution

The Basics Aren’t Enough—You Gotta Actually Do Them Well

There’s nothing groundbreaking about getting the basics right. But here’s the thing. most companies don’t actually do them well. Most people just check the box and move onto the sexier things.

In my new role I’ve been focused on setting up the right foundations building a modern tech stack. You know, the unsexy stuff: data hygiene, pipeline management, lead lifecycle tracking. The kind of things that seem so simple and obvious that people assume they’re covered—when, in reality, they’re often a complete mess.

So let’s talk about the real challenge: Not just doing the basics, but doing them well. And more importantly, customizing them for your business so they actually drive impact.

Step 1: Stop Assuming the Basics Are “Handled”

I’ve seen a lot of tech stacks and worked with over 15 B2B SaaS companies in the last year. And let me tell you—what seems like common sense often isn’t common practice.

I’ll give you some context into my new role. Our Hubspot instance is newer and CLEAN. WOW! What a dream. This is so much better than walking into a disaster to untangle.

For example, we didn’t have required closed-won and closed-lost reasons. Seems like a small thing, right? But if you don’t require it, sales won’t enter it. And suddenly, you have zero visibility into why you’re actually winning or losing deals.

It’s not just about the field. The data in those fields are FAR more important. If you cannot draw any insights from the field values, then you might as well not have the field. I’ll go into this more in the next section.

The takeaway? Assume nothing. Even the most basic systems need scrutiny.

Step 2: Make Your Data Actually Usable

It’s one thing to collect data. It’s another thing to make sure it’s useful. (This might be my new moto.)

I referenced win-loss reasons, and let me tell you—if your dropdown list says “Budget,” “Timeline,” and “Not a Fit,” you might as well not track anything at all.

What changes are you going to immediately implement after reviewing a report with those values?

At OpenBrand, we got specific. We tailored our reasons to reflect the nuances of our market—things like “Category Coverage” (because certain industries care more about specific sub-categories) or “Contract Consolidation” (because we’re rolling multiple contracts into one for a more streamlined billing process for our customers).

The point? Customizing your data fields means your team can actually do something with the insights.

Step 3: Build for Scale, Not Just Today

It’s tempting to throw in some quick fixes and call it good. But good luck dealing with the mess six months from now when your company grows and your systems can’t keep up.

I took a future-proofing approach from day one. For example, I didn’t just tweak our lead lifecycle in HubSpot—I built it with two to three years from now in mind. I thought about what sales and marketing would need when we expand into new categories and start scaling our different GTM motions.

Sure, it took more time upfront. But I guarantee we won’t be scrambling to rebuild things later.

Step 4: Get Hyper-Specific with Your Target Accounts

Our total addressable market isn’t huge. We’re not chasing 50,000 SMBs—we’re going after highly valuable and big accounts. That means every single touchpoint needs to be relevant, and we have to be focused on quality over quantity.

So instead of relying on generic firmographic data from an enrichment tool, we created our own segmentation fields inside HubSpot. We built custom account types, category groupings, and have specific product and industry details that an enrichment tool won’t have.

We did this because that’s what our team actually needs to prioritize outreach and drive revenue.

That’s what they actually need to run quick lists and filter their pipelines.

This is where people go wrong with ICP definitions. They treat it as a static list of industry, company size, and revenue when it should be dynamic and tailored to how your business actually sells.

Follow a solid framework but customize it to fit your growth strategy and product.

Step 5: Use What You Have Before Buying More Tech

I love a good RevOps tool as much as the next person, but tech doesn’t fix bad processes.

Before I invest in any new software, I ask:

• Can I do this with what I already have?

• Have I truly maxed out my current tools?

• Will this solve a real business pain today, or am I getting it just in case?

For example, instead of buying a separate meeting scheduling and routing tool, we’re leveraging what HubSpot already provides. We’ll only upgrade if and when we hit real limitations. When that point comes, I’ll be in-market, know exactly what I need, and covert fast.

But on the flip side, some things are non-negotiable—like knowing exactly when a target account visits our website. That was an immediate must-have because it directly impacts sales engagement and pipeline.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need to do everything. You just need to do the right things—and do them well. (That’s what everyone says.) It’s simple but NOT straightforward.

So before you run off and buy another tool or revamp your lead funnel for the tenth time, ask yourself:

• Are our fundamentals actually solid?

• Can we use the data we’re collecting?

• Are we future-proofing our systems, or just patching holes?

The best RevOps strategies aren’t about bells and whistles. They’re about getting the foundations right, making them work for your business, and scaling intelligently.

And if you’re still tracking generic chatGPT win-loss reason, we need to talk.