C-level executives know that a battle is raging at most companies – the classic battle between sales and marketing. Executives encounter it from all different vantage points ranging from their earliest days in the workforce down in the trenches to the 30,000-foot view summary in their current positions. It is a problem that plagues many organizations, and yet it is rarely discussed at any level. However, without addressing it and fully understanding how it affects profitability, it cannot truly be solved.

The CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) is expected to be paid well because it is more demanding, complex and challenging than either a Sales VP or a Marketing VP role.  As we review compensation, it is helpful to remember that titles are not always a representation of responsibility. CROs who finds themselves closing the initial sale, then outsourcing the upsell, cross-sell and renewal processes to functional peers, might find 'VP of Sales' to be a better title.

Nobody wants to have a ‘networking conversation,’ especially those who are at the highest levels of business. They are hungry for real conversations and real relationships. It has to be authentic, genuine and sincere.”  -  Rich Stromback

Even with a plethora of information, books, classes and generous experts, rooms are full of people who have yet to develop excellent communication skills (and who you prefer to avoid). 

It appears the top 20% of your sales team are closing 80% of the deals. This reality of 80-20 performance, where approximately 20 percent of salespeople produce approximately 80 percent of sales, can be disappointing. (Though it validates Pareto’s Principle).

Pareto’s Principle was named after Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), an Italian economist who observed that for certain economic conditions, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

Instead of accepting Pareto’s Principle as a standard, I would prefer to see your team perform with excellence. Inspiring and leading a team to break away from average can be difficult if they are following the crowd and paying attention to what ‘everyone’ follows. I learned firsthand the importance of a network, excellent habits and a mindset of high standards when I grew a business from $4 million to $16 million over the course of four years.

Today I want to share thoughts, habits, and mindsets that help many to be a top 5% sales professional and potentially break Pareto’s Principle.  

Knowing the secret to effective marketing to grow sales and drive profit is often elusive, even to the those with expert marketing skills.  DISC Assessments can help you have better insights into the minds of your marketing and sales team, customers and prospects. Today I would like to share with you the importance of DISC Assessments for growing revenue.

The process of customer acquisition is critical to success, but often many leap first without a process in place. Without direction and strategy, the early stages of customer acquisition may be misdirected, resulting in lost time, money, and resources, as well as shaky profits. This is especially true for new businesses trying to get a foot in the door as they compete with well-established companies. The wrong customer acquisition strategy can be costly.

The most successful Chief Revenue Officers are not afraid to think outside of the box. To have big, out-of-the-box ideas, a company must have employees who are not intimidated by creativity, innovation, and inventiveness.

How things have changed: The competitive marketplace has been disrupted with key trends over the last several years. The disruptions and new trends require companies to create repeatable and predictable revenue that scales:

• Digital products and services now offer unprecedented insight into buyers’ behavior.
• New sales processes and KPIs are needed with responsibilities that transcend traditional sales roles.
• Omni-channel sales and increasing role of mobile and self-service in both B2C and B2B business environments challenge the traditional sales processes.
• New models are needed to maximize revenue by making a serious commitment to engage customers and deliver a multi-touchpoint experience that is personalized and value-focused.

Who has their finger on the pulse of revenue growth (for both marketing and sales) across the entire revenue process – from prospects to leads to pipeline to revenue?

The person who can lead the way with a new kind of analysis and execution crucial to the business in today's business world is the Chief Revenue Officer, or CRO.