First they design to solve a problem. Engineers don’t do things because it feels right or that is how someone did it in the past or they have a cool product to sell.
They start with the problem to be solved as defined by the customer. They ask lots of questions, consider options, do a sketch of what the outcome might be and get buy-in from the customer before they do a proposal. The world of “Revenue Science™” calls that a joint SOW and considers it a requirement to any customer relationship.
Second they have no bad habits. When it comes to “Revenue Generation” since engineers have no marketing, selling or contracting bad habits. As a matter of fact, they have NO experience at all, NO intentional skills and hate what they know about sales and marketing as being shallow, shifty, and without integrity. In other words, they think about the selling process much like the normal customer.
The engineers only want to clarify the customer’s problem, get creative about options for solving it, remove as many risks a possible while designing the most efficient solution possible.
Engineers not only think about the selling process the same way the customers do – but they think about the buying process like the customers do.
Third they value outcomes more than empty activity. Engineers want to focus on the outcomes. They want to focus on the quality, the quantity, the velocity and the timeliness of outcomes. They do not focus on how many hours it took or the number of staff assigned to the job or the technology used to do the work – none of which necessarily aligns with the outcomes to be achieved.
The engineer only considers the activities to the extent that an outcome gets better or worse based on the specific tool or activity.
Fourth they execute process as designed. Once there is a Joint SOW based on the problem the customer wants solved, creativity has been applied to all the options for solving that problem, the outcomes to achieve are clear, best practices suggest the activities to achieve those outcomes – then the next step is to execute the process believed to be the best way to achieve the required outcomes exactly as intended.
Fifth they measure everything and make continuous improvements. When a process is being executed as designed and the outcomes are measured the revenue team can consider options for improving all outcomes by tweaking both the activities and outcomes earlier in the process to assure the highest possible achievement at the very last stage for the benefit of the total process (the most profitable revenue available).
A revenue team is not successful if the marketing activities exceed the required outcomes or if there is no one to lead qualified prospects through the sales stage or when sales persons with great skills are wasted because of no qualified prospects to sell.
It is only when marketing delivers the right number of the right type of leads to the sales team at the right time and the sales team has the right number of talented sales people to take advantage of these marketing outcomes to contract the number and type of deals in the right timeframe the delivery part of the organization is ready to delight.
The continuous improvement process says the better that things are measured and improved the more profitable revenue for the Revenue Resources invested.
To many leads, short sales cycles with an unexpected high percentage of wins push too large a number of contracted deals to a now overwhelmed delivery group and the outcome is that no one is delighted.
Engineers will use measurement and continuous improvement to balance the three functions (marketing, selling and delivery) for the most profitable possible mix starting at one end and creating delight at the other.
Engineers know “Revenue Generation” is about the most profitable production from the Revenue Resources available and they will keep tweaking the activities to get the greatest outcomes possible – because they are engineers and can’t stop themselves.
Go build a “Revenue Generation” team that thinks like engineers.