How to Sell a Sales Initiative to Your Board

For revenue team leaders, no objective looms larger or more urgent than meeting aggressive revenue goals and satisfying the growth imperative. Recent studies show that the average tenure of CROs in SaaS startups lasts between 1.5 and 1.9 years. For commercial CROs, the average tenure jumps to two years, but the point remains: if you want to make a splash, there isn't time to spare. 

Taking your best shot will probably require some wrangling and justification evangelism. Make it count: here are some tips we’ve picked up from other leaders who needed to convince the board to bring in a revenue transformation partner.

The First Hurdle: “Let’s Do It Ourselves”

Some board members are surely beating the “let’s do it ourselves” drum, and they’ll have great arguments for staying that course. “That’s why we hired great people,” or, “Money would be better spent elsewhere,” and, “Why do I need them if I have you?”

The truth is, you probably can address some sales challenges internally on an as-needed basis. But creating sustainable behavioral change at a level that shapes your organization's future may go beyond what internal enablement teams can offer. Doing it right can be a lot of work. As a sales leader, you already have a lot on your plate, and your team is busy executing the day-to-day activities that drive revenue for your organization. A sales transformation is a huge undertaking, and without topline priority, the ROI may fall short of what the board is asking for.

When Joe Morrissey joined Segment as CRO, its rapid product-led growth created steep expectations. After convincing leadership to partner with Force Management for a customized engagement, Segment realized outcomes that included 150% growth in ARR and a $3.2B acquisition. Read more about Segment’s transformation here.

Expertise & Experience Matter

Sometimes we’re too close to a problem to see what really needs to improve. Outside experts benefit from impartiality and can help uncover problems without an agenda. Their perspective can be key to building the alignment necessary to create solutions. Outside experts have the benefit of experience; they’ve worked with some of the best and brightest companies in the world and have seen patterns of success. The right partner can help you determine the steps to drive the results needed for achieving true sales transformation. They need to succeed. Their business reputation depends on your success

In this video excerpt, two-time Force Management alumnus Tim Bertrand discusses drawing from past experience with Force and replicating the tools and processes developed at his previous company. When Tim reached the limits of how far the do-it-yourself model could carry his revenue teams, he convinced the board to bring in outside experts for an initiative that propelled project44 to driving 115% growth in ARR in just the first six months: 

Defining the Priorities that Shape Costs and Expectations

Which initiatives get the green light? Executive leadership groups all have different priorities and agendas that impact decision-making, but every single board will review requests through the lenses of ROI, risk, and cost.  

Cost defines risk and ROI, so it’s no surprise that internal discussions will center around price. Sales transformation partnerships range from thousands to millions and everything in between.

Is your focus on building skills and fundamentals for your people? Or is your initiative around driving organizational change? Building a healthier pipeline that increases net new logos is one type of undertaking; building a new selling motion that shifts focus upmarket with increased average deal sizes is a different animal. The enablement needs of young SMBs are notably different from those of a mature enterprise looking at full-scale transformation or post-M&A international revenue team alignment. What outcomes you are communicating to the board, and where will the improvements be?

Arm yourself with the information that determines how much an initiative will cost. Before making your request to the board, get out in front of any anticipated objections with clarity around the problems you are trying to solve and the business outcomes you are looking to achieve. Use these two free resources to identify your objectives and the actions necessary to achieve them:

Infographic: Define the Right Priority for Your Sales Initiative

Use this simple chart to identify opportunities for improvement in your revenue team's performance and the action items necessary to overcome these challenges. 

Rapid Sales Assessment: Interactive Tool

Answer just ten multiple-choice questions about your business, its current state, and your revenue team objectives, and receive a free report outlining the next steps toward transformation. Use the tool now; it literally takes five minutes.

The Power of Now

Launching a strategic sales enablement initiative that drives lasting results is no small feat. It requires significant planning and sustained effort before, during, and after the event. For CROs and other leaders facing aggressive goals and investor expectations, time is of the essence. One undeniable benefit of bringing in outside expertise is speed. 

Timing matters, but results are what the board is after. Force Management has partnered with HiTech B2B SaaS organizations to help revenue teams meet leadership demands and investor expectations. See the results for yourself. 

Let us use our experience and expertise to help you. Are your revenue goals worth a short conversation? Contact us to get started.