The changes in how buyers buy and sellers sell have led to unprecedented growth in tools to support the customer journey from “Awareness to Advocacy,” we now have hundreds if not thousands of new tools available for a company to use. In addition, growth in RevTech AI tools has also increased, with apps such as “Gong” and “People AI.”
All these new and shiny tools have companies evaluating their “RevTech” (As stated by Jill Rowley; “RevTech” = MarTech + SalesTech + CustomerSuccessTech) that they can use. As a RevOps professional, you are responsible for ensuring that you have the right tools for your business. You do not need a hammer if you are using screws, the hammer will work, but it is not the right tool for the job. Be careful to avoid technical bloat!
Before investing in tools, ask yourself these questions?
- What is your current environment (do a tools inventory)?
- Will the tool I need integrate with my current environment?
- What is the level of sophistication of my users and the existing tools?
- What is the enthusiasm for change?
- Why do I need to have this tool?
- Is it easy to implement and maintain?
- Is this the right tool for today and tomorrow?
- How well will this tool fit your RevOps road map?
- Do you already have a tool that does what is needed and not just another point solution?
Remember, you do not need to purchase an anvil to kill an ant!
Understand the initial cost, the long-term cost, and if you have a tangible ROI with this tool. Next, recognize the ramifications of the change and if adding this will disrupt your relevant stakeholders. Finally, look at the maturity of your organization. Will this change or addition to your RevOps stack drive additional revenue?
Fundamentally ask yourself, “What do we need, and why do we need it?” Most importantly, what is the impact on the customer if we implement this tool?
I did quick google search tools and lost count of the different apps for Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success. You do have a RevOps roadmap. Then does this new app or product fit into that roadmap? Consider the overall functionality of the software you choose. A Chatbot app could be a better choice than a software suite with this feature, but remember that the more apps you manage, the more risk you are of developing technical bloat.
You should always consider ease of use for your users. If they find it hard to use, then adoption will be difficult. Your choice should fit your current and future use cases. It is vital to understand what you want to accomplish today, understanding that you use these apps to grow your revenue, not just to handle data.
In the final analysis, look at this article on Saas tech bloat and do not fall into the “throw it at the wall and see if it sticks” mentality.
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