Growth Talks: Fueling Business Growth with Optimized Operations, The Revenue Ops Story with Davis Lam

Welcome to another of our founder interviews, where we spotlight Davis Lam, the driving force behind Revenue Ops LLC. Born from hands-on startup experience, Revenue Ops LLC helps businesses streamline their operations and maximize growth.

Offering new software implementation, managed package services, and strategic consulting, Revenue Ops stands as a key growth partner in a competitive business landscape. Join us as we explore the compelling journey of Revenue Ops, through the lens of its founder, and dive into the exciting world of revenue operations.

What is the backstory of Revenue Ops? How did you get from an idea to a product?

I was working in Revenue Operations for a number of startup companies, and doing a number of new software implementations at each company.  Eventually, I was being asked by people in the industry if I could help them with their tech stack, and decided to move forward with starting the company, so that I could assist anyone else who needed help as well.

How did you validate your idea?

I started Revenue Ops LLC and started working with clients.  They were interested in our services, so business grew quickly the first few years.

What marketing strategies have been successful for Revenue Ops so far?

Internal referrals from our partners and current / former clients has grown our customer base rapidly.  While doing external marketing via Google was driving some traffic to our website, the most qualified leads came from a referral of some sort.

From your website and what you told me, you are a Certified Salesforce Partner. Can you go into more detail and explain why partnerships are so important for your business?

Partnerships are critical in this business, as many of our partners, like Salesforce and Salesloft, are selling technology that needs to be implemented by someone who knows best practices, and who understands complex systems.  We have the system knowledge to understand the best way to implement the software, even though tech stacks and processes may differ from company to company, and can guide our clients towards completing a quick and successful transition to start using their new software.

How did you get your first customers?

Our first few customers were from referrals.  They were either people that I had worked with at previous companies who needed help at their new company, or had seen me do some public speaking at technology events in the area, and wanted to reach out for help.

What acquisition channels worked for you to reach new customers?

We do have some inbound leads come through our website, and also gain leads from our technology and industry partners.

What do you consider your biggest win so far with Revenue Ops?

I think the biggest win we’ve had to date is the success we’ve seen with our long-term managed package clients.  It’s great to build a relationship with these customers, and become an extension of their team.  As their system becomes more refined, it’s been a pleasure helping them introduce even more technology into their existing tech stack, and helping them to grow as they utilize the benefits.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced so far, and how were you able to overcome them?

The biggest challenges that we’ve faced so far have to do with working with new clients who have unrealistic expectations about the work we’ve been contracted to do for them.  In order to ensure that we’re all on the same page, we create a detailed line item Scope of Work (SOW) which outlines the work we’ve agreed to do for the company and the price we’ve agreed to do the work for.  That way, if we begin to receive requests to complete work outside of our SOW, we can discuss a contract addendum and additional compensation to reflect the additional work requested of my team.

What is your advice to founders who are just starting?

Ensure that you have the right technology in place to track your prospects, sales activities, and legal agreements.  Be explicit about the work you’re agreeing to do for your clients, and ensure that your legal contracts have all been vetted by a lawyer prior to being sent out to be signed by a client.  Be sure to protect yourself and your company, and don’t be afraid to walk away from a potential sale, if the terms are too unfavorable for your business to bear.  Take the time to set up your accounting procedures and software, and set aside time weekly to review your accounts and address any issues that have arisen.  However, don’t be afraid to have fun!  Owning your own business can be exhilarating and liberating.