All the ground we break here at Rev is AI-centric. Our AI-driven Sales Development Platform develops aiCPs (AI-driven customer profiles) that are living, evolving models that account for changes within your target audience. It’s all built on traits that we call exegraphics, assessed at speeds incomprehensible to humans, to empower RevOps and other revenue teams to find their best prospects and retain their best customers.
For all that we rely on AI, what does AI know about what we do? Does it understand RevOps? Can it explain back to us what an exegraphic is? Most importantly, can it tell a good joke?
ChatGPT is all the rage in AI circles right now, and we decided to take it for a spin. We sat down with ChatGPT for a good old-fashioned Q&A interview about what we do here at Rev. Only one of us had coffee. Let’s see just how helpful, engaging, and knowledgeable this AI chatbot is when grilled about revenue teams and the RevOps function.
(This interview, like most human interviews, has been edited for brevity. But every word is preserved precisely how ChatGPT offered it. Rev’s additional commentary is presented in italics. Like this.)
Rev: Thanks for agreeing to chat with us. How are you doing today?
ChatGPT: I am just a computer program, so I do not have the ability to feel or express emotions. But I am always ready to assist you with any question or information you need.
Rev: Great. Then let’s jump in. We want to see where you stand. What is the most important revenue team in an organization?
ChatGPT: All revenue-generating teams are important and their success is interdependent. A well-aligned RevOps function that coordinates and optimizes the efforts of these teams is crucial for achieving the company’s revenue goals.
Rev: Very diplomatic of you. Since you brought it up, how would you describe the RevOps function to someone new to the space?
ChatGPT: Revenue Operations (RevOps) is a cross-functional approach to aligning sales, marketing and customer success teams in order to optimize revenue growth. It involves the use of data and technology to streamline processes and improve communication and collaboration among teams. The goal of RevOps is to create a seamless experience for customers and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of revenue-generating activities.
Rev: Nice! But what does RevOps provide that standalone sales, marketing and customer success can’t do alone?
ChatGPT: RevOps provides a holistic view of the customer journey and revenue generation process, allowing for better coordination and alignment of sales, marketing and customer success efforts. With a RevOps approach, teams can work together to identify and address bottlenecks in the sales pipeline, improve lead generation and qualification, and increase customer retention. Additionally, RevOps allows for the use of data and technology to automate and optimize processes, providing teams with real-time insights and enabling them to make data-driven decisions.
In contrast, standalone sales, marketing and customer success teams may have limited visibility into the activities and performance of other teams, leading to siloed efforts and a lack of coordination. Without a RevOps approach, teams may also lack the necessary data and technology to optimize their efforts and make data-driven decisions.
Rev: It almost sounds too good to be true. What is the drawback to implementing a RevOps function, if any?
ChatGPT: Implementing a RevOps function can be a significant undertaking, and there are a few potential drawbacks to consider.
One potential drawback is the cost and resources required to set up and maintain a RevOps function. This can include the cost of hiring additional staff, as well as the cost of any technology or software needed to support the function.
Another potential drawback is the potential for resistance to change from existing sales, marketing and customer success teams. These teams may be comfortable with their current processes and may not see the need for a RevOps function. Additionally, there may be internal politics or turf wars between teams that can make it difficult to implement a RevOps approach.
Finally, it may take time for a RevOps function to show measurable results, which can make it difficult to justify the investment to stakeholders.
That being said, with the right approach and leadership, these drawbacks can be overcome and the benefits of a RevOps function can greatly outweigh any negative aspects.
(In a recent Rev event, Sid Kumar, HubSpot’s SVP of RevOps, discussed the patience needed for achieving measurable results, and how RevOps is best measured in six-month increments. He recommends starting with your organization’s main pain points for more immediate gains. “What are the two to three big rocks that the company is struggling with?” Sid asks. “Go after one of those. You start to develop trust and credibility, and you pick up another rock when you have the bandwidth. It will snowball on itself.”)
Rev: We are really interested in how AI can help propel the RevOps function forward. What do you see for AI’s potential in revenue teams?
ChatGPT: AI has the potential to greatly enhance the capabilities of revenue teams and propel the RevOps function forward in several ways:
- Predictive analytics: AI-powered predictive analytics can be used to analyze customer data and identify patterns and trends, allowing teams to better understand customer needs and preferences, and to predict future customer behavior. This can help teams to optimize their sales and marketing efforts and to target their efforts more effectively.
- Lead scoring: AI can be used to analyze customer data and score leads based on their likelihood of converting to a sale, allowing teams to prioritize their efforts and focus on the most promising leads.
- Automation: AI can be used to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as data entry and analysis, freeing up revenue teams to focus on more strategic activities.
- Personalization: AI can be used to personalize communication and offers to customers based on their behavior and preferences, resulting in more effective engagement and conversion.
- Real-time insights: AI-powered dashboards and reporting can provide real-time insights into the performance of revenue-generating activities, allowing teams to quickly identify and address any issues.
Overall, AI can greatly enhance the capabilities of revenue teams and help to optimize the revenue generation process, making it more efficient, effective and data-driven.
(ChatGPT’s first and second points—on predictive analysis and lead scoring—are most in line with how we here at Rev use AI-driven exegraphics and customer profiles to help teams identify prospects that behave, inside and out, like their current best customers. Our models also incorporate real-time changes in a company’s operations, helping revenue teams better predict their prospects’ needs and act on them.)
Rev: What insight do you have for folks who might be afraid of incorporating AI into their RevOps team? Or who might just be reluctant to try?
ChatGPT: It’s understandable that some people may be hesitant to incorporate AI into their RevOps team, as with any new technology there can be a fear of the unknown or concern about job displacement. However, it’s important to remember that AI is not meant to replace human workers, but rather to augment and enhance their capabilities. Here are a few tips to help ease concerns about incorporating AI into a RevOps team:
- Start small: It’s important not to try to do too much too soon. Start with a small, specific use case for AI and build from there as you become more comfortable with the technology.
- Educate yourself and your team: Make sure that you and your team have a good understanding of what AI is and what it can do, as well as any potential limitations.
- Address concerns about job displacement: Make sure to communicate that AI is being implemented to augment and enhance the capabilities of human workers, not to replace them.
- Identify clear benefits: Clearly communicate how AI will improve the performance of the revenue team and the return on investment.
- Work with experts: It’s important to work with experts in AI, whether internal or external, to ensure that the implementation is successful.
It’s also worth noting that by not incorporating AI, it puts the company at risk of being left behind by competitors. AI is becoming an increasingly important tool for businesses and it can give a competitive advantage.
Rev: Have you ever heard of the exegraphics that the company Rev uses?
ChatGPT: I am not aware of a specific exegraphics used by the company Rev. The approach a company like Rev would take to develop their exegraphics model would depend on their specific business needs and the data they are working with. It’s possible that the company Rev has developed their own proprietary exegraphic model, but I do not have information on that specific case.
(We recommend that ChatGPT read our primer on Rev’s exegraphics. In fairness, ChatGPT discloses that it doesn’t know much of world events since 2021, which clearly accounts for why we have not hit its radar—until now.)
Rev: What do you see in the future for the RevOps function?
ChatGPT: The future of the RevOps function is likely to see continued growth and evolution as businesses look for ways to optimize their revenue-generating activities. Here are a few potential developments in the RevOps function in the future:
- Increased use of AI and machine learning.
- Greater emphasis on customer experience.
- Increased use of data and analytics.
- Greater collaboration and alignment across teams.
- Cloud-based RevOps Platform.
Overall, the RevOps function is likely to continue to grow in importance as businesses look for ways to optimize their revenue-generating activities and gain a competitive edge.
Rev: As a final question for now, what’s your favorite joke that a RevOps team would find funny?
ChatGPT: Here’s a joke that I think a RevOps team might find funny: Why did the marketer quit? He realized he was just spinning his wheels.
Rev: Thanks, ChatGPT!
ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.