87: The Human Element in GTM Operations: Balancing Data and Team Communication - with Michelle Kim, Senior Director, Sales & Customer Success Operations at Culture Amp | REPLAY EP 07

** Originally published on February 15, 2023 **

Here's a star replay episode, another one of my favorites! Apparently, it's one of yours too - as one of the most downloaded episodes so far. Michelle does an amazing job walking through all things Operations for GTM. What should we cover next on the show? DM me, comment, or write a review to share feedback. I appreciate you! - Jane

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra sits down with Michelle Kim, former Director of Sales Operations at Zendesk (now Senior Director, Sales & Customer Success Operations at Culture Amp). Michelle shares her career journey from sales to customer success operations and her current role in sales ops. The discussion highlights the distinctions between sales operations and revenue operations (rev ops), emphasizing the importance of communication and collaboration among sales, marketing, and customer success teams. Michelle also discusses challenges in forecasting, the balance between data and human elements, and offers advice for those new to operations. The episode provides valuable insights for marketing professionals aiming to enhance operational efficiency.

Michelle talks us through:

Her professional journey from sales to customer success operations and sales operations.
The distinction between sales operations and revenue operations (rev ops).
The importance of communication and collaboration among sales, marketing, and customer success teams.
Responsibilities and strategies involved in sales operations, including territory management and forecasting.
The debate between centralized and decentralized operations models.
Challenges in achieving accurate forecasting in a fluctuating economy.
The significance of research and understanding existing processes in operations roles.
Balancing data-driven decision-making with the human element in operations.
Motivating team members by understanding individual motivations and aligning them with business objectives.
Advice for individuals new to operations on self-management and identifying operationally inclined team members.

Key Links:

Guest: Michelle Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejykim/

Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

Mentioned in this episode:

Women in Revenue community: https://womeninrevenue.org/

The amazing Sydney Sloan (future WIB2BM guest!): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydsloan/

Dimitri Tamparopoulos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitri-tamparopoulos/

[Book Reco] How Women Rise: https://www.howwomenrise.com/

Michelle's Podcast Recommendations:

The Revenue Engine: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-engine/id1554168319

UnapologeTECH: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetech/id1526386752

Permission to Speak: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/permission-to-speak/id1491356006