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Inside RevOps: The Secret to High-Performing RevOps Teams

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This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Jamie Miller: Rosalyn, you've led and consulted with high-performing teams. What are some common traits of those teams?

Rosalyn Santa Elena: For me, communication is the number one thing, whether it's personal or professional. I tell people that having nothing else but strong communication is going to be your single biggest differentiator. It's not about good writing or presenting skills – it's about being able to influence without authority, build credibility, and establish trust. I think transparency is crucial.

I'm actually surprised by how many companies hide information, where marketing doesn’t talk to sales, or sales isn’t talking to post-sales, or RevOps is sitting on its own island. When you see a high-performing team, really good communication makes all the difference. And that does start from the top. People say it’s cliché, but it’s true: it goes from the top through all the different layers.

It’s about having clear communication regarding our goals, where we’re trying to go, and what we want to do with the business. Then understanding what strategy we need to execute to get there. High-performing teams reiterate and communicate so everyone knows their role, the expectations, and how what they do impacts the bigger picture.

Jamie Miller: Yeah. Are there any tactics you’ve seen be super successful for that top-down cascade of information?

Rosalyn Santa Elena: Over-communicate, and communicate in multiple ways. I believe there's no such thing as too much communication (though my kids might disagree). From a tactical perspective, it’s about being intentional – keeping everyone on the same page. It sounds basic, but when we’re in the day-to-day grind, especially in RevOps, we have to remember to step back and ask: Who needs to know about this? Make sure the communication is ongoing, regular, intentional, and clear about what it means for people.

Jamie Miller: Right. You also mentioned making sure people know what they’re responsible for. As RevOps, our role can shift during the year. How do leaders keep their teams aware of their accountabilities?

Rosalyn Santa Elena: Goals can change, priorities can shift, but as they do, you have to communicate. Even if it’s a Jira board or a Google Doc, it doesn’t have to be fancy – it just has to exist, and people need to read and understand it. From a RevOps perspective, it’s really important to publish what you’re working on. What are your goals? What does your RevOps roadmap look like? At any point in time, anyone – from your own RevOps team to go-to-market or finance – should be able to see what RevOps is doing. Then, when priorities change, you can shift your roadmap accordingly.

Jamie Miller: That’s a great point – making sure not just to communicate down but also up. If we delivered something, does anyone even know we did it?

Rosalyn Santa Elena: Exactly. That’s another thing I’m often on my soapbox about. As ops folks, we’re enablers. We want to support others and see them succeed. But people sometimes view ops as just the CRM police, or the team that manages the tech stack or runs reports, rather than a strategic partner.

That’s why I tell coaching clients and teams: tie everything you’re doing back to the go-to-market strategy, even if it’s three layers removed. If you’re changing a forecast process, adding new fields to your technology, or buying and integrating new tech, connect it to a tangible business outcome. And because many of us prefer being behind the scenes, I encourage people to share what they’re delivering in the spirit of alignment and good communication. It’s not bragging – it’s informing.

Jamie Miller: It’s not bragging, it’s informing.
Rosalyn Santa Elena: Exactly. Exactly.