Category: Jo.e Pulse

Hi Jo,

I’m in the market for a new job, and so many of the marketing operations positions out there are for remote-first or international teams.

To be honest, I’m wary of joining a team where I don’t get to meet up with people in person (I haven’t had the best experience working remotely during the pandemic) and I’m not sure I have the bandwidth to onboard into a brand new company from afar.

Am I making too big a deal out of this?

Thanks,

Fretting Frankie

Hey, Frankie. First things first: your job is a big deal, and you’re more than allowed to ask these questions as you try to find the right one. 

You also aren’t alone with these sentiments. In a recent post, I talked to recruiters about the benefits of building a team with people from all over the world.

But, looking at your question, I’m hearing you say that you don’t think remote work is the right fit for you. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why that might be? 

A better work/life balance

For generations, we’ve been conditioned to believe that we can only be productive in the office, surrounded by our colleagues. But is that really true?

For me, the fact that I can more easily weave in and out of my work and home lives makes me much more productive in both areas. If I ever get five minutes between meetings, I can put on a load of laundry instead of just waiting around at my desk. 

Managing the social aspect

Another concern might be the social aspect—and I hear you.

It can be hard to imagine how you replace casual water-cooler conversations with text on a screen, but just because it’s different doesn’t mean it isn’t effective.

Slack and all its various integrations (does anyone else use the giphy randomizer?) make it easy to:

• communicate your insights
• share style of humor, and
• meet new people on other teams.

Every day, I see people take advantage of these tools to build relationships both within and outside the professional setting.

Not only that, but joining a remote team helps youexpand your network outside your region. That’s particularly valuable for the marketing operations industry, which has such widespread expertise.

Rent office space

Now, if you’re someone who can’t imagine working at home because you live in a small apartment with your very loud roommate, who also works from home, that shouldn’t stop you from looking at remote positions.

Companies taking a remote-first approach are really looking for the best possible candidates, and if that means providing a stipend so that you can rent a small office, I’m sure they’ll find a way to make that happen.

We’re in an unprecedented time in the workforce, and you should never be afraid to ask for what you need to have an optimal work experience. 

Look at the company culture

Another important thing to remember is that your aversion to remote work might be based on working with your current employer, who had to scramble to figure out remote work during the pandemic.

For a lot of companies, the shift to remote work was messy (at best) and it left a lot of people disillusioned with the idea of joining decentralized teams.

Consider this: Leaders today have spent a lot more time thinking through what they can do to empower their distributed teams, supporting them with the right tools, policies, and processes. Don’t let that one experience put you off from testing out something different.

Lean on your MOps skills

You may be saying to yourself “OK, you’ve addressed a lot of my concerns, but am I equipped to join a new team remotely?”

I think you are.

The skills you need to succeed in a remote team are the same skills you need to be a good MOps professional:

• proactivity
• accountability
• problem-solving, and
• good communication.

As long as you’re able to proactively think about solutions to any problems that might arise, and communicate those solutions effectively, you’re golden. 

You’ve got this, 

Jo Pulse

P.S. RP. is a remote-first company with a great team and strong culture. And we’re hiring. Visit our careers page to see if there’s an opening that matches your skills.

Hey Joe,

I’m really frustrated with Sales right now! They just aren’t understanding what we do and how MOPs can really help them.

How do I express my frustration without getting emotional?

I want to share my thoughts but I need to do it in a constructive manner. How do I go about that?

Thanks,

Frustrated Frank

Frank, this is a great question.

The fact that you’re looking for a constructive solution to this challenge speaks volumes.

So often, we see Sales and MOPs teams at odds with each other, even though they’re meant to be working towards the same goal: bringing in more qualified leads and new customers.

Taking the time to ensure your teams are on the same page and understand the value each of you bring to the table is a great first step.

Overcome the obstacle

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had conversations with Sales team members who don’t have any insight into what we do and how we do it.

Just trying to get them to input data in a consistent way so that our marketing automation tools can work properly can feel like pulling teeth. This is particularly frustrating when you feel it’s your role to connect the dots between Sales and Marketing, and it doesn’t feel like you’re being heard.

There are a couple of ways you can share these thoughts with Sales in a constructive way.

1. Understand Sales’ challenges

1. Remember that your Sales team is likely dealing with their own frustrations and challenges. It’s worth knowing what these are before having a conversation with them.

They may be facing pressure from their director or have KPIs that run against your team’s, although that shouldn’t be the case.

All Sales and Marketing metrics should ladder up to a joint revenue goal, and if you feel that’s not happening or that your KPIs are at odds, then that’s an important conversation you should be having with your leadership.

2. Align your processes

2. Talk to Sales about your processes and how they align with theirs, but be careful how you address this.

One thing I’ve learned in my years working with different teams is that any time you question a process, people are bound to get a little defensive.

So, instead of asking ‘why aren’t we doing XYZ?’, you can reframe the question to ‘are we able to do XYZ?’.

This will open the door to a much more constructive and collaborative conversation—and it’ll inspire your Sales team to ask your team questions in the same way.

3. Show your value

Remember that sometimes actions speak louder than words. You know that MOPs can be a valuable partner to your Sales team, so show them:

• Consider building out scoring models where Sales can identify prioritized personas and automatically receive the leads that are the most likely to convert.
• Establish an automated system for passing on the right content at the right time to leads that are already engaged.
• Develop processes that help MOPs and Marketing bridge the gap for MQLs during the nurture stage, without overwhelming them with information.
• Showcase the different tools (e.g. social, targeted ads, event invites) that MOPs can deploy for engaged leads.

These are all things that will help build the partnership across the customer journey. If you need help implementing any of these tactics, let’s chat.

At the end of the day, it’s all about teamwork.

You’ve got this,
Joe Pulse.

Hi Joe,

I’m responsible for managing all the marketing tech in my organization. I ensure all the different tools run smoothly, and that we’re getting the most out of each purchase.

With teams across the organization using different tools in various ways, it gets difficult to keep our stack manageable where each piece fits its purpose.

Should companies audit their software stack? How can I ensure that we’re using tools in the best way possible?

I appreciate any advice for keeping a stack in good shape.

Thanks,

Tech Stack Tom

Thanks for writing us, Tom.

Keeping your stack under control is a great project to prioritize. The more your organization grows, the harder it becomes to untie the knots.

To answer your first question: Yes, companies should definitely audit their software stack.

I’ve done tech audits in the past with companies of various sizes, and I’ve seen how messy things get without upkeep:

• tools onboarded and forgotten about
• broken integrations, and
• teams using multiple different solutions to fulfill the same functions.

Without realizing it, you can sink real cash into redundant subscriptions, disjoint your data between all the different tools, and burn effort working around errors.

Some companies make peace with sunk costs. If the breaks in the chain aren’t too damaging, or the tool they have can at least do a passable job, they’re okay to ride out a contract.

My advice: Complacency doesn’t lead to improvements. Tools that work well and fit their purpose make your life easier and help the company perform better. That’s worth the time spent giving your stack a health check.

Optimize your tech stack:

Here are a few pieces of advice to keep your tech stack healthy.

Consolidate your tech stack:

If various teams use tools with significant overlap in what they offer, collapse these solutions, where possible, into one piece of tech.

It’s a tough sell when teams love their tool, but consolidation has clear benefits: lower costs, simpler management, and a reduced risk of breakage.

 

Centralize your tech stack:

Compile a list of resources available to everyone. Give a complete picture of the tools in the company and how each team uses them.

This helps curb redundant software purchases, highlighting any capability gaps to fill in your stack.

 

Audit your tech stack:

Talk to people around your organization about any problems they’re having and how they use the tools at their disposal.

You want to map out the purpose each tool fulfills in your company and how all the pieces of your stack connect.

Find answers to questions like these:

• Can you solve one team’s problems with an existing tool used by another team?
• What functions of current tools can you get greater mileage from?
• Is a new tool the best solution? An audit provides answers to questions like these.

 

Prioritize your tech stack optimization plans:

When deciding where to optimize your stack, consider the balance of problems solved and the opportunities gained.

Whatever your priorities as a business are — boost revenue, decrease overhead, save on subscriptions, work more efficiently — think about changes that achieve your most pressing goals or solve multiple issues at once.

 

Consult your network:

You’ll run into situations where the right tool isn’t obvious.

Your best move is to ask your network if they have experience in similar situations.

The response from people you know and trust will likely be more relevant than answers in online discussions.

Plus, you’ll be able to solve the problem faster than if you approached sales reps at different providers.

You’ve got this, and if you need any help contact us.

Joe Pulse.