How do you spearhead the implementation of a shared revenue model and align sales and marketing during an acquisition (or two)? Just ask Susan Wall, VP of Marketing for Oracle + Bronto, who pulled it off when Bronto was first acquired by NetSuite and then when NetSuite was acquired by Oracle.
Thanks to Wall’s revenue cycle methodology, the company now has a firm grasp on every marketing campaign and has doubled the profiling rate from 23% to 39% and increased average deal size by roughly 2,300%.
Wall won a B2B Innovator Award for her revenue cycle methodology. Read on to learn more about the culture of innovation at Oracle + Bronto.
Demand Gen Report: Can you share any particular achievements you are most proud of in your current role?
Susan Wall: My proudest achievement is the implementation of our revenue cycle methodology. Not just because we’ve enjoyed great success with it, but because the process has fostered unprecedented collaboration across multiple teams (Marketing, Sales, Finance) in a manner that collectively contributes to our revenue cycle and overall success. So many organizations struggle with this, I’m proud we’ve overcome this challenge – and we’re reaping the rewards, with consistent year-over-year high growth.
DGR: Can you share any details about how your team or individuals on your team have helped drive innovation or how your whole team has helped achieve results?
SW: The culture of our company is at the core of our innovative approach. The company was founded on several guiding principles. One of those is ‘if you can’t measure it, don’t do it.’ That principle guides us every day in the pursuit of constant improvement and learning. Every action is taken with a specific measurable goal in mind from the overall company goals down to every message within an individual campaign. That way we ensure rapid learning and can adjust quickly to achieve our larger goals.
DGR: How have you helped try to foster a culture of innovation within your team and organization?
SW: An influx of new and fresh ideas is important for any organization to succeed, but it’s also important to use the data at your disposable to make informed decisions. For example, even though we operate as separate departments (Sales, Finance, Marketing), we collaborate daily to make the revenue cycle works. We all look at the same data and measure every single stage of the cycle. Within 24 hours of a campaign being launched, we already know if the campaign is on target because we have goals down to the individual campaign level.
DGR: Why do you think innovation is important in today’s B2B marketing landscape? Do you see a need for traditional approaches to be transformed?
SW: Had we stuck with the traditional methods of doing things, we would not be as successful as we are. And had we stuck with the same tried-and-tested methods and not explored a new, more collaborative process, we would not be on the growth path that we’re on today. The marketplace is dynamic, constantly changing. We must embrace constant testing and learn about what works best to fit the current market conditions.
DGR: Do you feel like B2B marketing needs to shake things up a bit to avoid being boring and dry and how have you tried to address this?
SW: Absolutely, as I mentioned before, there’s a tendency for a natural divide to exist between departments that makes it difficult to collaborate and work towards a common goal, especially when a department’s immediate goals are at odds, or seemingly at odds, with another. We’ve really worked to remove those barriers and shake things up by bringing multiple departments together to work toward a collective goal.
DGR: Any fun facts/interesting personal notes you would share, on hobbies, interests, personal accomplishments that other B2B peers may find interesting?
SW: In the past year, we have faced our second acquisition in two years. In 2015, we were acquired by NetSuite and then in late 2016, NetSuite was acquired by Oracle. The disruption and change that comes with acquisitions impact our team members in a very personal way. It is common for companies to lose a lot of their key talent and their sense of identity and direction during that time. I am very proud to be part of the executive team that kept our company focused on the future with a clear mission and direction that everyone shared. We faced a lot of bumps in the road but worked closely together as a team to help each other through the hurdles, so that we could continue to be successful as a company. While we have new ownership, the core of Bronto remains true to the founding principles which guide our daily activities.
To learn more about Wall and the rest of the inaugural class of B2B Innovators, immerse yourself in this interactive awards report.
