Most small business owners in Brisbane feel like they’re juggling three different businesses: one that finds leads, one that sells to them, and one that does the work. A Revenue Operations (RevOps) Playbook is the 'source of truth' that connects these silos, ensuring your marketing, sales, and customer service teams are all reading from the same script to drive consistent growth.
Why this matters for your business
In the Australian market, where competition is fierce and customer acquisition costs are rising, you can't afford 'leaky buckets.' If your marketing team is bringing in leads that your sales team thinks are rubbish, or if your accounts team doesn't know what the sales team promised the client, you're losing money. This guide will help you build a manual that fixes those gaps.---
What you’ll need before starting
- Access to your tech stack: Login details for your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive), email marketing tools, and accounting software (Xero or MYOB).
- Your team (even if it's just you and a VA): You’ll need input from whoever handles the 'front of house' and 'back of house.'
- A quiet afternoon: This isn't a 5-minute job. Grab a flat white and settle in.
- A blank document: Google Docs or Notion works best so you can share it easily.
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Step 1: Define Your Customer Lifecycle
Before you write a single 'rule,' you need to map out the journey a customer takes with you. In RevOps, we don't just look at 'leads'; we look at the whole lifecycle.
What you should do: Create a table or flow chart that defines these stages for your specific business:- Awareness: How do they find you? (e.g., Google Search, Brisbane Networking events).
- Lead: They’ve given you an email address.
- MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead): They’ve shown intent (e.g., downloaded your pricing guide).
- SQL (Sales Qualified Lead): You’ve checked their ABN, confirmed they have the budget, and they’re ready for a chat.
- Opportunity: You’ve sent a proposal or quote.
- Customer: The invoice is paid.
- Evangelist: They’re referring other local businesses to you.
Pro Tip: This is where most people get stuck because they try to make it too complex. Keep it simple. If you’re a solo operator, your 'MQL' might just be someone who filled out your contact form.
Step 2: Set Your 'Handover' Rules
This is the most critical part of the playbook. Friction usually happens at the handovers—specifically between Marketing and Sales.
The 'Definition of Ready' (DoR): Write down exactly what data must be present before a lead moves from Marketing to Sales. Example:* A lead isn't a 'Sales Lead' until we have their Phone Number, Business Name, and Industry. The 'Service Level Agreement' (SLA): How fast does the next person need to act? Example:* "All website enquiries must be called within 4 business hours." Screenshot Description: Imagine a simple table in your document with three columns: 'Trigger Event', 'Action Required', and 'Responsible Party'. It looks clean and leaves no room for 'I thought you were doing that' conversations.Step 3: Audit Your Tech Stack (The 'Single Source of Truth')
RevOps fails if your data is scattered across Excel sheets, Post-it notes, and your Gmail inbox. Your playbook must dictate where data lives.
Common observation: Many Aussie small businesses use Xero for invoicing but keep their leads in a separate spreadsheet. This is a recipe for disaster. In your playbook, list your tools:- CRM: (e.g., HubSpot) – This is the 'Brain.'
- Communication: (e.g., Slack or Teams).
- Finance: (e.g., Xero) – For tracking actual revenue.
Step 4: Standardise Your Data Entry
If one person enters a phone number as 0400 123 456 and another enters it as +61 400 123 456, your CRM might struggle with duplicates.
- How do we name deals? (e.g., [Client Name] - [Service] - [Month/Year])
- What fields are 'Required' before a deal can be moved to 'Closed Won'?
Warning: Don't go overboard with 50 required fields. Your sales team will hate you and they'll start entering 'asdf' just to bypass the system. Stick to the 5 essentials.
Step 5: Document the Sales Process
Don't leave it up to 'vibe.' Write down the steps to close a deal.
- Discovery Call: (Attach your standard list of questions).
- The Pitch/Proposal: (Link to your Canva or Proposify template).
- Follow-up Sequence: (e.g., Call at 48 hours, Email at 7 days).
- Contract/Deposit: (How do we handle the ABN check and initial invoice?)
Step 6: Define Your North Star Metrics
How do you know if the 'Revenue Engine' is actually working? Your playbook needs a 'Reporting' section. For a Brisbane small business, I recommend tracking these four:
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): How much did that Facebook ad and the salesperson's time actually cost to get one client?
- Conversion Rate: What % of leads become paying customers?
- Sales Velocity: How many days does it take from the first click to the first dollar paid?
- Churn Rate: Are people leaving as fast as they’re arriving?
Step 7: The Feedback Loop (The 'Quarterly Tune-up')
Your playbook is a living document, not a museum piece. Google changes its algorithms, and the Brisbane market fluctuates (hello, Olympic construction!).
Schedule a 'RevOps Review': Once every 90 days, sit down with your lead/sales person and ask: "What part of our process is annoying?" or "Where are we losing people?" Update the playbook accordingly.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making it too long: If it's 50 pages, no one will read it. Aim for a 'Quick Start' version that's 5 pages max.
- Ignoring the 'Customer Success' side: RevOps doesn't stop when the sale is made. Include how you onboard the client so they stay for years.
- Buying software to fix a broken process: A CRM won't save you if your process is messy. Fix the process on paper first, then automate it.
Troubleshooting
- "My team isn't using the CRM": This is usually because the CRM is too hard to use. Simplify your fields. If it’s still an issue, make the CRM the only way they get paid commissions.
- "The data in my reports looks wrong": Check your 'Close Dates.' Most people forget to update these, which ruins your monthly forecasting.
- "We have too many leads but no sales": Your 'MQL' definition is likely too loose. Tighten your criteria—maybe add a qualifying question to your website form like "What is your monthly budget?"
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Next Steps
- Draft your Lifecycle Stages: Start with Step 1 today. It only takes 20 minutes.
- Audit your CRM: Look at your last 10 deals. Is the data consistent?
- Need a hand? Building a full RevOps engine can be overwhelming when you're busy running a business. If you want a professional to map this out for you, contact the team at Local Marketing Group. We specialise in helping Aussie businesses align their tech and tactics for growth.