As the scope of sales operations (SalesOps) expands, SalesOps professionals report dedicating 73% of their time to supporting non-sales functions, up from 39% in 2019, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.

A Gartner survey of 318 sales leaders in August and September 2022 sought to understand how SalesOps and revenue teams are supporting chief sales officers (CSOs) and the broader commercial engine. It revealed more than 70% of SalesOps leaders see science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and MBA skills, such as statistical analysis, stakeholder management, and analytic problem solving, as “slightly to much more” important for the future.

“The need for operations talent with strong analytical skills, business acumen and institutional knowledge is growing as SalesOps’ remit expands,” said Greg Hessong, Senior Director, Advisory in the Gartner Sales Practice.

SalesOps Increase Support for Non-Sales and Non-Client Functions

The survey found that SalesOps’ support time has shifted significantly over the past three years. In 2022, just 27% of SalesOps’ support time was allocated specifically to supporting the sales function, down from 61% in 2019. In 2022, the majority of time spent (68%) was allocated to non-client facing functions, including supply chain, enterprise analytics, finance, human resources and IT. 

“For many organizations, these shifts in support time are intentional as they transition to a revenue operations (RevOps) model, or prioritize cross-functional alignment to enable more effective workflows across previously siloed go-to-market functions,” said Hessong.

Data Visualization Expected to Remain a Top SalesOps Skill Through 2027

Skills that support analytical insights, such as data visualization and analytic problem solving, were identified as top priorities for 2023 as sales operations expands its ability to guide sales leaders and sellers on key performance drivers and decisions.

Project management, effective oral communication and sales compensation administration round out the top five most important SalesOps skills as the function takes on more strategic initiatives.

For SalesOps leaders who are looking even further ahead in their evolving team design, the skills that will be in highest demand five years from now are expected to change further still: Statistical analysis, application development, strategic planning and performance management were identified by respondents as skills that will be highly important in 2027.

Only one skill identified in the top five for 2023 is expected to remain a top five skill in five years: data visualization.

“In the future, sales becoming more data-driven will require bringing insights to life in order to guide strategic decisions and next best actions for maximizing revenue performance,” said Hessong.

Gartner clients can read more in “How Skills Are Changing in Sales Operations.”

About the Gartner CSO & Sales Leaders Conference

Sales leaders face unprecedented changes in B2B buying behaviors, customer expectations, technology and the talent needed to drive results. At the Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, taking place in Las Vegas, NV on May 16-17, 2023, sales leaders will learn from the latest research and Gartner experts covering sales talent, customer buying behavior, account-based marketing strategies and leveraging digital channels. Follow news and updates for conference on the Gartner Newsroom and on Twitter and LinkedIn using #GartnerSales.

About Gartner for Sales Leaders

Gartner for Sales Leaders provides heads of sales and their teams with the insights, advice and tools they need to address mission-critical priorities amid mounting pressures to drive growth through new and existing customers. With extensive qualitative and quantitative research, Gartner for Sales Leaders helps sales teams combat commoditization and price-based purchasing, develop critical manager and seller skills, elevate the value of sales interactions, unlock existing growth potential, and optimize sales force enablement. Follow news and update from the Gartner Sales practice on Twitter and LinkedIn using #GartnerSales. Members of the media can find additional information and insights in the Gartner Sales Newsroom.