When I look at a revenue problem, I'm rarely looking at the surface issue. Forecast misses, pipeline inconsistency, and execution gaps are usually downstream of something structural — how the process was designed, how the data flows, how decisions get made. My focus is on understanding the system before jumping to solutions.
Revenue challenges rarely appear in isolation. They tend to surface during specific moments of growth or transition — and they usually point to something structural underneath.
Leadership can't confidently predict what will close. Pipeline coverage fluctuates, deal slippage is common, and the number feels more like a guess than a signal.
What worked at $5M ARR is breaking at $15M. Processes are inconsistent, data is messy, and the team spends more time managing tools than moving deals forward.
Quota planning, territory design, ICP refinement, or comp changes are on the table — but the data doesn't confidently support the direction.
Pipeline reviews are inconsistent, forecast calls lack structure, and there's no shared operating cadence across sales, marketing, and customer success.
The company is between RevOps leaders, scaling faster than headcount allows, or needs experienced judgment without the overhead of a permanent executive. I occasionally make time for select situations when there's a strong fit, but most of my focus is on operating and sharing what I've learned.
Every situation is different, but the way I approach the work is consistent — understand the system first, then figure out where it's breaking, then decide what to fix.
Most situations benefit from a diagnostic before any action. I look at win/loss patterns, pipeline health, forecast accuracy, and system friction to understand what's actually happening — not what people assume is happening. This replaces guesswork with a clear baseline and surfaces the decisions that will actually unlock momentum.
I've built revenue operations from scratch, led teams through hypergrowth, and cleaned up failed implementations. The output isn't a slide deck with recommendations. It's a clear view of what's broken, what matters most, and what to do about it — in a form the team can actually use.
Some situations need a focused diagnostic before a major decision. Others need execution support on a specific problem — CRM cleanup, sales process design, or forecast system overhaul. Some situations require ongoing operational leadership. The approach follows the problem, not a rigid methodology.
The way I step into a problem depends on what's known and what isn't. Most situations follow one of three patterns.
Most common starting point
Before anything else, I try to understand the system — not just the symptoms. A focused diagnostic looks at forecast reliability, pipeline health, win/loss patterns, process gaps, and system performance. The goal is to replace assumptions with evidence and establish a clear baseline. No long-term commitment required.
When the priority is already clear
If the problem is well-defined — CRM cleanup, sales process design, lead management, or compensation modeling — I focus there directly. The focus is on addressing the problem directly and improving the system in a way the team can actually use. The emphasis is on separating signal from noise and fixing what actually matters.
For sustained operational leadership
For situations involving sustained growth, leadership transitions, or complex GTM transformation, I focus on building operating discipline over time — running rhythms, forecast calls, pipeline reviews, reporting, and cross-functional alignment. The emphasis is on creating clarity about what matters now versus what can wait.
The diagnostic almost always comes first — it creates the clarity needed to decide what's worth doing next.
"Aaron is exceptionally field-smart. He deeply understands how revenue systems actually work and translates that into practical, grounded solutions. He leads from evidence while earning the trust of the teams he works alongside."
— Chief Revenue Officer, B2B SaaS
"Aaron earned the trust of leadership and the field because his work translated directly into outcomes. He's not just theory — he executes."
— EVP of Sales & Marketing, B2B SaaS
If this reflects what you're seeing and you want a clearer view of what's actually happening in your revenue system, feel free to reach out at [email protected].
Or connect with me on LinkedIn.
No pitch. Just how I'd assess it and where I'd focus first.
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William Aaron Travis
RevOps & GTM Strategy
Serving SaaS, service-based, and mission-driven organizations
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© 2025 William Aaron Travis. All rights reserved.
William Aaron Travis