In the multifaceted world of Revenue Operations (RevOps), proficiency in various tools and technologies plays a crucial role in defining career success. Among these, SQL (Structured Query Language) often emerges as a significant skill, especially given the data-driven nature of RevOps roles. 

SQL’s origins date back all the way to the 1970 and it remains arguably the most popular database querying language till date. Yes, don’t worry, it’s also quite future proof so at least for the next decade, AI won’t suddenly replace your SQL prowess. Check out the 2023 Stackoverflow developer survey results to alleviate any worry.

This article explores the importance of SQL in RevOps, its applications, and whether it can influence your career trajectory.

The Role of SQL in RevOps

SQL is a powerful tool used to manage and manipulate databases. In RevOps, where decisions must be backed by data, SQL provides the capabilities to retrieve, analyze, and report on data efficiently. Here’s how SQL can empower you as a RevOps professional:

Data Retrieval and Management

RevOps teams handle large volumes of data from various sources, including sales performance, customer interactions, and market trends. SQL helps in querying databases to pull specific data needed for analysis. It’s the cornerstone for those who need to consolidate and manage data effectively. The majority of companies rely heavily on SQL for database querying and there really aren’t many renowned alternatives on the market.

Performance Reporting and Dashboards

RevOps professionals are often responsible for developing reports and dashboards that provide insights into the sales pipeline, customer lifecycle, and business health. SQL skills enable the customization of reports to fit specific requirements, offering a deeper level of analysis and more actionable insights.

Enhancing Data-Driven Decision Making

With SQL, RevOps can perform complex queries and analyses, identifying trends and patterns that are not readily apparent. This capability supports strategic planning and helps optimize processes across sales, marketing, and customer success teams. It’s incredibly useful to help you glean insights which your peers might not be able to do so easily because they’re limited to the reporting they receive. 

Is SQL Essential for RevOps Success?

This is a big question I had when starting out and it’s what inspired this article. While SQL is undoubtedly beneficial, whether it is essential depends on several factors. Things like the specific role, the company’s technology stack, and the existing skills of the team all have an obvious impact. Here are some considerations:

Role-Specific Requirements

Some RevOps positions may lean heavily on SQL, especially those focused on data analysis and technical system management. In contrast, other roles might require only a basic understanding of data principles, with other tools and software taking precedence.

Company Tools and Systems

Different organizations use various tools that may or may not integrate SQL. For instance, smaller companies might use CRM and analytics tools that do not require direct SQL use, relying instead on built-in querying interfaces. Larger enterprises, however, may prefer a more hands-on approach to data management and data manipulation, where SQL skills are invaluable.

Team Composition

In teams where data management and analysis are spread across several members, having advanced SQL skills might be less critical if other team members already possess deep expertise. Conversely, in smaller or more streamlined teams, having multiple skill sets, including SQL, can be particularly beneficial.

Your Goal

RevOps have 4 essential pillars and while analytics skills are always useful to have, it’s important to consider your end goal. If enablement and tech operations are where you want to focus and your company relies solely on CRM data and reporting, you could get away with 0 SQL knowledge. Even so, I find it’s always a useful tool to have. It really helps build confidence, no matter how often you might need to put it into practice. 

Building SQL Skills for RevOps

The long and short of it is, SQL is probably not extremely critical for your success in RevOps because of the different career paths that RevOps offers. However, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with SQL and keeping up with daily practice for a few reasons.

1. It’s actually quite easy to pick up the basics
2. It’ll give you an immense sense of confidence, especially when applying for a new role
3. It’ll enable you to make more data driven decisions, which is the crux of RevOps
4. The resources to learn RevOps online are plentiful and practically free
5. It takes barely a few weeks of routined, deliberate practice to get the basics down
6. You’re much better off with a little effort and SQL proficiency over no effort and no SQL

Now say you’ve decided that SQL is important in your RevOps context. Great! Consider the following paths to build your proficiency:

• Online courses and certifications: Many platforms offer courses ranging from beginner to advanced levels in SQL. The two best options I would recommend are DataCamp and CodeAcademy. A simple Google search will reveal many more options, but I like these two because you can directly practice on the browser. No downloads needed.
• Hands-on practice: Applying SQL in real-world scenarios, such as through internships or projects, can enhance your understanding and skill level. Honestly, this hands-on experience is critical. Even a non-paid experience just to get to grips with SQL in the real world is worth it.
• Community learning: Participating in forums and study groups can provide support and deepen your SQL knowledge. However, the key as with most things in operations is practice and in 2024, there’s absolutely no excuse for not practicing if you genuinely want to!

 Alternatives to SQL in RevOps

As aforementioned, there are many ways to land a great job and have a  successful career in RevOps without SQL. For example, you might be lucky if your company solely relies on one of the following:

• Built-in analytics tools in CRM platforms: Many CRM systems come with powerful analytics capabilities that reduce the need for direct SQL querying.
• No-code data tools: Platforms like Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, and Google Data Studio can perform complex data manipulations and visualizations without requiring SQL knowledge.

However, the lack of SQL proficiency just limits your options and flexibility, so I’d still just expend a little effort and get the basics down. 

In some cases, learning other programming languages like Python or R might be more relevant as these languages can also handle data management and analysis effectively. But this is quite specific still, and taking a helicopter view, most can be seized with SQL.

Conclusion

SQL can be a powerful asset in a RevOps career, enhancing your ability to work effectively with data and drive decisions. However, its necessity largely depends on specific job roles and the technological environment of your workplace. 

That being said, It’s a massive part of a data driven function like RevOps and almost universally used. If you’re serious about RevOps, spending some time learning SQL is one of those unicorn no risk, low investment, high reward decisions.  As an example, every leader commenting on this post on Sharebord agrees that yes, soft-skills matter. However, don’t neglect hard data analytics skills (hello SQL!) is the universal advise.

If you’re struggling to decide, just create a 4 to 6 week learning program and get to it. Especially if you’re transitioning into RevOps, consider it a rite of passage. You’ll feel a lot happier, wiser and accomplished and the confidence boost is totally worth it.

If you’ve made it this far, you might as well take one more immediate step. Check out this post by DataCamp on SQL vs. PostgreSQL vs. MySQL. 🤓