How a CRO/Operating Partner Helps Portfolio Companies Drive Growth and Increase Commercial Value with Sherri Sklar

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of speaking with Sherri Sklar,  a seasoned tech growth strategist and Chief Revenue Officer, while also an Operating Partner at Edison Partners, which a growth equity firm. Sherri partners with Boards, CEOs, and executive leaders to help them build, scale and optimize their sales, marketing and customer success teams. 

In this episode we discuss:

• Strategies for effectively aligning sales and marketing efforts.
• How she first added Operating Partner to her CRO title 
• The significant role her network track record of success has played  
• The value of assessing talent and recruitng the best
• There sponsibilities of a CRO/Operating Partner 
• Key metrics for gauging and optimizing success.
• Valuable insights into fostering a robust sales culture.
• All that and more.

Tune in and enjoy the episode.

Sherri's Linkedin Profile

Sherri Sklar's expertise (00:01:02)
Overview of Sherri Sklar's expertise and career in tech growth strategy and revenue leadership.

Defining the role of an operating partner (00:02:07)
Explanation of the role and purpose of an operating partner at a private equity firm.

Operating partner expertise areas (00:04:10)
Discussion of the different function areas besides go-to-market that operating partners may focus on.

Transition to operating partner role (00:09:24)
Sherri Sklar's transition from Chief Revenue Officer to operating partner and the circumstances leading to it.

Networking and career opportunities (00:10:56)
The role of networking and relationships in career opportunities and job referrals.

Impact on a portfolio company (00:13:29)
Sherris impact on a portfolio company's growth and success.

Strategic decision-making (00:16:31)
The process of making strategic decisions and conducting assessments for growth strategies.

Identifying common growth challenges (00:19:49)
Common challenges and areas for improvement in scaling companies, particularly related to identifying ideal customer profiles and aligning sales and marketing.

Transitioning from fractional CRO to operating partner (00:25:01)
The path from being a fractional CRO to becoming an operating partner at a private equity firm and the necessary qualifications.

The role of an operating partner (00:32:12)
The responsibilities and involvement of an operating partner in a private equity firm, including due diligence, creating plans, and being an advocate for portfolio companies.

Measuring success and impact on portfolio companies (00:34:52)
Evaluating success and impact in terms of enterprise value, growth, bookings, and retention, and the key levers to impact results positively.

Evaluating sales talent for portfolio companies (00:38:14)
The qualities and skills to look for in evaluating sales talent and the impact of getting the right talent on the commercial value of the company.

Coaching and leadership (00:51:15)
Sherri discusses the importance of coaching and leadership in developing both talented and struggling team members.

Building a great sales culture (00:54:33)
Sherri suggests a meaty question for the next guest about building a great sales culture and its impact on organizational success.