Remember those times in school when you’d pay literally zero attention to what was going on for 47 minutes straight, and then out of nowhere the teacher would say, “If you hear nothing else today, make sure you hear this. This is the really important part.”?
Well, this is sort of like that.
If you have been trying to grasp the importance and function of RevOps, but have been kind of nodding off anytime it was explained…
Make sure you hear this, this is the really important part! Why? Because if you're not doing the following, then you’re not doing RevOps. And companies that deployed RevOps grew revenue 3x faster than those that didn't.
Watch the full video series: RevOps Summer School - with Matt Bolian
Why Traditional Revenue Models Fail (and Are Costing You Growth)
Every business wants sustainable revenue growth, but most are using outdated customer journey models that fail to leverage customer data effectively and don’t align with modern business goals for long-term profitability.
The Sales Funnel? It stops at closed-won, failing to track revenue beyond the initial sale.
The Flywheel? It focuses on engagement but lacks clear, trackable data points for optimization.
The Missing Piece? A Data-Driven Revenue Engine
72% of RevOps teams identified revenue growth as their primary metric for success; but most companies can’t pinpoint their revenue problems because they don’t have a scientific way to measure them in real time or align them with an efficient management system.
You need a model that provides:
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End-to-end visibility from lead to renewal.
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Data-driven decision-making at every stage.
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Revenue optimization through repeatable, trackable processes.
This is where the Bowtie Model comes in.
The Bowtie Funnel
Want a full breakdown of how the BowTie Model works? Download this guide here for a visual representation of how it optimizes the entire revenue lifecycle.
How it Works
Growth Phase (Left Side) → Customer Acquisition
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Awareness → Potential customers discover your brand.
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Education → They consume content and explore your offering.
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Selection → They engage in sales conversations and move toward purchase.
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Commitment → The deal is closed, and they become a paying customer.
Retention & Expansion Phase (Right Side) → Post-Sale Revenue Growth
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Onboarding → Customers get activated and experience quick wins.
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Achieving Impact → They see measurable value from your solution.
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Recurring Impact → They renew, expand, and deepen their engagement.
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Maximum Impact → They reach full revenue potential through expansions and advocacy.
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What Makes It Different?
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Full-funnel tracking → No more blind spots in post-sale revenue.
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Metric-driven decisions → Every stage is measurable with clear KPIs.
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Customer-centric focus → Moves beyond acquisition to long-term value creation.
Now, let’s talk about the four revenue levers that make this model work.
The Four Revenue Levers
Most businesses think growth = more leads. But if you’re not fixing leaks in your revenue engine first, adding more leads is just scaling inefficiencies, making it harder to generate revenue sustainably.
Here’s the correct order for maximizing revenue:
1. Retention: Keeping (and Growing) Existing Customers
The Problem:
Losing customers faster than you acquire them? Your growth is stalling because retention isn’t optimized, and you’re failing to strengthen customer experiences that build loyalty.
How to Fix It:
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Proactive Customer Success: Regular check-ins, health scores, and intervention playbooks.
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Better Onboarding: Guide customers through a structured process to reach first value.
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Engagement Monitoring: Use product analytics to identify risk factors before churn happens.
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Incentivized Renewals: Reward loyalty with exclusive benefits and discounts.
2. Conversion: Moving Leads Efficiently Through the Funnel
The Problem:
Plenty of leads, but they stall mid-funnel? You need to improve conversion by addressing pain points at every stage of the buyer journey.
How to Fix it:
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Refined Lead Scoring: Align sales and marketing so only qualified leads reach sales.
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Personalized Sales Processes: Use tailored messaging and account-based engagement.
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Faster Handoffs: Automate lead assignment and minimize friction between teams.
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Stronger Proof of Value: Build ROI calculators, case studies, and interactive demos.
3. Deal Size & LTV: Maximizing Customer Value
The Problem:
Strong retention but revenue growth is slow? Your deal sizes aren’t optimized, and you may not be effectively expanding revenue streams through upsells and cross-sells.
How to Fix It:
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Expansion Playbooks: Map out upsell and cross-sell opportunities in the customer lifecycle.
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Tiered Pricing Models: Charge based on value delivered, not just cost.
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Data-Driven Renewal Strategies: Use usage patterns to proactively suggest upgrades.
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Contract Optimization: Extend agreements, minimize discounting, and maximize renewal predictability.
4. Volume: Scaling the Funnel the Smart Way
The Problem:
Now that your funnel is optimized, it’s time to increase volume—but in a scalable way that reaches your target audience where they engage most, whether through social media, email, or direct sales.
How to Fix It:
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ABM & Multi-Channel Targeting: Focus on high-value prospects, not just mass lead gen.
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Optimized Demand Gen Strategies: Balance paid, organic, and referral traffic.
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Conversion-Optimized Landing Pages: Ensure every touchpoint is built for maximum engagement.
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Faster Lead Response: Speed to lead = higher conversion rates.
Time Metrics
Growth isn’t just about how much revenue you generate—it’s also about how fast you generate it.
Every transition between stages in the Bowtie Model has a time metric (∆t) attached to it.
7 Time Metrics
- Length of time before engagement is achieved (Δt1)
- Length of the prospecting campaign (Δt2)
- Time it takes to set up the meeting and convert it into qualified opportunity (Δt3)
- Sales cycle (Δt4)
- Time to live (Δt5)
- Time until a client has achieved the impact it’s aimed for (Δt6)
- Time to achieve penetration of account (Δt7)
These exist inside the volume metrics stages with a single time metric located between two volume metrics stages. This particular metric allows you to measure the length of a sales cycle, the time to live (how long does it take to onboard), and the contract length.
THIS is RevOps
If you’re not tracking Retention, Conversion, LTV, Volume, and Time Metrics, you’re doing it wrong.
RevOps gives you visibility, the Bowtie Model gives you structure, and the right levers give you growth by aligning your business model with repeatable, scalable revenue strategies.
If you just realized your RevOps setup isn’t cutting it, RevPartners can help.
Let’s get you on the path to predictable, scalable, and repeatable revenue.
