managing-marketing-ops
Marketing Ops & Tech Stack
Overview
Marketing Ops is the operational backbone that makes every other marketing skill run. This skill builds the tech stack, CRM infrastructure, automation workflows, RevOps alignment, and AI agent deployments that turn strategy into repeatable execution.
When to Use
- CRM is partially configured, inconsistently used, or full of duplicates
- Lead routing is manual and leads sit for hours or days
- Marketing, sales, and finance each report different numbers
- Tools are disconnected with CSV exports and manual data entry
- No documented SOPs for campaigns or lead management
- Lead scoring does not exist or reflect actual buyer behavior
Don't use when: CRM is clean and trusted, lead routing is automated under 1-hour SLA, SOPs are documented, and tools are integrated with validated data flows.
Quick Reference
| Phase | Duration | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Tech stack audit and blueprint | Day 1-5 | Tool inventory, target architecture |
| CRM setup and data infrastructure | Day 6-10 | Lifecycle stages, data quality standards |
| Automation workflow build | Day 11-18 | Lead routing, nurture, onboarding, reporting |
| Integration architecture | Day 19-22 | Integration map, data flow validation |
| RevOps alignment | Day 23-25 | Shared definitions, SLAs, feedback loops |
| SOPs and AI agent deployment | Day 26-30 | Process docs, AI agent playbook |
Core Deliverables
- Tech Stack Audit and Blueprint -- Tool inventory plus target architecture
- CRM and Data Infrastructure -- Lifecycle stages, scoring, data quality
- Automation Workflows -- Lead routing, nurture, onboarding, reporting
- Integration Architecture -- Tool connections and data flow validation
- RevOps Alignment -- Shared definitions, SLAs, feedback loops
- Marketing SOPs -- Campaign, lead management, reporting checklists
- AI Agent Playbook -- Routing, reporting, cleanup, personalization agents
Common Mistakes
- Buying enterprise tools for startup problems
- Automating a broken process (fix process first)
- Skipping CRM hygiene (bad data compounds monthly)
- Integrating everything to everything
- Letting tools drive process instead of defining process first
- Teams using different definitions for the same terms
- Ignoring lead score decay
- Going live without testing the full lead flow
Integration
Feeds into: Loops back to all skills as operational infrastructure
Refresh: Tech stack audit quarterly. CRM cleanup monthly. Scoring and automation audit quarterly. Integration check monthly. Full ops assessment every 6 months.
See workflow.md for detailed phase-by-phase execution, tech stack blueprints by ARR level, CRM setup checklists, automation workflow diagrams, integration maps, and SOP templates.