Sales Operations has been a fixture of go-to-market (GTM) teams in tech for over a decade. The function owns the CRM, optimizes the processes, keeps the data clean, and tracks the numbers to ensure the engine runs.
The need for Sales Ops have not changed, but the role itself has. This is largely in response to the economic and technological trends impacting the industry.
AI has revolutionized the technology sector in many ways, from revitalizing the market to redefining automation across GTM functions. The rise of agentic management within the GTM stack is enabling more streamlined sales motions and more efficient outbound execution.
However, this is also putting the future of Sales Operations into question. Diving further into our research, this blog examines recent shifts during the next stage of artificial intelligence tool management.
What Sales Ops Was Built For in Tech
Sales Operations emerged as a dedicated function during the rise of SaaS. During this period, GTM teams were shifting from field-based, Rolodex-driven sales to inside sales motions built around customer relationship management (CRM) software, structured targeting processes, and data-informed forecasting.
Sales Ops Managers took ownership of the infrastructure supporting the sales team. They optimized CRM configurations, designed territory and quota plans, built reporting dashboards, and created the process architecture that empowered a growing go-to-market team to operate at scale.
Throughout most of the 2010s, GTM operations was largely about connecting teams, tools, and data into a unified engine. Within that model, Sales and Revenue Operations (RevOps) Managers had clearly-defined roles.
As you can probably guess, however, AI has changed that.
How Sales and RevOps Evolved
The evolution of the go-to-market software ecosystem in previous years quietly expanded what Sales Ops was responsible for. This function became accountable for ensuring that increasingly complex GTM tech stacks (with CRMs, marketing automation platforms, enrichment tools, sequencing software, intent data providers, and analytics dashboards) delivered results.
Instead of running one or two core systems, Sales Ops Managers were now managing dependencies across many. Data integrity became harder to maintain as more sources fed into the CRM. Process optimization now required understanding how systems interacted, not just how individual tools functioned.
The operational bar for the role rose, but gradually enough that many companies didn’t notice the shift.
Revenue Operations emerged in response to this complexity, absorbing the data fluency and cross-functional scope that Sales Ops alone could not cover. Over time, the boundaries between the functions began to blur, reflecting how much the underlying work had already converged.
Where AI Agents are Changing GTM Ops
The introduction of AI agents into GTM tech stacks is reshaping the scope of the operations function. Sales Ops roles are increasingly evolving to a form of GTM engineering focused on managing and optimizing the performance of AI-driven systems embedded in the sales motion.
This shift is redefining the skills required to support and scale GTM teams, leading to rising demand for GTM Engineers (GTMEs). As companies continue to deploy AI at scale, the need for operators who can manage, refine, and extend these systems will only grow.
The core needs behind Sales and RevOps haven’t changed, but the role has. Teams are getting leaner, while systems are becoming more complex. That combination demands a broader, more technical approach to managing GTM systems, data, and workflows. GTM Ops is evolving to meet that need.
What the GTM Ops Shift Looks Like in Practice
Sales Ops Managers are not going to need to become Software Engineers. However, it is important to understand where GTM Engineering sits between these roles.
Employers expect GTM Engineers to have hands-on capability with automation platforms, data pipeline construction, and the configuration and monitoring of AI-driven workflows. They are expected to have this skill set is in addition to the strong CRM administration, process documentation, quota planning, and data analysis experience traditionally expected from Sales and RevOps Managers.
Experience with SQL and Python are also consistent requirements for most GTMEs. The ability to build, not just configure, is part of the profile.
This causes transition pains. Companies are increasingly asking Sales and RevOps Managers who have built strong careers on process discipline and tool administration to take on agentic AI integration as an extension of their existing duties.
These tasks include configuring agents, troubleshooting automated workflows, and ensuring that new AI tooling is connected to the rest of the stack. That is a materially different kind of work. Many teams are running into friction by attempting to layer it onto an ops function that wasn’t hired or structured for it.
How Sales Ops Need to be Restructured for GTM Engineering
RevOps is absorbing responsibilities that once sat within Sales Ops. This is happening as both functions converge around shared tooling and accountability for GTM data.
At the same time, some of this work is being elevated into a more technical role focused on managing the agent layer that sits above the CRM. The clean separation that once existed between operational role and technical roles is dissolving in environments where AI agents are embedded in the sales motion.
For companies still running traditional GTM stacks, the Sales Ops function looks largely like it did five years ago. This differs for those that have more heavily integrated AI-powered automation, where the gap between the classic role profile and the actual demands of the job has already opened up.
Build the GTM Operations Team Your Sales Motion Demands
The operations function at the center of your GTM team is changing. To navigate this shift successfully, your company will likely need to redirect your talent acquisition.
Betts Recruiting has helped thousands of tech startups scale go-to-market team-building over 15 years. Get in touch with our expert recruiters today and discover how we will help you scale your recruitment strategy for the age of AI agents.