Why do sales, operations, and finance teams struggle to work together and how does that friction affect business growth and profitability? In this episode of the Simply Sell Podcast, Brian sits down with Laura Davila, a business leader with more than 30 years of experience across sales, marketing, operations, and general management, to discuss how companies can break down departmental silos and build a more profitable, aligned business. Laura has worked across multiple industries, including giftware, food service, construction, and industrial manufacturing. She also brings experience leading a PE-backed company and overseeing sales, operations, finance, HR, and multiple business units. Throughout this conversation, Laura explains why successful businesses need more than a strong sales team. They need aligned leadership, clear processes, shared KPIs, better communication, and a holistic approach to commercial growth and operational improvement. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: • Why sales, operations, and finance often clash • The 80/20 principle in business • Why salespeople frustrate operations • How sales can work better with operations • Why operations needs a commercial mindset • How finance can support sales • Credit management and customer payment terms • How to handle overdue invoices • How to build better cross-functional alignment • Fractional leadership and business consulting Questions answered - How can sales and operations teams work together effectively? - How can companies align sales, finance, and operations? - What is the 80/20 rule in business, and how does it improve profitability? - How can sales teams increase profit margins? - Why do sales and operations teams have conflicts? - How can finance departments help sales teams grow revenue? - What is the difference between revenue growth and profitable growth? - How can businesses improve cash flow and collect overdue invoices? - How should businesses identify and prioritize their most profitable customers? - What is fractional leadership, and when should a company hire a fractional executive? Chapters 00:00 Trailer 00:42 Introduction: Why Sales Must Work With the Rest of the Business 01:44 Laura Davila's 30-Year Leadership Journey 03:02 Moving From Sales Into Operations 05:04 What Makes a Company Truly Sales-Driven? 07:18 Why Departmental Silos Hold Businesses Back 10:10 Why Sales and Operations Clash 13:15 How Sales Can Make Operations More Effective 15:26 Why Operations Needs a “Get to Yes” Mindset 19:00 Aligning Teams Through Processes and KPIs 20:30 What Finance Needs From Sales 23:20 Building a Sales-Driven Credit Department 26:50 Why Sales Must Help Collect Overdue Invoices 28:26 Should Sales Influence Credit Limits and Payment Terms? 30:00 What Salespeople Do That Frustrates Finance 31:55 How Finance Can Help Sales Improve Performance 34:20 Laura's Consulting Firm and Fractional Leadership 37:00 How to Connect With Laura Davila ABOUT THE SIMPLY SELL PODCAST The Simply Sell Podcast explores sales leadership, business development, commercial strategy, and the practical lessons that help sales professionals and business leaders improve performance. If you're interested in sales management, operations management, finance, leadership, customer relationships, and profitable business growth, subscribe for more conversations with experienced business leaders. KEY TOPICS: Sales and operations alignment, sales management, cross-functional collaboration, business growth strategy, the 80/20 principle, profit margin analysis, finance and sales partnership, cash flow management, credit management, customer segmentation, fractional leadership, and business consulting. #SalesLeadership #BusinessGrowth #SalesStrategy #BusinessManagement #SimplySellPodcast
