DevRel Is Sales  Full Document Contents/Articles/DevRel Is Sales.md, DevRel Is Sales, Tessa Kriesel. > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [#DevRel, #Sales, #DeveloperAdvocacy, #BusinessStrategy] > - DeveloperRelations > - SalesAlignment > - BusinessGrowth > Author: [Tessa Kriesel] > Source: [TessaKriesel.com](https://www.tessakriesel.com) > Reference: [DevRel is Sales](https://www.tessakriesel.com/devrel-is-sales/) > date created: 2024-09-14 17:45 > > # Title: DevRel is Sales > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## Table of Contents: 1. [Introduction](#Introduction) 2. [DevRel as Sales](#DevRelAsSales) 3. [Why Developer Relations Should Align with Sales](#WhyAlignWithSales) 4. [Measuring Success in Developer Relations](#MeasuringSuccess) 5. [Conclusion](#Conclusion) ### References: - Tessa Kriesel’s blog post: "DevRel is Sales" - Additional sources on Developer Relations and Sales Integration ## 📝 Summary: In "DevRel is Sales," Tessa Kriesel argues that Developer Relations (DevRel) is inherently aligned with sales efforts. Despite misconceptions that DevRel is purely about community-building or education, the author highlights how effective DevRel leads to business growth through indirect sales. This article calls for stronger alignment between DevRel teams and sales departments to create cohesive strategies that benefit both developers and companies. ## 📖 Main Content: ### DevRel as Sales Tessa Kriesel posits that **DevRel professionals** often hesitate to accept that their role ties into sales, largely because they focus on community engagement, product feedback, and education. However, by building meaningful relationships with developers, DevRel professionals **drive product adoption**—a key metric that influences sales. The value DevRel brings often results in converting engaged developers into customers, making it an essential but indirect part of the sales funnel. ### Why Developer Relations Should Align with Sales Kriesel emphasizes that **aligning DevRel with sales** doesn't mean compromising the integrity of developer communities. Instead, it means understanding how DevRel efforts support the company’s bottom line and how sales teams can leverage developer feedback and relationships to close deals. She suggests creating feedback loops between DevRel and sales to track **community-driven impact on revenue**. ### Measuring Success in Developer Relations To measure the effectiveness of DevRel, Kriesel suggests tracking metrics such as **developer engagement**, product adoption, and the influence of DevRel activities on **lead generation and conversions**. She also recommends integrating these metrics with sales data to showcase the tangible impact DevRel has on business outcomes. ### Conclusion DevRel professionals should embrace their role in driving sales indirectly and seek stronger collaboration with sales teams to maximize impact. The key takeaway is that **DevRel and sales are not opposites**, but complementary functions within the organization. ## 🗒️ Notes - **DevRel as Sales**: While not a traditional sales function, DevRel leads to product adoption and customer conversion, making it a vital sales component. - **Sales Alignment**: Creating a feedback loop between DevRel and sales can help quantify DevRel’s impact on revenue. - **Measuring Success**: Track developer engagement, product adoption, and how DevRel influences sales conversions. ## 📖 References: - [DevRel is Sales by Tessa Kriesel](https://www.tessakriesel.com/devrel-is-sales/) - Additional research on the integration of Developer Relations and Sales strategies ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. Kriesel suggests that while many DevRel professionals resist the idea of their work contributing to sales, the reality is that building relationships and engaging developers often leads to product adoption, indirectly contributing to the company's revenue. 2. She also argues that DevRel should actively align with sales teams by sharing insights gathered from developer communities to help sales better understand the product’s value from a technical perspective, making it easier to close deals. ## 📰 Newsletter: 📢 **Is DevRel the New Sales?** In the latest from Tessa Kriesel, she makes a compelling argument: Developer Relations (DevRel) is not just about community or education—it’s an integral part of sales! When DevRel professionals build relationships with developers, they drive adoption, which often leads to sales. Kriesel encourages a stronger alignment between DevRel and sales teams to create better feedback loops and track community impact on revenue. Curious about how DevRel supports sales? Read more [here](https://www.tessakriesel.com/devrel-is-sales/). ## ✅ Action Items: The insights in this article are highly relevant to my focus on **open-source advocacy** and **community engagement**. As a Developer Advocate at GoDaddy, fostering meaningful relationships with developers is crucial, but it is equally important to understand how these relationships contribute to broader business goals, including sales. This article reinforces the need for **collaborative efforts** between DevRel and sales teams, which aligns with my ongoing efforts to support sustainable funding solutions in the **open-source ecosystem**. This perspective also contributes to my aspiration to become an OSPO director, where understanding the business impact of community-building will be vital. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Aligning DevRel with sales efforts will lead to measurable increases in product adoption and revenue. - Developers' trust in the company can be leveraged to increase conversions without feeling like a hard sales push. ### 📊 Methodology: To explore these hypotheses, a **comparative study** between DevRel activities and sales performance over time could be conducted. Track the **adoption rate** of products after community events, workshops, or developer outreach efforts, and compare this data with sales metrics to determine correlation. ### ❓ Questions: - How can DevRel teams maintain authenticity while aligning more closely with sales objectives? - Could aligning too closely with sales damage trust within developer communities? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Investigating how to balance the **community-first approach** with sales goals in a way that preserves the integrity of DevRel. - Analyzing how **different business models** (e.g., SaaS vs. open-source) affect the relationship between DevRel and sales. ### 💡 Implications: Future research in this area could redefine the roles of DevRel and sales in tech companies, potentially leading to more **integrated business models** where developer engagement is directly linked to revenue growth. This could also provide insights into **better metrics** for evaluating DevRel success beyond traditional community metrics. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: 1. **Visual Learners (Spatial)**: - **Present**: The blog post includes charts showing DevRel and sales alignment. - **Improve**: Adding **infographics** would help visualize the impact of DevRel on sales metrics. 2. **Aural Learners (Auditory-Musical)**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: A **podcast** version of the blog would allow auditory learners to engage more easily. 3. **Verbal Learners (Linguistic)**: - **Present**: Rich, descriptive language explaining the concepts of DevRel as sales. - **Improve**: Adding more **examples** from real-life scenarios could enhance understanding. 4. **Physical Learners (Kinesthetic)**: - **Present**: None. - **Improve**: Create an **interactive workshop** or exercises to simulate DevRel activities that lead to sales outcomes. ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - **Screen Reader Compatibility**: The website has **alt-text** for images, but could improve by ensuring all charts have detailed descriptions. - **Keyboard Navigation**: Basic keyboard navigation is present, but **improving keyboard shortcuts** for navigating between sections would enhance accessibility. - **Contrast and Readability**: The text has sufficient contrast, though the blog could improve by offering **customizable font sizes** for visually impaired users. ### 🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment: - **Cultural Relevance**: The article doesn't mention global or cultural perspectives, but **adding international case studies** could broaden its appeal. - **Inclusive Language**: The blog uses **gender-neutral language** throughout. - **Neurodiversity Support**: Content is structured in concise paragraphs, making it easy for neurodiverse individuals to process. - **Representation**: The article doesn't mention **specific underrepresented groups**, which could be improved by incorporating more diverse voices or examples from marginalized communities. ### ✅ Logical validity: **Strong Deductive Reasoning**: The argument that DevRel contributes to sales is well-structured, with clear examples demonstrating how product adoption correlates with DevRel efforts. **Hasty Generalization**: The article might overgeneralize by assuming that **all DevRel teams** can and should align with sales, without considering companies with different business models. To improve, it could address more **nuanced cases** where sales integration might not be ideal. ### 🔍 SEO Evaluation: 1. **Keywords**: Good use of keywords like "DevRel", "sales alignment", and "developer relations." 2. **Meta Description**: Concise and includes relevant keywords but could better summarize the core argument. 3. **Headers**: Well-structured, but headers could include **more keyword variation**. 4. **Content Length**: The article length is appropriate but could delve deeper into **case studies**. 5. **Image Optimization**: Proper use of **alt text** for all images. 6. **Mobile Optimization**: Fully responsive for mobile devices. 7. **User Engagement**: Engaging content, but **more calls to action** (e.g., asking for feedback) would encourage longer time spent on the page. ## 🎯 Conclusion: Tessa Kriesel's article provides valuable insights into the often-overlooked sales potential within DevRel. By advocating for better alignment between **developer relations** and **sales**, the piece highlights how these teams <!-- deep-read:sections end --> ## Highlights - Are we traditional sales? Absolutely not. However, DevRel's efforts and relations do contribute to the company's total revenue. I know the true skeptics are ready to fight me in the comments, but DevRel teams are influential to a company's revenue. The whole premise of developer relations is to leverage developer peers to engage with developers because they don't want anything to do with a salesperson or a marketing campaign. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j7pr169d1g4x1683tnhj79p2)) - If your team is reporting DQLs (DevRel Qualified Leads), reporting revenue-influenced should be fairly easy. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j7pr1byt5wddrf687g9hte5f)) - Note: Q: what is dql? expand greatly on this. A: DQL, or DevRel Qualified Leads, are potential customers identified by Developer Relations teams as having a higher likelihood of converting into paying customers due to the influence and engagement of DevRel activities. Unlike traditional sales metrics, DQLs reflect the unique role of DevRel in fostering relationships, providing technical support, and creating valuable content that resonates with developers, ultimately leading to increased revenue for the organization. Tracking DQLs allows DevRel teams to measure their impact on the sales pipeline and demonstrate their contribution to the company's bottom line, which is essential for securing their position within the organization.