Revenue Enablement Society - Stories From The Trenches

In this episode, Alex Berry, co-founder of 42AI an AI-powered company that revolutionizes customer insight discovery, joins me in discussing the transformation of go-to-market strategies. We discuss why Sales Development Reps (SDRs) must break out from the current hyper-specialization to succeed in the competitive sales environment.Alex shares his insights on how diverse backgrounds can help SDRs connect with customers on a personal level. He maps out a path to gaining a wider business acumen lens, which is critical to sales success. This episode provides ideas  for enabling and developing the essential traits that can set SDRs apart from the rest.Alexander Berry is the cofounder & COO of 42ai, the AI Analyst for Revenue Operations and the teams they serve. Alex founded 42ai last year with Hugh Hopkins, with the aim of reducing the significant burden on teams like Revenue Operations by using AI to perform a growing number of analytical tasks on their behalf. He has worked in Saas & Paas businesses for more than a decade, running sales, partnerships, enablement and operations teams in EMEA and the Americas.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

How do you balance the potential of AI to impact revenue generation, sort through the hype and be strategic in your deployment of AI? Join me as I sit down with Dayna Williams, and we peel back the layers of AI's role in the future of sales and delve into the intricate dance between leveraging cutting-edge tools and staying true to the timeless principles of sound business practices. We tackle the challenges faced by sales teams and explore how they can navigate the pressures of consistent performance while adopting a disciplined approach to innovation. Dayna shares her seasoned perspective on avoiding the pitfalls of jumping onto the latest tech trends without a game plan.Some of the actionable insights she shares in this episode:What's missing from the hype and the headlines?Elements of a readiness plan or blueprintWhere and how to beginDayna Williams is the author of "The Diligence Fix" which explores what happens when we strive for revenue growth. Her ideas come from advising sales leaders in the areas of internal communication, integrated training, change methodology and making customer feedback actionable. Dayna is also an experienced content and conference producer who lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and five rescue dogs.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Get ready to accelerate your revenue enablement success with insights from Forrester VP and Principal Analyst, Peter Ostrow. Recently Peter joined me to unpack the potential of AI to transform Revenue Enablement efficiencies and results. If your Sales Enablement budget is like most the team is understaffed and underfunded while juggling competing priorities.Listen now to hear how you can use AI tools you already own to maximize their impact on every facet of your enablement programs, from RFP analysis to tailoring pitch-perfect emails.Peter Ostrow is currently VP, Principal Analyst at Forrester B2B Sales. Peter capitalizes on 20+ years of revenue growth leadership in sales enablement, sales talent management, and operational expertise. Prior to joining SiriusDecisions and Forrester, Peter was a VP/Research Group Director for the Aberdeen Group, where he founded and was Principal Analyst for the Sales Effectiveness Practice, as well as overseeing research in marketing, customer success, field service and human capital management disciplines.  Prior to his analyst work, he was a long-time B2B sales rep, manager, and enabler.Since 2020, Peter has served on the board of directors of the Sales Enablement Society, the largest and only nonprofit organization dedicated to the sales enablement profession.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

In this episode with I discuss the critical partnership between Rev Ops and Rev Enablement with Sandy Robinson,  SVP of Revenue Operations and Enablement at Patra Corporation. Sandy shares her experiences and ways to unlock  the synergies between these two teams regardless of where they report. Some of the topics we covered:How Rev Ops and Enablement ideally partnerSuccessful change managementSystems selection and deploymentMetrics and reportingSandy brings over 20 years of experience in sales, leadership, training, enablement, and revenue operations to the industry. She has a proven track record of driving revenue growth and optimizing operations through data-driven insights and innovative solutions. She has led sales teams to exceed targets, developed go-to-market strategies, and implemented scalable processes to drive growth. Sandy's mission is to enable teams through intense focus on the complete customer buying journey related to systems, tools, training, and processes. Sandy enjoys mentoring younger women, helping them to navigate their careers, and setting an example for other women in her field.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

This episode I have the opportunity to sit down the new RES Executive Board President Gail Behun. She opens up and shares her thoughts and observations about:The current state of the revenue enablement professionHer 4 key revenue drivers for measuring the success of enablementObservations from the 2023 RES Experience and what's to comeHer priorities and vision for RES in 2024 and beyondGail Behun is a seasoned Sales Enablement leader, currently serving as the Director of Revenue Enablement at LivePerson, a global industry leader in AI-powered solutions. With an extensive career spanning high-growth SaaS companies, Gail has honed her expertise in sales and marketing roles, processes, methodologies, and business practices. Her approach to enablement is centered on building high-performing teams and ensuring comprehensive employee learning and development.  She thrives on connecting the dots innovatively and pioneering new initiatives in enablement, learning, sales, and operations.  Gail is not only committed to advancing her organization's goals but also to the broader enablement community's growth and success.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Have you heard of the "Tiger Seller Profile"? It's a concept and framework developed and used by Rodney Umrah during his years in sales, account management and enablement at IBM, Microsoft, NetSuite and in his current role as Head of Global Revenue, Partner and Customer Enablement.In this episode Rodney explains how to elevate your sales team's performance as we dissect the elements that transform good sellers into great ones, and how tailored enablement programs can act as a catalyst for widespread excellence. For example:Identifying the skills, tactics and techniques of a Tiger SellerWorking with HR and recruiting teams to elevate the hiring processIdentifying skills gaps and enablement priorities based on Tiger SellersAligning sales process stages to the strengths of Tiger SellersRodney Umrah has 26 years’ experience working in the global technology industry (software / cloud) at IBM, Microsoft, Oracle NetSuite, Xactly and Forcepoint. He has a wealth of experience in technical, sales, revenue, partner and customer enablement leadership roles. Rodney’s vision is to deliver enablement services globally that accelerate revenue growth and improve customer retention and satisfaction. Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Why do sales leaders undervalue their enablement teams? With all the conversations and opinions about how to measure and demonstrate  business impact are Enablement teams actually gaining credibility? Jerry Farr, founder of Sales Excellence Advisors, joined me recently and shared his unique insights on why sales leaders might still be undervaluing  their enablement teams and how Enablement leaders and teams can flip that perception.How do sales leaders really perceive the value of Enablement?Do Sales leaders hesitate to include the Enablement team in C-level meetings?How credible are typical attempts to measure Enablement impact?Is there a way to measure impact that actually resonates with executives.Jerry Pharr is a veteran sales enablement & operations leader at high-growth, tech companies. At varied companies like Outreach and Redis, he's architected and implemented a unique approach called Behavior-Centered Enablement, which is a systems-driven blueprint for delivering sales excellence at scale. He now coaches other enablement and operations orgs to improve sales performance by incorporating this framework. Jerry is one of the original founders of the Revenue Enablement Society, and is an advisor to multiple tech startups on their GTM and revenue operations strategies.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Ever wondered how to successfully make the shift from "doing digital" to "being digital"? In this episode Paul "Norf" Norford, VP of Global Enablement at Ivanti  enlightens us with his insights on this topic and discusses the usage of digital platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn for skill enhancement.What are the digital aspects of Enablement?Doing digital vs. being digitalUsing micro learning and JIT trainingLeading with storiesPaul ‘Norf’ Norford is the VP Sales Enablement and Chief Evangelist at Ivanti. He's super-passionate about helping people, partners and customers change the way they do business.  Norf brings vast industry knowledge, influence, insight, creativity and passion to drive the introduction and adoption of new solutions and services to increase supply chain and I.T productivity and operational excellence. Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Do you ever wonder about the intriguing intersection of AI and sales enablement? Join us as we sit down with Jonathan Carford, aka Coach K, the new head of revenue enablement for an exciting startup, Symmetric. Unravel the mystery between predictive analytics and true AI as Jonathan shines a light on their key differences and how to unlock the full potential of each platform to streamline your work and increase efficiency. Strolling through the futuristic world of AI application in sales, we marvel at the brilliant revolution it brings. Imagine having an interactive AI persona to practice your sales pitch or an AI assistant that researches job histories and companies for your presentations. We delve into the role of product marketing, enablement, and revops in developing customer personas and the prospect of AI generating innovative ideas. Not to mention, the potential of AI analysing 10ks for those who are not business school graduates.Finally, we round off the conversation with Coach K's experiences with AI auto-tagging in CMS systems - a game-changer making content management a breeze. Jonathan also shares his criteria for evaluating AI platforms and shares nuggets of wisdom on trusting your instincts and embracing failure. We discuss the subtle art of LinkedIn connections, providing valuable tips to handle requests. Be sure to tune in to this enriching episode on the future of sales enablement and AI. Join us and Coach K on this journey - you won't want to miss it!Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Discover the transformative power of a life brand in this episode with Irina Soriano, Vice President of Enablement at Seismic. Join us as we explore the concept of a life brand - one that transcends self-promotion, and instead, emphasizes service to others and contributing to the community. We'll hear Irina's  insights on how this unique approach to branding can significantly alter the perception of enablement professionals and leaders. She also opens up about her personal journey in enablement and the profound impact it has made on her life.What is a "life-brand"?Using your life brand to build confidenceLeveraging your life-brand professionallySafeguarding children's life-brandIrina Soriano is the VP, Enablement at Seismic, the leader in Enablement. During her 15-year career, Irina built several global Enablement departments across EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and the US from the ground up. She leads the NYC Wise (Women in Sales Enablement) chapter, is the author of “Generation Brand”, as well as a TEDx and keynote speaker.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Who doesn't love a great success story? This year the Sales Enablement Society Experience was held in San Diego and the theme was "The Enablement Evolution". For this episode I had the opportunity to sit down with 10 different Revenue Enablement pros and listen to their stories about personal and career Evolution. They shared great ideas that were new to me and I'm sure you're going to enjoy listening to them just as much as I did!Thank you Mike Simmons, Sheryl Buscheck, Jill Guardia, Amy Levine, Chuck Marcouiller, Fiona Simpson, Michael Galvin, Michelle Dieschbourg, Sandy Robinson and Laura Meister.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Get ready to unlock the secrets of successful SDR enablement with Brett Childs.. This episode sees us peeling back the layers of the often under-appreciated role of the Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), the true warriors at the frontline of the customer journey. Brett pulls back the curtain on his proven approach to enabling SDR teams, one that prioritizes tracking every step of the sales process and honing individual skill sets. He walks us through his system that includes watching the conversion ratios and behaviors, and using this data to pinpoint the needed skills for each individual. If you've been looking for ways to level up your SDR enablement game, this episode is what you've been waiting for. Brett has been called a lot of things, farmhand, video game salesperson, insurance agent, manager... but, if he had to pick his favorites, it would be teacher and coach. Nothing brings more joy to him than helping others succeed. His wife and children are his best friends and his goal in life is to experience as much of this amazing world with them as possible. His motto for  life? "Work hard, play hard!"Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

I recently sat down with the 4 newest members of the Sales Enablement Society Board of Directors to talk about the evolution of Sales Enablement and the Sales Enablement Society itself. Del Nakhi, Gail Behun, Mary Beth Hanifer, and Chris Kingman share their experiences, passions, and talk about the SES initiatives they're each leading. You'll hear Del talk about engaging members with compelling content while Gail is on a mission to strengthen our community. Mary Beth is leveraging her extensive experience in sales and enablement serving as our secretary, and Chris is working on a thrilling project with Johns Hopkins that you won't want to miss hearing about!Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

In this engaging session with Jenn Glabicky, she shares her innovative approach to collateral organization with an emphasis on the importance of sales and marketing teams working together to enhance the buyer experience.Together we unpacked:How collateral is viewed from both Marketing and Enablement perspectivesCreating a plan for organizing and reviewing collateralEnsuring cross-functional alignment during collateral auditsWhere collateral should live in an organizationJenn Glabicky's background in corporate sales and leadership expands over several industries including healthcare, sports, and finance. She has a proven record of success implementing enablement, marketing and leadership strategies to bolster top-line revenue. She is passionate about helping her colleagues & clients learn the sales and leadership strategies they need to succeed no matter what this marketplace does.When Jenn isn’t geeking out about enablement, marketing and company strategy, she enjoys putting her emergency medical technician license to good use by volunteering at large scale events such as hurricane disaster relief and the Boston Marathon. Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

On this episode my guest is Meagan Davis, the Director of Sales Enablement at Hunters. Please join us as she shares her experiences and perspectives on not just enablement for sales teams, but for also marketing, customer success, and sales engineering teams. She also introduces customer certification into the mix - a bridge that fosters empathy and shared experiences between the Go-to-Market teams, prospects and customers. Meagan underlines the significance of unearthing business outcomes, objectives, and the art of effectively passing sales notes to the customer success team. Meagan is a lifelong learner, a believer in the potential of PEOPLE, a marathoner – and a little known fact is that she was raised in Montana! She has hands-on experience: selling the business case for, building, leading, and optimizing Sales Enablement programs. She recently wrote and published, “How to Start a Sales Enablement Program,” a book for practitioners that codifies lessons learned through experience, and from the many exemplary leaders and mentors that she has had the privilege to work with.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Navigating sales enablement can be a labyrinth, but not when you have a strategic vision and the right metrics to guide you.  In Episode 57 we dive into a discussion about what separates operational vs. strategic Enablement and how to develop a data driven strategy that has measurable impact. Learn how to:Differentiate between operational and strategic EnablementUse metrics to understand what can be measured, influenced and controlledAlign your tech stack to support data driven strategic EnablementUse language to change the perceptions of EnablementBegin the transition from operational to strategic EnablementKieran Smith manages EMEA and APAC GTM Enablement & Productivity for Staffbase. As a skilled Enablement leader with over a decade of experience in sales leadership his focus is on designing and implementing sales enablement programs that increase team productivity and revenue growth. Kieran has a proven track record in developing sales strategies that are aligned with business goals and revenue outcomes. He has developed expertise in sales leadership and coaching coupled with a deep understanding of sales operations, sales methodologies, and sales technology.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Get ready to secure your seat at the table where business decisions are made as we unravel the important role of stakeholder management in sales enablement. We're joined by the always insightful Felix Kruger, a name synonymous with sales enablement, founder of FFWD, and the voice behind the popular podcast, State of Sales Enablement. We talked about:The importance of stakeholder management in EnablementEffective strategies for building strong relationships - even difficult onesHow to demonstrate value and impact to stakeholders to secure buy-in The importance of effective strategic communicationHow to avoid the most common pitfalls in stakeholder managementFelix has been a seller, sales enabler, and independent Sales Enablement consultant in organizations ranging from early-stage startups to billion-dollar enterprises.He is now the Chief Enablement Officer of consulting firm FFWD.Felix supports enablers around the world in adopting best practices with his podcast, The State of Sales Enablement, webinars, newsletters, and conference speaker assignments.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Are you navigating the complex landscape of tech-driven sales enablement? Join me as I chat with Priya Sachdev, founder of Sprouting Shoots, who sheds light on this often overwhelming topic and how to avoid the pitfalls of "shiny object syndrome." Learn from Priya's expertise on striking the perfect balance between technology adoption and practical application, as well as understanding the driving force behind the advancements in sales management technology.  During our conversation Priya shared her insights on:Why Sellers often hate technologyWhy the return on time invested can be very lowOvercoming adoption challenges such as underutilization and churnWhy the concept of a "best system" is a mythUsing technology to reduce sales frictionPriya's “ikigai” (purpose) is elevating the strategic importance of sales. For almost 3 decades she has partnered with business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs in the B2B space to drive effective sales strategy through customer engagement. She's worked with more than 250 midsize to large organizations, and managed teams from 5 to 1500.  Her key projects have been in the industrial, BFSI, tech services, SaaS, professional services, FMCG, automotive, healthcare, and medical equipment industries. Priya was listed as one of the “25 most influential women in India” by CEO Magazine in 2017 and “The 10 Successful Women to Watch For in 2018” by Insights Success. Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

In this episode discover the power of nurturing the whole person. Learn why motivation is the cornerstone of effective coaching and how each individual's desired work experience fuels it. We also cover the importance of equality in the workplace, especially concerning gender and motherhood. Listen in as we explore how embracing the whole person, understanding motivation, and striving for equality can unleash human potential and create a more fulfilling work experience for all.Phil Putnam is a listener, executive operator and enablement leader.  In his current role as VP of Sales Enablement at Notified, his days are spent leading and optimizing the skill base and employee experience of Notified’s global Sales team.  Having come into Sales Enablement after nearly 20 years in customer-facing post-sale roles  at organizations including Apple, Adobe and Sprinklr, his approach to sales skills and education is 1000% influenced by the realities of what happens after the signature, and taking ownership of how the sales experience sets a customer up for long-term success and ongoing renewal.     When he’s not lost down a PowerPoint formatting and animations rabbit hole, which he absolutely loves to be, he can most likely be found at home in New York City with his partner, watching shameless amounts of TV and annoying his dog with an overwhelming amount of cuddles.Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

Have you ever doubted your abilities and felt like a fraud, despite being very competent? Have you tried to help a friend dealing with feelings of inadequacy? If so you've likely experienced Imposter Syndrome which causes people to feel anxious and inadequate and affects their mental well-being. Learning to overcome it is a critical skill for sustained mental health.For this special Mental Health Month episode professional Imposter Syndrome Coach Alli Rizacos joins us to share insights into Imposter Syndrome and techniques that anyone can use to help conquer it. Listen in and learn about:👉 The root causes of Imposter Syndrome👉 Authenticity vs. Attachment👉 How to upgrade your personal "operating system"👉 Moving from self-criticism to building your inner leaderAlli had a 15 year career in sales at companies like Salesforce before leaving the corporate world in 2021 to start her own coaching business as an Imposter Syndrome Coach. She works with revenue leaders to overcome their imposter syndrome and upgrade their mental operating system so that their minds are working for them and not against them. Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.