Bridging the Gap between Enablement and Evangelism with Paul Norford

Sales enablement ensures your sales teams are well-prepared and efficient in their efforts.

Sales evangelism taps into the power of customer advocacy and word-of-mouth marketing.

Both are essential for a business's success by driving sales growth, enhancing brand reputation, and fostering customer loyalty.

Paul Norford, a seasoned enablement expert from Ivanti, delves into the dynamic world of enablement and evangelism in the tech industry and how the two functions are related. In this episode, we discuss the transformative power of revenue enablement, emphasizing the human aspect, storytelling, and adaptability as key drivers of success. Join us as we explore how Paul's innovative strategies help technical sellers and channel partners excel, pushing the boundaries of traditional enablement.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Paul Norford:

• Blend enablement and evangelism: It’s important to seamlessly integrate the roles of enablement and evangelism within a tech organization. By starting with external audiences and making content engaging, companies can later adapt and refine these materials for internal teams, ultimately achieving better results.
• Measure beyond tangibles: Paul challenges the notion that everything in enablement must be quantifiable. He highlights how focusing solely on easily measurable metrics can stifle innovation and limit growth potential. By embracing immeasurable aspects such as relationship building and networking at events, companies can tap into valuable opportunities that traditional metrics might overlook.
• Nurture innovation: Organizations should explore adjacent industries and areas to discover common threads and inspiration for enablement strategies. By looking beyond their immediate sphere, businesses can gain fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that can be adapted to their own industry. Ultimately, it helps them stay ahead of the competition and drive success in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Jump into the conversation:

[11:06] Combining enablement and evangelism roles within a tech organization

[13:38] Start with external audiences and later adapt content for internal teams

[18:00] S.L.A.C.C.A.: space, light, audio, camera, clothing, and accessibility

[21:18] The value of enablement beyond tangible metrics

[23:19] The art of telling a good story

[30:33] Building trust within teams, fostering innovation, and looking beyond your industry

[34:42] Heather and Steve’s key takeaways from their conversation with Paul

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Learn more about Paul Norford and his work as an enablement evangelist on his YouTube channel.
• Read about how to evangelize and champion sales enablement within your own organization on Seismic’s blog. 
• Want more conversations like these, but live and in person? Join us at Shift 2023 in sunny San Diego from October 23 - 26!
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic at gotomarket-magic.com.