The State of Sales Enablement

Since sales reps are “coin-operated,” you can expect higher performance if you pay them more, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy... Our guest in this week's episode is an expert in sales compensation having owned this sales performance lever for one of the biggest telcos in Australia, before he moved on to found, scale, and sell a sales compensation SaaS platform. He'll share what motivates sales reps, the mindset required to design effective compensation plans, and which stakeholders to consider. Please welcome the CEO of SalesGrid, David Marshall. Here are some of the questions we attempted to tackle:Is money really the primary motivator for sales reps from your experience?What are the factors to consider when designing a compensation plan?What makes a good comp plan? Is it simplicity or nuance?For sales enablers who want to orchestrate the development of a better comp plan, what does the stakeholder environment typically look like? Who is in charge, who contributes, who executes?Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode:Connect with David Marshall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-marshall-spm/Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

Our guest in this week's episode is a sales enablement pioneer. With over 30 years of experimenting with ways to increase sales effectiveness, he has paved the way for what is known as sales enablement today. He is extremely generous in the way he shares his knowledge which is reflected in his over 200,000 LinkedIn followers, his best-selling book, the Building Blocks of Sales Enablement, and the recently released online learning experience based on his book. In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, we speak to best-selling author and sales enablement legend, Mike Kunkle.This episode was originally published on 12/7/2021. These are some of the questions we're discussing:What are the building blocks of sales enablement?For smaller businesses and sales leaders, which building block should they be focusing on? What is a good starting point?How can sales organisations stop reinventing the wheel with sales enablement? How can they cover more ground in their profession?For organisations that fail with sales enablement, what do they have in common? What do they do wrong?What are your thoughts on revenue enablement and the move of involving customer success in the enablement space?What is the future of sales enablement?Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode.The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement learning experience: https://www.goffwd.com/blocks/Connect with Mike Kunkle online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekunkle/Connect with Felix Krueger online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website (subscriber exclusives can be found here) - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6

Enablers! It's time for yet another edition of This Month In Sales Enablement with all the resources you need to stay up to date with the Sales Enablement space including insights, events, jobs, and more! Brought to you by Devon McDermott and Felix Krueger.Subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletterKeep on scrolling for a list of this month's resourcesWarning: This episode contains mentions of a conference presentation about mental health issues and suicide risks. If these themes are a cause of concern for you, please consider reaching out to a local support service:USA - https://988lifeline.org/UK - https://www.spuk.org.uk/AU - https://www.lifeline.org.au/Insights/Events Trust Enablement Summit Must-listen episodes featuring conference speakers:Adriana Romero - Measuring Sales Enablement Effectiveness Crystal Nikosey - How To Establish A Learning CultureDave Lichtman - Enablement RecruitmentDevon McDermott - Effective Stakeholder ManagementJohn Moore - Elevating EnablementBritta Lorenz - Hybrid Sales And How Buyer Behaviour Will Change After The PandemicMalvina EL-Sayegh - Humanising SalesAaron Evans - Sales MethodologiesAlistair Davis - Effective Sales CommunicationAnna Rokina - Social SellingPooja Kumar - Sales Enablement In Southeast AsiaCheck out the upcoming edition of the Trust Enablement Summit here (January 24-26)SEC Summit SydneyPodcast episodes featuring conference speakers/attendees:Georgia Watson - Sales Onboarding Isaac Carroll - Performance Mindset Phil Cleary - Enabling Salesforce's APAC Growth Georgia Watson - Innovation in Sales Enablement James Fielding - Establishing A Sales Culture In Professional Services Organisations Ideas on how vendors can add more value at conferencesTalk about the state of the solution category Teach attendees the nuances of the solution category and who benefits most Stop tone-deaf pitches Run workshops on how to manage the adoption of the solution category Run workshops on how to do what they automate manually (opportunity to enable people with low budget and to showcase automation/integration benefits)Conference insightsSpecialized enablers in large organizations tend to crave greater influence There are fewer enablement roles in APAC New industries are pushing into enablement (such as banking, professional services)There are a lot of remote enablers Ongoing challenge to create awareness around the need for localized enablement approach Cultural sensitivities are worth considering when dealing with international sales teams Compensation structure can be aligned with corporate strategic pillars Enablers should encourage above-the-line thinking (positive and empowered)Workshop in a box approach can help small enablement teams achieve scaleThere is still a lack of focus on business metrics and impactJobsThe latest Sales Enablement Jobs (brought to you by Steffaney Zohrabyan)ArticlesSales Enablement Pro: Sales Enablement Analytics - SurveyCompanies Neglecting Customer Success Enablement Sales Enablement v Revenue Enablement Book ReviewsGames People Play (⭐⭐⭐) ProsInteresting insights into human psychologyUseful for stakeholder management and private interaction ConsNot an easy read Not sales specificCheck it out on AmazonSocial BuzzTo Send a Thank You Note, or Not to Send a Thank You Note Post Interview Bosses we remember

This episode was originally published in May 2022. Systems and processes are absolutely crucial for consistency in sales. Especially now that the sales tech stack is as complex as it has ever been... and probably ever will be. One can really understand how sales reps might feel overwhelmed when they're asked to navigate multiple platforms during a sales cycle. And that's precisely when Digital Adoption comes into play. Our guest in this week's episode is a digital adoption superstar, and she will share her top tips to support the human element of digital transformation in sales. Please welcome Cisco's Sales Enablement and Digital Adoption lead, Steffaney Zohrabyan. These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode:What is Digital Adoption and how does the function fit into the context of sales enablement? What are the most common problems you have solved as a Digital Adoption pro in the past? What are the most common mistakes businesses make when planning for the human element of digital transformation?How much technology is too much to handle for sales reps?Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode:Steffaney's LinkedIn Profile (follow for awesome content including the latest Sales Enablement jobs): https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffaneyzohrabyan/Connect with Felix Krueger online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website (subscriber exclusives can be found here) - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

This episode was originally published in July 2022. Salaries are the single biggest cost item when building a sales department. So how can revenue leaders maximise the return on investment? Our guest in this week's episode is a legend of the noble profession that is sales enablement and he shares his keys to effective talent development. Please welcome the best-selling author of Sales Enablement 3.0, Roderick Jefferson. These are some of the questions we discuss in this episode:- Salaries are one of the largest cost items for any sales department. How can businesses be strategic about developing talent to protect their investment in sales talent? - How can sales and sales enablement leaders go about analysing which capabilities and skills are required to execute a GTM strategy effectively? - What is from your experience the most effective way to structure skills assessments on an individual level? - Looking at all the levers available to nurture sales talent (such as onboarding programs, custom training, 3rd party training content, and coaching), how do sales and sales enablement leaders determine where to focus?- How can sales leaders strike a balance between personalised and scalable talent development, especially in large corporations.Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode:Roderick Jefferson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderickjefferson/Roderick Jefferson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roderick_j_associates/?hl=enRoderick's book - Sales Enablement 3.0: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Enablement-3-0-Blueprint-Excellence/dp/1736190911Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website (subscriber exclusives can be found here) - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

Enablers! It's time for yet another edition of This Month In Sales Enablement with all the resources you need to stay up to date with the Sales Enablement space including insights, events, jobs, and more! Brought to you by Devon McDermott and Felix Krueger.Watch the October live stream video recordingSubscribe to the LinkedIn newsletterKeep on scrolling for a list of this month's resourcesInsightsGeorgia Watson's thoughts on the cultural aspect of onboarding. Listen to the full interview.Dave Lichtman's thoughts on the challenge of asking the right questions when hiring enablers. Listen to the full interview.Paul Butterfield's thoughts on positioning sales enablement as a strategic partner. Listen to the full interview. Upcoming Events Events Trust Enablement Summit (Americas: October 25th EST (GMT-4); Europe/Africa October 26th CET (GMT+2); APAC October 27th AET (GMT+10))Sales Enablement Summit Sydney (Sydney, November 3-4th, 2022)JobsSteffaney’s job boardSteffanie White’s enablers in focusArticlesGartner - The Future of Sales Enablement What Makes a Marketing Center of Excellence? (possible positioning for Enablement)Linkedin for Personal Posts ReportsSales Training: 26 Topics to Boost Sales Team Performance Social BuzzEnablement Experience - Do you need to have been a seller? by Nick LawrenceIs Enablement getting in the way of selling? by Aaron EvansWhere to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website (subscriber exclusives can be found here) - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

We deserve a seat at the table with senior executive leadership" has become a battle cry of the sales enablement community. The recent downturn and associated lay-offs have shown that this seat needs to be earned and is certainly not given... Our guest in this week's episode has spent most of his career in sales and sales leadership which is why he understands the full enablement value chain. In our conversation, he breaks down what it takes for sales enablement to develop a laser-sharp focus on strategic business value creation. Please welcome the VP of Global Revenue Enablement at Instructure and the host of the Stories from the Trenches podcast, Paul ButterfieldHere are some of the questions we attempted to tackle: As a former sales leader and now enabler, how do you interpret the enablement function and how does it differ from other interpretations you come across? How has the recent downturn impacted enablement teams in the US market and what do most enablement teams that have experienced layoffs in common?What are your tips for enablement leaders who want to maximise the business value they create? Which steps are from your experience required to navigate the transformation from an activity-focused function to a strategic function that works closely with senior executive leadership?Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode:Connect with Paul Butterfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrbutterfield/Listen to the SES In the Trenches podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sales-enablement-society-stories-from-the-trenches/id1510380341Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

The old saying, “Time is money,” couldn’t be more true for ramping up your new sales hires as quickly and effectively as possible. That's why sales onboarding is always a hot topic in Enablement. In this week's episode, I'm joined by two experts who have previously designed high-performing onboarding programs. They represent the two ends of the spectrum of onboarding programs, the large-scale data-driven onboarding approach required in global enterprises and the fast-moving agile approach required in the start-up world. Please welcome IBM's Sales Enablement Leader for Australia, South East Asia, New Zealand, and Korea, Georgia Watson and Dandy's Head of Enablement, Devon McDermott.Here are some of the questions we have covered: What makes a good onboarding program?How can businesses that hire sales reps without existing solution category expertise strike a balance between product training and other onboarding content? How do you ensure that your onboarding programs remain effective and improve over time?How do you go about designing a program that scales but accommodates cultural nuances as well as personal learning preferences?What are some of the innovations in onboarding you've come across?What resources can you recommend to our listeners if they want to learn how to design cutting-edge onboarding programs?Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode:Connect with Georgia Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiawatson/Connect with Devon McDermott on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

The Sales Enablement discipline is experiencing astronomical growth around the world. A lot of businesses want to kickstart their enablement efforts but they are missing the sales enablement talent to make things happen. Our guest in this week's episode connects enablers and businesses in his daily work as a recruiter specialised in sales enablement. He'll share his unique insight into what it takes for sales enablement professionals to put their best foot forward in interviews and how businesses can make better hiring decisions. Please welcome the CEO of Enablematch, Dave Lichtman.  Here are some of the questions we've covered: - There is a lot of talk about redundancies in Sales Enablement right now. What is the state of the Sales Enablement talent market in 2022?- Based on the JDs you come across, has the profile of Sales Enablement talent evolved? - What is your advice to businesses that attempt to fill a Sales Enablement role for the first time? What does best practice in the recruitment process look like? - What advice can you give candidates to nail the interview process for SE roles? Here are some of the resources referenced in this episode:Connect with Dave Lichtman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelichtman/Dave's recruitment business, Enablematch: https://www.enablematch.com/Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g

Enablers! It's time for yet another edition of This Month In Sales Enablement with all the resources you need to stay up to date with the Sales Enablement space including insights, events, jobs, books, and more! Brought to you by Devon McDermott and Felix Krueger.Click here to watch the live stream recordingInsightsAlex Salop's thoughts on the difference between knowledge, skill, and behaviour. Listen to the full interview.Aaron Evans' thoughts on the difference between qualification, sales process, and sales methodology. Listen to the full interview.John Moore's thoughts on why diversity is no longer optional. Listen to the full interview.Stephanie Middaugh's thoughts on how healthy sales enablement communities thrive. Listen to the full interview.Sascha Dainat on what enablement can learn from the sustainability movement. Listen to the full interview.NewsQuiet Quitting & EnablementReturn to the Office SEC Award nominations are openBooksPitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every TimeStoryworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of StorytellingUpcoming EventsSES Experience (Atlanta, Sep 28-30)European B2B Summit (London, Oct 11–12)AntiConLX Global (Virtual, Oct 21)Trust Enablement Summit (Virtual, Oct 25-27)JobsSteffaney Zohrabyan's latest enablement jobsSocial BuzzSalesforce Launches Enablement Workflow toolWhen you finally meet with the right decision makerMike Kunkle's Newsletter - Building Blocks: Close Up!ReportsSEC Landscape ReportConnect with the hosts onlineDevon McDermott's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/Felix Krueger's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/Where to find The State of Sales Enablement:Website (subscriber exclusives can be found here) - http://thestateofsalesenablement.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-state-of-sales-enablement-podcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-state-of-sales-enablement/id1558307853Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g