Sales Coach
Why Enablement shouldn't be a buzzword w/ Stephanie Middaugh
Thu Jun 15 2023Description
This episode explores the concept of enablement, its importance in sales organizations, and provides insights on career paths and community resources for enablement professionals.
Insights
Enablement is more than just onboarding or training
Enablement encompasses strategic guidance and support for sales teams beyond initial onboarding or training, and organizations should provide the necessary support and direction for success.
Building trust and defining enablement's role is crucial
To ensure the success of enablement, it is important to build trust with leadership and clearly define enablement's role within the organization.
Tying enablement to business objectives is important
By tying enablement efforts to actionable business objectives and providing data on results, enablement can gain support within the organization.
Regularly assess if enablement is still the right fit
Individuals in enablement roles should regularly assess if it is still the right career path for them, as budget cuts or layoffs may still occur despite doing everything right.
Connect with other enablement professionals
Networking with other enablement professionals can provide valuable insights and connections in the field.
Join Enablement Squad for a collaborative community
Enablement Squad is a community of enablement professionals that offers a collaborative space for sharing knowledge and seeking help.
Sharpen your skills and upskill while looking for a job
While looking for a job in enablement, it is important to continuously sharpen skills and upskill to stay competitive.
Participate in Enablement hackathons
Enablement hackathons provide a collaborative environment to share best practices and are being organized in various cities.
Subscribe to the sales coach podcast
Don't forget to subscribe or follow the sales coach podcast to stay updated and tune in for future episodes.
Keep leading, enabling, and coaching
The episode concludes with a reminder to keep leading, enabling, and coaching in your respective roles.
Chapters
Understanding Enablement
00:03 - 07:14
- Stephanie has a range of feelings about enablement, from being upset with how it's perceived to being excited about its potential.
- She started her career in deal desk order processing and sales operations before transitioning to sales enablement.
- Sales operations involves various pillars such as ensuring the sales force is up to date, managing territory planning and strategy, commissions, and tech stack.
- Despite being an English major and not liking math, Stephanie enjoys working with spreadsheets and data-driven tasks.
- Enablement shouldn't be a buzzword because it encompasses strategic guidance and support for sales teams beyond just onboarding or training.
- The lack of understanding about enablement leads to it becoming a buzzword in organizations that don't provide the necessary support and direction for success.
- Enablement is often stereotyped as only handling onboarding or training, which can lead to budget cuts during market shifts.
The Importance of Enablement
06:49 - 13:51
- Enablement is often seen as just onboarders or trainers, making it an easy budget cut.
- Enablement should be perceived as a strategic and defendable function that makes reps more productive and efficient.
- Enablement helps achieve business objectives by implementing new habits and identifying necessary changes in the organization.
- Building trust with leadership and defining enablement's role at each company is crucial.
- Tying enablement to actionable business objectives and providing data on results is important for its support within the organization.
- Sometimes, despite doing everything right, enablement may still face budget cuts or layoffs.
- It's important for individuals in enablement roles to regularly check if it's still the right fit for them.
Career Path and Community
13:27 - 20:04
- Double check if enablement is still the right career path for you
- Connect with other enablement professionals to gain insights and make valuable connections
- Sharpen your skills and upskill while looking for a job
- Join Enablement Squad, a community of enablement professionals with over 3000 members
- Enablement Squad provides a collaborative space for sharing knowledge and seeking help
- Enablement hackathons are being organized in various cities, offering a collaborative environment to share best practices
- Upcoming hackathons will be held in Austin, Salt Lake City, Boston, San Diego, and London
- Check out Enablement Squad's LinkedIn page or website for more information on hackathon dates and locations
Conclusion
19:47 - 20:04
- Thanks for listening.
- Thanks for taking your time to listen to this week's episode of the sales coach podcast.
- Please click on subscribe or follow depending on the platform you're listening to us on and tune in again next Thursday.
- Until then, keep leading.
- Keep enabling.
- Keep coaching.
- Bye for now.