Episodes
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Jonathan Kvarfordt, aka Coach K, sits down with Cory Bray, a prominent voice in the sales enablement space and co-founder of CoachCRM. Corey shares his candid thoughts on the current state of enablement, discussing its challenges, inefficiencies, and the need for a more streamlined approach. With years of experience in sales and enablement, Corey offers a refreshingly direct perspective on what works and what doesn’t in the industry.
Here are some of the questions Corey and Jonathan attempted to tackle:
What is Corey’s background, and how has his experience shaped his approach to sales enablement?What is the current state of sales enablement, and why does Cory believe it has become bloated?Why does Cory challenge the idea of sales enablement being a true "community" and what are the implications of this view?How does Cory differentiate between building and operating enablement functions, and why does he see this distinction as crucial?What is Cory’s approach to solving enablement problems quickly and effectively?How does Cory view the role of sales experience in leading an enablement function, and why does he believe it’s critical?What should enablement professionals focus on to prove the value of their work within an organisation?Tune in to hear Corey’s unfiltered opinions on the enablement landscape and his practical advice on making enablement more effective and results-driven.
Connect with Coach K: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
Connect with Cory Bray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/buy-triangleselling/
The Sales Enablement Playbook: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Enablement-Playbook-Cory-Bray/dp/1546744762
The Sales Management Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sales-management-podcast/id1631765942
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Coach K sits down with Christina Brady, CEO of Luster.ai, to explore the intersection of AI and sales enablement. Christina brings her extensive experience in sales leadership and enablement to the conversation, offering insights into the evolving role of AI in enhancing sales performance and training.
Here are some of the questions Coach K and Christina attempted to tackle:
How can AI be effectively integrated into sales enablement without overwhelming sales teams with too many tools?What strategies can be used to ensure that AI tools support, rather than replace, essential human elements in enablement?How can enablement professionals maintain control over the tech their teams use in the face of rapidly evolving AI tools?What does "perfect practice" look like in sales enablement, and how can AI facilitate it?Tune in to hear Christina's insights on leveraging AI to enhance sales enablement and her vision for the future of learning and development in the workplace.
Connect with Coach K: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
Connect with Christina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinapbrady/
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In this episode of Troubleshooting Enablement, Devon McDermott, aka EnableNerd, sits down with Eric Mingorance, Senior Director of Sales and Field Enablement at Zixi. Eric shares his vast experience, from working in media and tech to leading enablement teams in various capacities. They dive into the challenges of being a "Team of One" in enablement, offering practical strategies for managing workload, creating scalable programs, and maintaining effectiveness despite limited resources.
Here are some of the questions Eric and Devon attempted to tackle:
What has Eric's enablement journey looked like, and how has his diverse background shaped his approach?How can a one-person enablement team balance onboarding new hires and providing ongoing support to experienced reps?What strategies can be used to create scalable, customised enablement programs with limited resources?How can enablement professionals set boundaries and manage expectations with leadership regarding what can realistically be achieved by a small team?What role does an enablement charter play in setting the stage for success, and how can it be effectively used?How can enablement leaders leverage cross-functional collaboration and peer learning to scale their efforts and improve team performance?Tune in to hear Eric's insights on navigating the enablement landscape as a solo practitioner and how to drive meaningful impact within your organisation.
Connect with Eric Mingorance: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emingo
Connect with Devon McDermott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement podcast, Dannii Mathers sits down with Celine Gray, a seasoned sales enablement leader with over 25 years of experience. Currently serving as a sales enablement leader at Personio, Celine has also been recognized as one of the top leaders to watch and has delivered impactful keynotes at the Sales Enablement Collective.
During their conversation, Dannii and Celine dive deep into several key topics:
What are the critical gaps in how sales enablement is approached in organizations today?Who holds the responsibility for ensuring that sales leaders are properly equipped to coach and guide their teams?How can sales enablement professionals encourage sales leaders to be more actively involved in the enablement process?What are the most effective ways to measure the impact of leadership enablement?Why is it crucial to establish a strong alignment between leadership enablement and overall sales performance?Connect with Celine Grey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinegreypelissier/
Connect with Dannii Mathers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannii-mathers/
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In this episode, Coach K interviews one of his favorite voices in the enablement community, Senait Isaac, who shares her extensive experience from customer success to tools enablement at PagerDuty. Senait delves into her strategies for effectively utilizing tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Gong to make sales teams more efficient and successful. They also discuss the challenges in defining the role of enablement in organizations and how leaders can better support and coach their teams.
Connect with Senait: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senaitisaac/
Connect with Coach K: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
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What do CROs expect from enablement? Well, what better way to find out than to ask one?! In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement podcast, Coach K speaks to Kevin "KD" Dorsey, a Demandbase top 25 sales leader and one of Salesforce's top 16 sales influencers to follow. KD has built teams from 0-$100M several times and insists that enablement reports to him at every organisation he works for.
Here are some of the questions this episode tackles:
Why is there a disconnect in the industry about the role and responsibilities of sales enablement?How can sales enablement teams influence metrics they do not have full control over?What is the role of sales leaders in defining and guiding sales enablement activities?What is the importance of top performer analysis in sales enablement?What methodologies and frameworks can be used to improve sales manager performance?Connect with Kevin "KD" Dorsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/
Explore KDs Sales Leadership Accelerator: https://www.salesleadershipaccelerator.com/slamembershipoverview
Explore KDs community: https://www.patreon.com/insidesalesexcellence
Connect with Coach K: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
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In this episode of Troubleshooting Enablement, host Devon McDermott dives into the complexities of behavior mapping and competency tracking with special guest Nick Lawrence from Snowflake.
Here are some of the questions they attempt to tackle:
What recommendations do you have for someone starting from scratch with behavior mapping and impact tracking?What recommendations do you have for enablers working in an environment with questionable data?What are some tips for enablement folks who don't have the power and authority to drive change?What is the best enablement advice you've ever received?Want to submit a confidential question? Simply fill in this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwcrkKKiFS6vbLbgt2S4jn9bCLkIc-KZaMqXdisdPb5F3CTg/viewform
Connect with Nick Lawrence:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elevatingenablement/
Connect with Devon McDermott:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/
Resources Featured in this Episode:
"Human Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance" by Thomas F. Gilbert
https://www.amazon.com/Human-Competence-Engineering-Worthy-Performance/dp/0787971580"Design for How People Learn" by Julie Dirksen
https://www.amazon.com/Design-People-Voices-Matter-DIrksen/dp/0134211286"Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change" by Julie Dirksen
https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Elephant-Design-Learning-Behavior/dp/1953845013"Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning" by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013"Performance-Focused Learner Surveys: Using Distinctive Questioning to Get Actionable Data and Guide Learning Programs" by Will Thalheimer
https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Focused-Learner-Surveys-Distinctive-Questioning/dp/1941577136"The Success Case Method: Find Out Quickly What's Working and What's Not" by Robert O. Brinkerhoff
https://www.amazon.com/Success-Case-Method-Working-Whats/dp/1576751856"The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement" by Mike Kunkle
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Blocks-Sales-Enablement-Transformative/dp/1645438645
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Coach K chats with Greg Qualls, a seasoned revenue enablement expert and currently the Director of Global Enablement at Platform.sh. Greg shares his extensive journey from direct sales at UPS to his global revenue enablement leadership role, emphasizing his transition into tech sales and his passion for comprehensive enablement strategies that extend beyond just the sales team.
Here are some of the questions Greg and Coach K explored:
What inspired Greg’s shift from traditional sales enablement to a broader revenue enablement role, and how has his journey influenced his approach?How can organizations effectively implement enablement across various departments to enhance overall customer experience?What challenges do enablement leaders face when trying to shift the focus from sales to a more holistic customer journey?Why is it essential for companies to adopt a customer-centric enablement approach, and how does this compare to traditional sales training methods?How can enablement leaders demonstrate the value of a revenue enablement strategy to executive leadership?Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregqualls/
Watch Greg's talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_joQ1J9TfM
Connect with Jonathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Felix Krueger talks with Paul Butterfield and Keenan, two veterans in the sales enablement space. Paul Butterfield, known for his work at the Revenue Enablement Society, and Keenan, the author of "Gap Selling," bring their extensive experience to discuss the Revenue S.P.E.E.D. Model and how it can help can bridge the divide between skill development, opportunity management, and forecasting.
Here are some of the questions Paul and Keenan tackled:
What are the common disconnects between the skills management layer and the opportunity management layer in sales enablement?
How can sales enablement professionals ensure their efforts are directly connected to revenue outcomes?
How can organizations effectively capture and utilize buyer input data to improve sales outcomes?
What are the key elements of a successful sales enablement strategy that aligns with both skills development and business objectives?
Connect with Keenan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkeenan/
Learn more about the S.P.E.E.D. model:
https://salesgrowth.com/revenue-speed-model/
Connect with Paul Butterfield:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrbutterfield/
Connect with Felix Krueger
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Dannii Mathers talks with Ravi Rajani, one of the most captivating storytellers in the tech revenue world and the host of The Influential Communicator podcast. Ravi shares his journey from corporate sales at Citibank to becoming a renowned keynote speaker and storytelling coach, focusing on helping tech revenue teams ditch feature selling in favor of storytelling to build trust with buyers.
Here are some of the questions Ravi and Dannii tackled:
What drives Ravi’s passion for storytelling, and how has his journey shaped his approach to sales and enablement?How can storytelling be implemented effectively within sales teams to enhance trust and connection with buyers?What are the challenges sales teams face in adopting storytelling, and how can these be overcome?Why is it crucial for organizations to foster a culture of storytelling, and how does this compare to traditional learning and coaching cultures?How can leaders use storytelling not just to sell, but to inspire and drive change within their organizations?Connect with Ravi Rajani:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravirajani/
https://www.theravirajani.com/
Connect with Dannii Mathers:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannii-mathers/
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Jonathan Kvarfordt aka Coach K talks with Lauren Brownstone, an enabler with a wealth of experience and author of "Enabling Enablement: Executing a Strategic Learning and Readiness Function to Launch Your Organization to New Heights." Lauren shares her journey from education to corporate enablement, discusses her multi-faceted definition of enablement, and delves into the importance of behavior change in driving organizational success.
Here are some of the questions Lauren and Jonathan attempted to tackle:
What is the difference between skills and competencies, and why is this distinction important?What is the Kirkpatrick methodology, and how can it be used to measure the impact of enablement?How can organizations move from subjective to objective measures of skills and behavior change?What are the common challenges in the enablement community, and how can a clearer definition of enablement help address these?Why can enablement serve the entire organisation, not just sales?Connect with Lauren Brownstone:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenbrownstone/
https://www.heartwisedev.com/
Read Lauren's book:
https://www.amazon.com/Enabling-Enablement-Executing-Strategic-Organization/dp/B0CQ17B8R3
Connect with Jonathan Kvarfordt:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
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In this thought-provoking episode of Troubleshooting Enablement, we delve into the complex world of navigating layoffs and maintaining momentum in a challenging job market. Joining host Devin McDermott is the insightful Phil Putnam, an acclaimed coach, consultant, and advocate for enablers in transition. Phil shares his wealth of knowledge on how enablers can adapt their strategies to not only survive but thrive in an evolving job landscape.
Want to submit a confidential question? Simply fill in this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwcrkKKiFS6vbLbgt2S4jn9bCLkIc-KZaMqXdisdPb5F3CTg/viewform
Connect with Phil Putnam:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philputnamcoach/
https://www.philputnam.com/
Connect with Devon McDermott:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/
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In this episode of the State of Sales Enablement, Jonathan Kvarfordt aka Coach K talks with Stephanie White, an enabler known for her outstanding contributions to the community and recently nominated for the 2024 SEC Ones to Watch. Stephanie shares insights from her experience in sales enablement, introduces her new initiative, Enablement Reimagined, and discusses common challenges and effective strategies for enablers.
Here are some of the questions Stephanie and Jonathan attempted to tackle:
What is Stephanie's approach in enabling enablers?What is Enablement Reimagined, and what does it aim to change about the support available to enablers?What are the typical obstacles that enablers encounter, and how can they address these to enhance their strategic role?How can enablers secure the development tools they need and get the right support within their businesses?Connect with Stephanie White: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-white-sales/
Learn more about Enablement Reimagined: https://www.linkedin.com/company/enablement-reimagined/
Connect with Jonathan Kvarfordt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/
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Conversational Intelligence is one of the rapidly emerging categories in the sales tech space. However, as with any other technology tool, the same rule applies: A fool with a tool is still a fool. To understand how to maximize the value of Conversational Intelligence platforms, navigate common pitfalls, and align all key stakeholders, Dannii has caught up with Keiran Smith, an enabler who has lots of stories from the CI implementation trenches to tell.
Here are some of the questions Keiran and Danny attempted to tackle:
What makes a great Conversational Intelligence platform implementation, and what are the potential challenges enablers should be mindful of?How do you ensure buy-in and adoption for Conversational Intelligence?What role do sales leaders play in the Conversational Intelligence journey?
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Navigating the ever evolving landscape of enablement can feel like uncharted territory. That's where Troubleshooting Enablement comes in. This podcast is a safe space to tackle those nagging questions you've been hesitant to ask in public spaces like LinkedIn, social media, or enablement forums, if you've ever felt like everybody's got it all figured out, except me.
In this episode, Jennifer Ryan joins Devon to troubleshoot your questions and speaks about how to maintain senior leadership support, corporate parenting, finding your personal "yes", and more.
Want to submit a confidential question? Simply fill in this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwcrkKKiFS6vbLbgt2S4jn9bCLkIc-KZaMqXdisdPb5F3CTg/viewform
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An Englishwoman, an Aussie, and two Americans walk into a podcast studio...
This is not the beginning of a bad joke but the beginning of season 3 of The State of Sales Enablement podcast.
With two new hosts, familiar faces, and a brand new episode format, this season promises to be the best one yet.
Join Felix Krueger, Devon McDermott, and now also Jonathan Kvarfordt and Dannii Mathers for a 360 view on each of the hosts' enablement adventures and what's in store for enablement in 2024 and beyond!
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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, reports, jobs, and more! Brought to you by Devon McDermott and Felix Krueger.
Here is what we talked about this month:
FLSM engagementManaging senior stakeholder expectations Enablement researchWhy Revenue Enablement is not just sales enablement Why sales enablement must embrace AIAiming high in enablementUnethical LayoffsSubscribe to the FFWD newsletter for all the resources mentioned in this episode: http://eepurl.com/h4ymJv
Connect with Devon McDermott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/
Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/
Connect with Steffaney Zohrabyan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffaneyzohrabyan/
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/id1558307853
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g
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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, reports, jobs, and more! Brought to you by Devon McDermott and Felix Krueger.
Here is what we talked about this month:
Stakeholder management17 key revenue enablement statsShopify's best practices to reduce meeting bloatSales enablement vs revenue enablement vs business enablementEnablement jobs boardsCS layoffsChatGPT Plugin recommendationAI-powered interview practiceExploring opportunities in the generative AI value chainSubscribe to the FFWD newsletter for all the resources mentioned in this episode: http://eepurl.com/h4ymJv
Connect with Devon McDermott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/
Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/
Connect with Steffaney Zohrabyan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffaneyzohrabyan/
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/id1558307853
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g
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This episode was originally published on September 28th 2022.
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/id1558307853
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g
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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, reports, jobs, and more! Brought to you by Devon McDermott and Felix Krueger.
Here is what we talked about this month:
The top 10 most downloaded podcast episodes Skills-Based Hiring - LinkedIn ReportEnablement jobsNYT: AI Poses Risk of ExtinctionBCG AI in the workplace reportEnablement eventsBook review: What got you here won’t get you thereSubscribe to the This Month In Sales Enablement newsletter for all the resources mentioned in this episode: http://eepurl.com/h4ymJv
Connect with Devon McDermott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/
Connect with Felix Krueger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hfkrueger/
Connect with Steffaney Zohrabyan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffaneyzohrabyan/
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/id1558307853
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4ceCJYJLuCbTNbRTriOFpe?si=avn_E9EGSNu3gmHfoqJ_6g
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