This article comes from Chiara Gianola’s talk, ‘Thriving alone in sales enablement: 3 key learnings to become a strategic business partner’, at our 2023 Amsterdam Sales Enablement Summit, check out her full talk here.
Embarking on a career in sales enablement? Allow me to guide you through the fascinating yet complex world of this strategic business role.
Here I’d like to share some of the pivotal lessons I learned along the way, from:
- How to navigate the intricacies of sales dynamics within an organization
- The proactive approach that helped me define my role
- And the importance of building a wide network of relationships across departments
In a nutshell, my journey has three key takeaways for you: sales enablement requires a strategic approach, the power of relationships can amplify your impact, and continuous personal development is critical to your success.
So, get ready to embark on a journey towards becoming a strategic business partner in sales enablement. It's not just about thriving alone; it's about being a part of a larger team and making a real impact. Let's begin!
- From task-driven to vision-driven
- Where does enablement sit in your organization?
- Investing in yourself
From task-driven to vision-driven
When I first stepped into the world of sales enablement in a company I knew little about, I had to grapple with a critical question: how do you evolve from a task-driven position to a vision-driven one?
As I navigated my way, I anchored my journey around three essential cornerstones: understanding the big picture, taking proactive initiatives, and building cross-departmental relationships.
Understanding the big picture
To get a grip on the big picture, I dived into understanding the sales dynamics within the organization. From understanding the account executives' roles to discerning whether the company was sales or product-driven, every bit of information became a jigsaw piece fitting into a larger vision 🧩.
Discovering my niche, my unique spot within this complex structure, empowered me to play a strategic role within the company.
Daniel O’Dowd
Be proactive and take initiative
Next, being proactive and taking initiatives became my second driving force, particularly as I was faced (as I’m sure many of you also have) with instances when people didn't quite grasp what my role entailed. For instance, a CEO once mistook my role as being in events management simply because I had recently organized an SKO.
However, by connecting my initiatives to the core responsibilities of my role, I found it easier to advocate for my position, which I’ve found is especially critical in recent years where the need to prove yourself is ever-present.
Building relationships
Building relationships came third but was no less important. I extended my sphere of influence by interacting with various departments – not just sales, but also legal, finance, procurement, among others.
Aligning my goals with theirs and speaking their language, I established a resonance that made it easier to explain my role and objectives.
By understanding these three cornerstones I was able to build a strategic plan with sales enablement at its center. I split the plan based on the goals and interests of three main stakeholders: sales leaders, sales supporters (like product marketing, marketing, and revenue operations), and sales reps.
- Sales leaders, for instance, resonated with go-to-market strategies, revenue growth, and sales operations.
- Sales supporters were focused on optimizing processes and ensuring consistent messaging.
- Lastly, sales reps cared about hitting targets, possessing in-depth product knowledge, and progressing in their careers.
