Enjoy a captivating episode of the Orchestrate Sales - Inside Sales Enablement podcast featuring Craig Nelson. He sat down with host Erich Starrett to delve into the past, present, and future of the sales enablement profession, offering a unique perspective.
A Trip Down Memory Lane:
The narrative unfolds in 1998, as Craig secured the domain SalesEnablement.com, heralding the birth of an industry. Reflecting on those initial moments, he contemplates whether to reserve it for a single year or three, laying the groundwork for the dawn of a new era.
Three Generations of Enablement History...
Craig walks through the evolution of sales enablement across three generations:
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Gen 1: Centralized Sales Content Thing (2003-2013) Early 2000s witnessed the emergence of centralized sales content management, laying the foundation for the evolution of the industry.
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Gen 2: Content Packaged with Training, a Sales Thing (2013-2023) The approach evolved to include training alongside content, recognizing the holistic nature of sales enablement.
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Gen 3: Sales Execution Across Buyer Journey, a Sales & Customer Success Thing (2024 - ) The current phase focuses on sales execution throughout the buyer journey, expanding beyond sales to include customer success.
The Role of Sales Enablement Society:
Craig shares insights on the formation of the Sales Enablement Society, emphasizing its pivotal role in preventing the industry from being overtaken by major tech players. He notes concerns about being pigeonholed as sales trainers, highlighting the strategic vision of the society.
Preventing Tech Domination:
"If it wasn't for the Sales Enablement Society, the enablement industry could have been gobbled up by one of these major tech players and become less a discipline, more of a technology."
Reflecting on Enablement Progress:
"The enablement discipline, one could argue, after 20 years, why aren't we further along?"
Breaking Down Silos:
Craig addresses a key inhibitor to enablement success - silos within companies. He advocates breaking down these barriers and fostering a mindset that perceives enablement as a company-wide initiative, not limited to sales or marketing.
Strategic Thinking for Enablement Success:
"Think strategic, think about becoming part of the planning process for the next 3 to 5 years within your company so that when you're scaling sales, expanding into new markets, think enablement. How is enablement going to play a role?"
Shift in Mindset:
"Shift the mindset from enablement being an afterthought, 'Oh no, we better get the training squared away for the new sales organization, that new product.' No, it should be at the front end of planning. Think Enablement ...and don't even think about doing partners without having partner enablement."
Realizing Value Throughout the Journey:
"When you go from pre-sale to post-sale, make sure that value isn't just pitched. Value is realized."
Discover why Triptych spearheads sales enablement, guiding the path to triumph in sales execution. Join us on this journey towards success and subscribe for ongoing conversations on advancing enablement. Together, let's influence the course of sales enablement, embracing its storied past and sculpting its bright future.
Jay Thomas : November 28, 2018 at 1:07 PM
Jessica Dunn : December 4, 2018 at 2:29 PM