Team of one: challenges brainstorm
Each month, a squad of Enablers meet up to discuss the specific challenges that they face in their roles. The unique thing about this monthly squad meeting: the attendees are all a Team of One. This means that they are the one and only person in an Enablement function at their organizations.
In an effort to spread knowledge in the Enablement space, we wanted to distribute this group’s insights, best practices, struggles, etc. with the community. We hope that these resonate for others and that the learnings can be applied to their roles.
During February’s Team of One meeting, the group discussed three common challenges that they face when working with internal stakeholders. You can review the three unique challenges and some of the suggestions from the group below.
Revenue leaders embracing training without reinforcement
As a part of the job, Enablement professionals are tapped on the shoulder to put together training, onboarding, and coaching programs. The goal of these programs is to uplevel their organization; however, without reinforcement from Revenue leaders, the efforts can fall flat.
When this happens, our Team of One squad suggests:
Enablement Charter
Have an Enablement Charter to hold stakeholders (including Enablement) accountable for roles and responsibilities
Anchor activities back to the Charter document
Socialize the Charter often so that the team is aligned and aware of expectations
Update the Charter frequently as business/team needs change
Planning & Development
Involve front-line managers early in the planning and design process, then send weekly updates in an email about the status of involvement
Pull leaders together on a call to define and align around priorities, KPIs, and desired outcomes
When designing the training, outline the specific reinforcement activities so that it sticks with these leaders
Collaboration
Leverage your champion leaders to influence others to embrace enablement
Develop relationships with Revenue leaders and set quarterly goals for both parties
Data & Impact
Lean on what the data is telling you
Example: If one team has embraced a training designed around negotiations and their win rate has increased over the last quarter, but another team hasn’t embraced the training and their win rate is stagnant, then showcase this to the Revenue leaders who need to reinforce Enablement’s efforts
The delicate balance of having “influence,” but not “authority”
Enablement professionals are put in a unique position. They’re able to influence a Revenue organization; however, they don’t necessarily have the authority that comes with a title like Sales Manager, Director of Sales, or VP of Revenue. Enablers can develop initiatives, but they aren’t able to hold the intended audience accountable for actually engaging with the content.
When this happens, our Team of One squad suggests:
Relationships
Identify advocates within the organization who can support you
Develop strong relationships with Revenue leaders so that they’re inclined to reinforce Enablement’s efforts and remind their team members to complete the specific activities
Grow relationships with individual contributors so that they’re more inclined to take part in the specific activity
Authoritative Identification
Find where authority sits within the Revenue organization and set clear goals with the individual(s) to help drive the point home
“We need training for _________!” but in reality, they need something else
All too often, Enablement professionals are approached by Revenue leaders as well as customer-facing individual contributors who say, “We need training for ________!” You can fill in the blank with any skill: elevator pitches, pipeline management, product features, consultative selling, objection handling, etc.
These off-the-cuff remarks typically happen informally and are supported only by anecdotal evidence. The reality: The team actually needs training on something else entirely based off quantitative data and qualitative feedback.
When this happens, our Team of One squad suggests:
Data, data, data
Anecdotal evidence only gets you so far and teams must leverage the data at their fingertips to focus on the desired outcomes
Measure the data before and after the training so that you can show Revenue leaders the impact that you were able to drive
Introduce the Sales Velocity formula and use buckets to define where the impact will be when creating trainings
In-Take Request Form
Use a ticketing system and ask people to support their request with specific data points as to why they need the training
Use the system to prioritize needs accordingly and align with internal stakeholders
Teamwork = Dream Work
Set up listening circles, send out surveys, and/or create feedback loops so that you know whether or not your efforts are landing the way they’re supposed to with the audience
Agree with Revenue leaders on a quarterly basis on what needs to be addressed - don’t be rigid with these programs and leave some flexibility as needs change or more urgent issues arise
If you found these techniques insightful and you’d like to be a part of this monthly squad discussion, then find us on the #02-team-of-one-enablement Slack channel via The Enablement Squad. Ask to join the meetings and we’ll shoot a calendar invite your way!
