Bridging the Gap from Knowing to Understanding with Sales Enablement’s Andy Paul

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Sales Tech Podcast, the show that talks about sales technology, what’s working, what’s not, and where the industry is going. In this episode, Andy Paul joins the show to discuss his extensive experience in sales technology. Throughout his professional career, Andy has sold everything from computers and small businesses to complex communications systems. He’s closed hundreds of millions of dollars in products and services before eventually starting his own company.

Andy is also the host of Sales Enablement, a podcast that showcases in-depth conversations with the most exciting B2B sales and marketing leaders in the business. Today, Thom and Andy talk about the current state of sales technology, why sales managers tend to follow the status quo, and what sales tech Andy wishes existed years ago. Andy provides his thoughts on the most impactful ways sales professionals can utilize sales technology without becoming too reliant on it. Finally, Andy shares his thoughts on the future of the sales industry and the critical role that technology will play.

What We Covered:

00:36 – Thom introduces today’s guest, Andy Paul who joins the show to talk about his podcast, Sales Enablement, sales tech trends, and changes Andy has noticed in the industry throughout the years

06:27 – Andy reveals what sales managers should be doing to get people to be the best version of themselves

09:04 – Andy provides his thoughts on why managers tend to stick to the status quo

12:30 – Why some sellers are still hesitant to adapt to sales technology

14:07 – How to get sales professionals to better utilize sales technology

16:22 – The sales tools and tech that Andy wishes existed twenty years ago

17:40 – How sales has changed throughout the years

19:29 – Andy talks about what he thinks is the mark of a great salesperson when it comes to how they utilize technology

21:27 – What Andy wishes all salespeople knew that they don’t currently know

23:55 – Andy speculates on the future of sales tech

25:00 – Thom thanks Andy for joining the show today and lets listeners know how to connect with him

Tweetables:

“The idea is to help the person not become the best seller, it’s to help them to become the best version of themselves.” (05:19)

“Leaning into [sales tech] too much, in my mind, can be problematic. But, that said, I think we’re still learning.” (13:46)

“To me, enablement is anything and everything that enables a seller to have a knowledge-based interaction with the buyer.” (19:49)

“To the extent, we can use our technology to enable people to bridge that gap from knowing to understanding, then I think we’ll be effective overall.” (21:08)

Links Mentioned:

Andy Paul on LinkedIn

Sales Enablement Podcast

Harvard Business Review Article ‘Let Your Workers Rebel’