In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, Jonathan Kvarfordt (Coach K) welcomes Kieran Smith, Senior Director of Enablement at TechnologyAdvice. With years of experience transitioning from sales leadership to a data-driven enablement leader, Kieran dives into the strategies that transformed his organization’s enablement approach. From streamlining SDR onboarding to launching high-impact product enablement programs, Kieran shares the insights and frameworks that every enabler can use to drive measurable outcomes.

Here’s what Jonathan and Kieran discussed:

• Transitioning from sales leadership to enablement: How Kieran made the intentional pivot to enablement, bringing a data-driven mindset and hands-on approach to the role.
• Transforming SDR onboarding: The step-by-step overhaul that reduced ramp time by 63.75% and time-to-first-meeting by 80%, focusing on intentional training and skill-building.
• Launching a successful product enablement program: Kieran’s framework for implementing a program that increased relevant conversations by 473% and drove nearly $1M in product revenue within a quarter.
• Data analytics in enablement: Why data ownership is critical for identifying problems, setting realistic goals, and earning leadership buy-in.
• The Enablement Effectiveness Equation: Kieran’s innovative framework for measuring program impact through teaching, training, coaching, and metric improvements.
• Overcoming organizational challenges: Tips for gaining credibility, aligning with strategic business goals, and navigating resistance from stakeholders.
• Advice for enablement professionals: Where to start if you’re new to enablement or looking to optimize your impact, with a focus on curiosity, collaboration, and metrics.

Tune in to hear Kieran’s proven strategies for turning enablement into a high-impact, data-driven function that drives measurable business results.

Connect with Kieran Smith:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieransmithvp/

Connect with Jonathan Kvarfordt (Coach K):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/

Mentioned in this episode:

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience is the ultimate sales enablement learning experience based on the best-selling book by Mike Kunkle. This self-paced learning experience will provide you with the knowledge and guidance required to fast-track the sales enablement maturity levels of your organization and your career.

In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, Felix Krueger, your host, welcomes Alex Bedford, a seasoned enablement leader with extensive experience in scaling enablement functions globally. From managing regional enablement teams to leading global initiatives, Alex shares his unique insights on scaling impact, navigating organizational politics, and thriving as a team of one in a startup environment.

Here’s what Felix and Alex discussed:

• Scaling enablement globally: How Alex approached scaling enablement across regions while balancing global consistency and local needs.
• Building trusted enablement teams: The importance of hiring leaders who can engage senior stakeholders and deliver tangible results.
• Overcoming regional challenges: Strategies for managing local resistance and aligning regional enablement with global goals.
• Transitioning from a large enterprise to a startup: How Alex adapted to being a team of one and leveraged agility to drive faster impact.
• Leveraging AI for enablement: Practical ways AI can help scale enablement efforts, including virtual role-playing with AI avatars and account planning automation.
• Finding your champion: Alex’s top tip for enablers—why finding and partnering with a senior champion is crucial for scaling your impact.

Tune in to hear Alex’s invaluable lessons on leadership, scaling enablement, and adapting to change in dynamic organizations.

Connect with Alex Bedford:

• LinkedIn: Alex Bedford

Connect with Felix Krueger:

• LinkedIn: Felix Krueger

Mentioned in this episode:

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience is the ultimate sales enablement learning experience based on the best-selling book by Mike Kunkle. This self-paced learning experience will provide you with the knowledge and guidance required to fast-track the sales enablement maturity levels of your organization and your career.

In this episode of Troubleshooting Enablement, Devon McDermott, your host and EnableNerd, welcomes Federico Presicci, enablement strategist, leader of GetAccept’s enablement team, and creator of the Enablement Insight blog. With extensive experience in building enablement functions and sharing best practices across the community, Federico dives deep into maximizing the value of enablement technology and AI-driven strategies.

Here is what Devon and Federico discussed:

• Clarifying outcomes and aligning with GTM strategy: Why starting with clearly defined, measurable outcomes is critical for long-term success.
• Integrating tech into enablement strategy: How to connect sales technology, such as Gong and Seismic, to ensure scalable impact and behavior change.
• Prioritizing processes over tools: Before implementing any tech, understand the key processes that impact business outcomes and design your tech stack accordingly.
• Leveraging AI co-pilots and conversational intelligence: Insights into how AI-driven tools can automate workflows, improve data quality, and enhance GTM collaboration.
• Digital Sales Rooms vs. Traditional CMS: Federico shares why digital sales rooms offer a more effective, buyer-centric approach to engagement than legacy content management systems.
• Using generative AI as a thinking partner: Federico’s unique take on using AI tools like ChatGPT for brainstorming, performance management, and skill-building.
• Adapting enablement strategies based on organizational readiness: How to assess the maturity level of your organization to create realistic enablement roadmaps.

Tune in to hear Federico’s invaluable insights on aligning enablement with business priorities, selecting the right tools, and building a future-ready enablement function.

Connect with Federico Presicci:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/federico-presicci/
• Blog: federicopresicci.com
• Newsletter: federicopresicci.com/newsletter/

Connect with Devon:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/

Do you have a complex enablement challenge you want to troubleshoot? Submit your questions to Devon at [email protected].

In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, Jonathan Kvarfordt, a.k.a. Coach K, sits down with Krystina Moustakis, an organizational psychologist and enablement expert, to dive into how enablement can drive performance through a unique people-centric approach.

Krystina shares her journey from teaching to organizational psychology and how her background shapes her refreshing perspective on enablement and business performance. They explore how to define and align enablement metrics to business outcomes, change organizational mindsets, and create sustainable, high-impact initiatives.

Here is what Jonathan and Krystina discussed:

• Krystina's journey: from high school teacher to organizational psychologist and sales enablement consultant.
• Why understanding behavior change is critical to improving performance.
• How to align enablement programs with strategic business metrics for executive buy-in.
• The importance of defining outcomes versus simply delivering skills.
• Building enablement as a "game maker" function: how to influence systems, processes, and behaviors.
• How sales principles and user-experience design can transform enablement's impact.
• Tips for driving long-term organizational change and value through enablement.

Tune in to learn how Krystina's insights can help you elevate your enablement function to become a strategic driver of business success.

Connect with Krystina Moustakis:

• Website: https://krystinam.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmost/

Connect with Jonathan Kvarfordt (Coach K):

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/

In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, Coach K is joined by Federico Presicci, a prominent sales enablement leader and creator of insightful practitioner-led content in the enablement space. Federico shares his unique journey from arriving in the UK without speaking English to becoming a recognized voice in sales enablement. Together, they discuss the critical components of effective enablement, the importance of strategy, and how to leverage data to drive measurable outcomes.

Here’s what Coach K and Federico discussed:

• Federico’s journey from mechanical engineering to sales and eventually to sales enablement, highlighting the transformative power of embracing challenges and personal growth.
• Why enablement is more than just training, content, and tools—and how strategic thinking and cross-functional collaboration drive scalable impact.
• The role of cultural shifts and mindset changes in embedding enablement into organizational structures and leadership approaches.
• Federico’s blog and collaborative projects, including his focus on gathering insights from practitioners and creating practical, unbiased resources for the enablement community.
• How advanced tracking, conversational intelligence, and AI-driven role-playing tools can provide actionable insights and leading indicators for enablement success.
• The balance between short-term execution and long-term scalability in enablement strategy and program design.

Connect with Federico Presicci:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/federico-presicci/
• Blog: federicopresicci.com
• Newsletter: federicopresicci.com/newsletter/

Connect with Coach K:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jmkmba/

Tune in to hear Federico’s actionable insights and how his holistic approach to enablement can help organizations align strategy, culture, and execution for sustainable success.

In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, your host Dannii Mathers is joined by Lawrence Wayne O'Connor, a sales enablement leader and advocate for leveraging culture to drive sales success. Based in the UK, Lawrence shares his unique journey into sales enablement, his perspectives on cultural assets, and how these can be harnessed to empower sales teams and create lasting impact.

Here is what Dannii and Lawrence discussed:

• Lawrence’s journey from basketball and business school to sales enablement, and how sociology shaped his approach to understanding people and culture in sales.
• What cultural assets are and how they differ from traditional sales and marketing assets.
• The importance of storytelling in sales and how to engineer an environment that fosters sharing and leveraging buyer-focused stories.
• Tactical strategies to create, deploy, and sustain cultural assets, including using deal reviews, customer success stories, and conversational intelligence tools.
• The IKEA effect: how involving teams in the creation of training and assets drives ownership, engagement, and better results.
• And more…

Tune in to learn how Lawrence’s creative approach to sales enablement can help you foster a culture of learning, storytelling, and bottom-up innovation in your sales organization.

Connect with Lawrence Wayne O'Connor:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sirlawrencewayne
• Sales Training Effectiveness Scorecard: https://storytechr.com/quiz

Connect with Dani Mathers:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dannii-mathers/

In this episode of Troubleshooting Enablement, Devon McDermott, your host and EnableNerd, welcomes Sean Lane, RevOps expert, co-author of The Revenue Operations Manual, and host of The Operations Podcast. Sean is also a founding partner at Beacon GTM, where he helps early-stage companies optimize their go-to-market strategies. With over a decade of experience in RevOps and SaaS, Sean dives deep into the synergies between enablement and operations.

Here is what Devon and Sean discussed:

• How to align enablement and RevOps around shared goals to eliminate silos and duplication of effort.
• The importance of focusing on measurable outcomes instead of solely processes or training programs.
• Strategies for clearly defining team charters, roles, and responsibilities to foster internal alignment and stakeholder trust.
• The value of leveraging operational routines and technology to streamline go-to-market strategies and foster cross-functional collaboration.
• Key insights into structuring RevOps and enablement teams to maximize their impact while navigating organizational complexities.
• And more…

Tune in to hear Sean’s invaluable perspectives on how RevOps and enablement teams can work together to drive measurable business success and operational excellence.

Connect with Sean Lane:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanlane/
• Learn about Beacon GTM: https://www.beacongtm.com/
• The Revenue Operations Manual (book): https://www.amazon.com/Revenue-Operations-Manual-High-Growth-Spiral-bound/dp/B0DJ3H3X94
• The Operations Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/operations-with-sean-lane/id1462659431

Connect with Devon McDermott:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/

Connect with Sean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrlane/

In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, Coach K sits down with Samantha McKenna, founder of SamSales Consulting, to explore the evolving dynamics of sales enablement and leadership alignment. Samantha, a well-known expert in sales strategy and enablement, shares valuable insights into what makes enablement effective, how to measure its impact, and why it’s essential to tie enablement efforts to business objectives.

Samantha and Coach K dive deep into:

• Samantha’s Career Journey: From her Swiss upbringing to becoming a sales enablement leader, Samantha discusses her experiences in both the C-suite and as an enabler, along with her philanthropic work supporting veterans and teachers.
• The Disconnect Between Leaders and Enablement: Samantha addresses the common disconnect between leadership and enablement teams, focusing on the challenges of defining enablement’s role and measuring its impact within organizations.
• Measuring Enablement ROI: Samantha shares how her team at SamSales Consulting tracks the success of enablement initiatives, emphasizing the importance of balancing qualitative feedback from sellers with hard metrics like response rates and conversion improvements.
• Personalization and Prospecting: Discussing her "Show Me You Know Me" methodology, Samantha explains how personalized, research-driven approaches to sales outreach can drastically improve engagement and conversion rates.
• Bringing in External Expertise: Samantha highlights the benefits of enablement teams leveraging external specialists to enhance their effectiveness, emphasizing that the role of enablement is not to know everything but to source the best resources.
• Practical Strategies for Enablement: From improving email outreach to redefining discovery calls, Samantha offers actionable advice on how enablers can drive success within their teams, focusing on practical steps rather than just theory.

Connect with Samantha McKenna:

• Website: SamSales Consulting
• LinkedIn: Samantha McKenna

Connect with Coach K:

• LinkedIn: Coach K

Tune in to learn how to shift sales enablement from a cost center to a strategic driver of business success and improve sales performance across your organization!

Mentioned in this episode:

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience is the ultimate sales enablement learning experience based on the best-selling book by Mike Kunkle. This self-paced learning experience will provide you with the knowledge and guidance required to fast-track the sales enablement maturity levels of your organization and your career.

In this episode of The State of Sales Enablement, Coach K welcomes Tina Teodorescu, a behavioral science expert and founder of Talent Edge Advisors. Tina shares her fascinating career journey, from her background in psychology and behavioral science to becoming a fractional Chief People Officer, advising small businesses on talent strategy and organizational performance.

Tina and Coach K dive deep into:

• Tina’s Career Path: How her passion for psychology and behavior science led her to organizational behavior management and performance optimization.
• Behavioral Science in Business: Tina's early experiences working with top sales performers to create performance improvement models and her continued use of these principles today.
• Enablement and Competency Models: The importance of starting with business outcomes, working backward to identify the skills and behaviors needed, and building training and enablement programs that align with top performance.
• AI and Performance Improvement: Tina shares her perspective on AI's role in optimizing performance and talent strategies, and why the human element remains critical in coaching and mentorship.
• Inside-Out vs. Outside-In Approach: Tina explains the benefits of working from the business's desired outcomes to define necessary roles and skills, rather than building enablement programs in a vacuum.

Connect with Tina Tiodorescu:

• LinkedIn: Tina Teodorescu
• Website: Talent Edge Advisors

Connect with Coach K:

• LinkedIn: Coach K

Mentioned in this episode:

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement Learning Experience is the ultimate sales enablement learning experience based on the best-selling book by Mike Kunkle. This self-paced learning experience will provide you with the knowledge and guidance required to fast-track the sales enablement maturity levels of your organization and your career.

In this episode of Troubleshooting Enablement, Devon McDermott, your host and EnableNerd, welcomes Mike Kunkle, Vice President of Sales Effectiveness Services at SPARXiQ, author of The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement, and the mastermind behind the Sales Effectiveness Straight Talk newsletter. With decades of experience, Mike shares his views on how to maximise the impact of the sales enablement function.

Here is what Devon and Mike discussed:

• How to effectively measure the business impact of enablement initiatives.
• The importance of understanding top performers and differentiating them from top producers.
• How to effectively diagnose and resolve gaps in enablement initiatives by focusing on what really drives performance.
• The critical role of sales managers in enabling their teams, including the challenges they face and how to support them in coaching and development.
• And more...

Tune in to hear Mike’s invaluable insights and strategies that can help you drive meaningful impact within your enablement function and beyond.

Connect with Mike Kunkle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekunkle/

Read Mike Kunkle's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Blocks-Sales-Enablement/dp/1952157625/

Subscribe to Mike’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6958899285706821632/

Mike Kunkle's Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/mikekunkle

Connect with Devon McDermott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonmcdermott/