This Isn't Your Traditional Sales Training Program
Let me tell you something about enablement that might ruffle some feathers – and trust me, after 30+ years in this business, I've ruffled my share. If you're still thinking of enablement as just training, you're missing about 90% of the opportunity. Let me explain why.
The Wake-Up Call
When I first started at RingCentral, I had this conversation with the SVP of Enterprise Sales. He said, "This all sounds great, but what happens if my people don't do it? What are you going to do?"
I immediately responded with, "I'm not going to do anything. What are YOU going to do?"
He chuckled. That's when I knew we were going to transform the organization.
Enablement as a Business Within a Business
Here's how I think about strategic enablement:
1. The Business Triangle
- Investors (anyone giving you resources)
- Supply Chain (marketing, product teams, etc.)
- Customers (and no, it's not the salespeople – it's the sales managers)
Think I'm crazy? Let me show you what this looks like in practice:
```
Traditional View:
Enablement = Training Department
Strategic View:
Enablement = Revenue Performance Engine
```The Four Pillars of Strategic Performance
I've developed these pillars over years of doing things wrong (yes, I'll admit it). Here's what really works:
1. Go-to-Market Alignment
- Did they get the memo?
- Does everyone understand why we do what we do?
- Can everyone in the company articulate our value?
2. Asset Optimization
- Is everything on message?
- Single version of the truth
- Right content, right format, right time
3. Just-in-Time Delivery
- Are we delivering what people need when they need it?
- Is it accessible in the moment of need?
- Are we pushing the right information to the right people?
4. Tribal Knowledge Management
- What's working?
- What's not?
- How do we scale success and stop failure fast?
The Transformation in Action
Let me share something real with you. At one company, marketing gave me an hour-and-ten-minute video they wanted sales to use. I said, "Nobody's going to watch that." The next day, they came back with ten seven-minute videos. Not only could the content consumers revisit particular sections to refresh knowledge, but it something changed in the product, the Product Marketing team would only need to update the sections affected. Much better than rerecording another 70 minute video. That's strategic performance in action.
Moving from Training to Performance
Here's what this shift looks like:
```
Old World:
"We need training on the new product."
New World:
"We need to drive adoption and revenue growth through strategic performance initiatives."
```The R2N4 Philosophy
This is my mantra: Responsible To, Not For. Here's what it means:
- Enablement is responsible TO the organization
- Sales managers are responsible FOR execution
- Without this partnership, nothing works
Making It Real
When I build strategic performance programs, here's what I look for:
1. Leadership Buy-In
- Full commitment from the top
- Clear accountability
- Shared vision of success
2. Measurable Impact
- Not just activity metrics
- Real business outcomes
- Clear ROI for investors
3. Scalable Systems
- Processes that can grow
- Technology that enables
- People who can execute
The Warning Signs You're Stuck in Training Mode
If you see any of these, it's time to change:
- Your team is measured by training completion rates
- You're creating content without measuring impact
- Sales managers aren't involved in program design
- You're reactive instead of proactive
The Path to Strategic Performance
Want to make this transformation? Here's where to start:
1. Change the Conversation
Instead of asking "What training do we need?"
Ask "What performance outcomes drive business success?"
2. Build the Business Case
- Show the cost of poor performance
- Demonstrate the value of strategic enablement
- Connect enablement to revenue
3. Create the Infrastructure
- Develop your four pillars; Vision, Content, JIT access, Feedback
- Build your measurement framework
- Establish your feedback loops
The Results Speak for Themselves
At RingCentral in 4 years:
- Stock went from $20 to nearly $500
- My Team grew from 3 to 162 people
- NPS went from 23 to 61
- Corp revenue went from $300M to $2B
Why? Because we weren't just training – we were driving strategic performance.
A Final Thought
Listen, I've been the Red Shirt – you know, the one in Star Trek who beams down and doesn't make it back to the ship. I've tried all the ways this doesn't work. What I'm sharing with you is what actually moves the needle.
Strategic performance isn't just a new name for training. It's a fundamental shift in how we think about enabling revenue growth. And in today's world, with AI, remote work, and changing buyer behaviors, it's not just important – it's imperative.
Ready to make this shift? This isn't about training. This is about transforming your entire approach to revenue performance. Are you ready?
