Ray Oram, Global VP of Sales Enablement for IBM, joins us to discuss transforming the seller experience. Ray provides a unique perspective on the mechanics of the industry and how he reframes the discipline. By empowering this cross-functional group, it will result in a thriving enablement culture and improved seller experience.

Today Ray Oram, Global VP of Sales Enablement for IBM, joins us to discuss how to transform the seller experience.

Traditionally, sales enablement groups have spent their time working on budgets, supporting sellers through training, developing digital assets, and knowledge sharing. But supporting today’s sales function is an increasingly difficult challenge. Enablement needs a rebrand.

Ray shares how to modernize the discipline of sales enablement. By making the right shifts to your enablement function, you can transform the seller experience.

 

Click here for the podcast version of this interview.

 

Segment 1: The Seller Experience

 

  • The impact of information and innovation to empower sellers. minute 3:54
  • Executing on data in large organizations through a formalized discipline. minute 5:19

     

Skip to minute 3:54 to hear Ray’s view on new requirements for enablement:

 

“You really start selling once you win… do you have in place the continuous feedback system both in terms of how your stuff is getting used, and what people are thinking about it? Because that drives a new requirement from an enablement strategy standpoint. Thinking ahead, cross-sell and up-sell, not as an after thought but… continuous and baked in.”

 

Segment 2: Culture and Enablement of the Seller

 

Skip to minute 8:49 to learn more about how Ray defines and perpetuates an enablement culture:

 

“They think of the cohort of sellers; they’re just obsessed every morning when they wake up to say, are they responding, what are they looking at… and really getting into their head and representing their voice…”

 

Segment 3: The Enablement Engine

 

  • Ray’s perspective on the mechanics of sales enablement. minute 11:03
  • The advantages of building a diverse enablement team. minute 12:20
  • Changing the means of delivery for enablement. minute 14:26

     

Skip to minute 13:12 to hear Ray discuss how he shapes the enablement discipline:

 

“…we look at consulting, we look at communications, we look at educators, and it’s really sharpening those kinds of muscles and skills is what we’re trying to do as we develop the discipline…”

 

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Sharrers

Leads the firm's focus on the CEO’s role in accelerating revenue growth by embracing emerging best practices to grow revenue faster than the industry and competitors. 
BIO
ALL PEOPLE

Matt Sharrers is the CEO of SBI, a management consulting firm specialized in sales and marketing that is dedicated to helping you Make Your Number. Forbes recognizes SBI as one of The Best Management Consulting Firms in 2017.

 

Over the course of nearly a decade at SBI, Matt Sharrers was an instrumental early partner guiding SBI as the Senior Partner. Matt’s functional responsibilities included acting as the head of sales where he led SBI’s double-digit revenue growth, and was responsible for the hiring function to build SBI’s team of revenue generation experts.

 

Prior to joining SBI in 2009, Matt spent eleven years leading sales and marketing teams as a Vice President of Sales. Matt has “lived in the field.” As a result, he is the foremost expert in the art of separating fact from fiction as it relates to revenue growth best practices. CEOs and Private equity investors turn to Matt’s team at SBI when they need to unlock trapped growth inside of their companies.

 

 

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