In response to a examine from Gallup, coaching can enhance an organization’s productiveness by 17% and profitability by 21% when supplied to engaged staff. So how will you prepare and coach your reps to maintain them engaged and assist them hit their quotas?

Shawnna Sumaoang: Hello, and welcome to the Win Win podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Be a part of us as we dive into altering tendencies within the office and navigate them efficiently.

Right here to debate that is James Petkovski, the director of enablement know-how at MetLife. Thanks for becoming a member of us, James. I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your function. 

James Petkovski: Thanks for having me. I’m actually excited to be right here. And slightly little bit of a background on me and my function, so I used to be born and raised in New Jersey, total household is there, I ended up venturing off to Arizona for school, attempting to essentially expertise life alone, met my stunning spouse there, after which after about 10 years, we relocated again to New Jersey for slightly the place we had our daughter and I in the end acquired my begin at MetLife and began my profession. At MetLife, I’m offering help for our gross sales groups with reference to their state licensing and FINRA registration.

And I used to be in that function for slightly over a 12 months earlier than I transitioned into gross sales enablement. Progressed by way of the enablement function from a marketing consultant to a supervisor, and now to a director the place I presently oversee the know-how for our market enablement group and may’t be happier. Enablement was a type of issues I attended an ATD convention and was like, wow, a lot gross sales enablement. And it simply struck a chord. And I used to be like, I’m house. That is precisely what I need to be in. 

SS: It truly is a profession calling, I feel, for the correct people, so I’m glad that it pulled you in, James. And, you realize, as you talked about, you will have a wealth of expertise as a gross sales enablement chief and as a technical analyst at MetLife.

You walked us by way of your journey a bit into enablement. I’d love to know how does your analytical background affect your enablement technique? 

JP: So, at all times had a ardour for the inventive arts and One of many superior components of enablement is with the ability to mix each of these from that enterprise analytical facet with the inventive facet.

And that basically helped me excel in my function in enablement as I used to be in a position to resolve the enterprise wants with creativity, whether or not that was growing a studying path, creating movies, podcasts, e-learnings, like actually pondering exterior the field when it got here to how are we going to ship this in a enjoyable and attention-grabbing manner.

And pulling into my analytical nature, some say I’m loopy, proper? However my enjoyment in information actually helped me to assume by way of and ship one of the best technique based mostly on, you realize, what have been we needing? How can we take benefit from information from previous learnings, like tendencies on how our, you realize, gross sales and repair reps have been partaking with, you realize, that format that we offered?

Did it, was it efficient? So information actually helped me inform the story and direct the place we would have liked to go to verify we’re placing that greatest studying ahead. 

SS: I really like that. I really like that you simply’re making use of each that creativity and that analytical element to it as nicely. It’s each artwork and science, I assume you may say.

Now at MetLife, you’re accountable for growing and managing the coaching packages. What did coaching appear to be at your group earlier than you began to leverage Highspot and the way has it advanced since then? 

JP: I feel some facets are comparable, proper? Earlier than and after, we nonetheless do e-learnings. We nonetheless do movies, webinars, podcasts, the entire sort of studying gamut.

I feel the true distinction got here from, beforehand was lots of guide work, from pulling stories from numerous platforms to derive. How efficient was the educational? Was it attended? Excel trackers to information a person by way of their quote on quote studying pathway. There was only a lot that was finished manually, which took time, proper?

It took sources, and capability. And this utilized to the reps taking these packages as nicely, having to e mail their weekly trackers and take all their actions in numerous techniques. In order that they have been bouncing round. I simply thought actually put that have collectively in offering that one-stop store space for every little thing.

So all these studying actions have been all finished and entry proper from the Highspot platform. So it actually made that coaching journey really about studying and never about how do I would like to finish this and what system was I doing it in and sort of the nuances of that. And never solely did it simplify the journey for the learner, but in addition like on the admin facet, allowed us to seize that wanted information, to have the ability to rapidly have a look at completion statuses and see, Hey, the place have been alternatives, proper? Like how I feel having that fast perception allowed us to adapt faster. 

SS: I really like that. I really like that. I need to circle again to that, however you had talked about one thing earlier about all the number of studying content material, together with movies, simulations, and I ought to have recognized you had podcasts in there since you have been a professional and also you hopped on this podcast line already. However in your view, what are among the key constructing blocks for efficient coaching content material? I 

JP: I feel the most important secret’s understanding every coaching is exclusive and you actually need to return at it from that angle.

What are you attempting to get throughout to the viewers? Like how rapidly do it’s essential get that message throughout? And is it extra in-the-moment studying or is it a giant announcement that was altering the way in which individuals have been? I feel movies actually allowed us to get data throughout rapidly. It made issues slightly bit extra bite-sized the place we might additionally embrace greatest practices with it, which greatest practices actually resonated.

Podcasts allowed for that extra conversational, to dive slightly bit extra into among the nuances that simply typically don’t come throughout in like perhaps a direct webinar. After which e-learning and simulations allowed that. You understand, hands-on expertise and gave slightly extra interactivity and engagement to some longer type coaching.

And I feel the great factor with the e-learnings and simulations is when you will have techniques that you simply’re coaching on, like with the ability to have a person get in there, click on by way of some issues like, hey, right here’s what this space does. These simulations assist in that fail proof atmosphere. And one factor I’ll share is.

I don’t really feel like a coaching must be one or one other, proper? Like I feel sequence performed a giant half in what we do. And that could possibly be beginning with a fast introduction video, getting individuals grounded in a subject, then a webinar to essentially discuss concerning the meat and potatoes. After which, you realize, lastly a podcast to wrap it up with a few of these conversational nuances.

So I’d say like simply every coaching come at it from a recent angle. Pondering by way of what must be finished and don’t be afraid to experiment and take that longer type, perhaps like shorter tidbits, versus simply sort of, Hey, we’re simply doing this, proper? I feel we have now lots of know-how at our fingertips.

SS: I really like that. So going again to what you have been saying, you actually are at MetLife fostering a tradition of steady studying amongst your gross sales groups. I’d Love to know the way you, you foster that and also you inspire them to boost their abilities and data over time. 

JP: So I feel having Highspot be that one cease store actually permits us to mix in with that steady studying, proper?

Like having the sources all on the Highspot platform permits reps as soon as they’re out of, say for instance, like a brand new rent program or an academy program. They know that that content material remains to be there in Highspot and so they know find that. In order that they’re getting accustomed to that with the ability to leverage the managed content material characteristic inside numerous different content material in Highspot permits us to proceed that coaching when wanted mindset the place for rep pulls up a sure advertising content material, it’s, hey, have you ever taken this coaching or, hey, have you ever reviewed these talking factors? So with the ability to meet the reps the place they’re, whether or not they know they want it or not, I feel is admittedly the way you sort of foster that persevering with training is getting them arrange with that structured program, having an space the place they’ve entry to persevering with training on bite-sized subjects. After which,

Lastly, just be sure you’re sort of connecting that content material with the previous trainings which have been finished. 

SS: I really like that, that steady studying journey for the oldsters which are in there. And you’ve got achieved an incredible adoption of energetic learners and Highspot. I feel you guys noticed a 38 p.c improve in energetic learners not too long ago. How do you guarantee reps persistently have interaction with and undertake your coaching packages? 

JP: So I attribute that to essentially the superb work our coaching workforce do in our market enablement group and by giving them a stellar, concise pathway, the reps which are, you realize, that they know will stroll them by way of the journey and get them to the end line, constructing that rapport with not solely the learners, however managers as nicely, like giving them that confidence that we acquired you, proper?

We acquired, we acquired them, proper? Like for managers, we’re going to verify they’re ready with the data. That’s a part of these studying pathways is that managers additionally get that perception into how their reps are performing by way of all of it as nicely. To allow them to keep up a correspondence and actually align with these alternative areas that I used to be talking slightly bit about how on an admin backend facet, like with the ability to rapidly have a look at these analytics, it actually permits you to tailor, hey, how do I focus my vitality and efforts? 

SS: I really like that. Now, going again to your analytics background, if you’re evaluating the success of your coaching initiatives and the general gross sales readiness of the workforce, how do you leverage information to optimize these packages? 

JP: So we have a look at lots of gadgets and I’d say it’s sort of a unending assessment on effectiveness.

It’s taken us some time and we proceed to at the present time, to develop in our understanding of what to do and the way do we alter and make issues higher. You understand, from the time that rep begins to nicely after how have they been performing months, years after a coaching program, after taking it, trying solely information and analytics, however gathering suggestions too, is there something we might have modified to arrange you higher? Suggestions is king, good or dangerous, I feel, by no means be afraid of it. 

SS: I really like that. And since implementing Highspot, what are perhaps among the enterprise outcomes that you simply’ve achieved and do you will have any wins you’ll be able to share? 

JP: Yeah, so I feel from an admin facet, the time to construct pathways, programs, classes has drastically decreased, you realize, we have now saved days with this as every little thing is admittedly easy to create and beforehand the place, you realize, my workforce would have a big hand in constructing out the programs all year long after we arrange the preliminary framework and templates.

We’ve actually been in a position to cross that all the way down to a few of our different devoted coaching groups inside our market enablement to proceed that course of. And the method is easy that, you realize, we simply present that steerage, however they’re those including in that new content material for this system. So this protects them time as nicely.

Saves us time actually permits us to essentially put our efforts towards guiding the reps. After which additionally pondering, hey, how will we innovate and push the boundary subsequent time. After which from a ramp up timeframe, we’ve been actually in a position to give reps not solely a faster timeframe to prepare for his or her function, but in addition get them accustomed to the platform that they are going to be utilizing day in and day trip with Highspot.

This helps with that simple transition, proper? Once they go to their full-time function, the devoted programs and pathways with every little thing captured in a single spot actually permit them to get their studying finished. And concentrate on the each day work and shadowing afterwards. 

SS: I really like that. And I’ve to say one other win I noticed was that you simply shared on LinkedIn that MetLife was named to Fortune’s world greatest workplaces record. And from an enablement management perspective, how do your coaching packages assist domesticate a powerful and wholesome gross sales tradition? 

JP: Yeah, so we have now superb onboarding and persevering with training coaching groups and packages. I feel having an amazing workforce positively helps. I feel one of the best half that we do is admittedly establishing a rep with a recent begin.

It’s not muddy. It’s direct. It provides not solely reps what they want, however managers too. Changing into a frontrunner, realizing that from the management facet that my reps are being taken care of, and I don’t should do all this work myself. And I’ve, you realize, this superb workforce round me. It actually makes the method of getting ready reps to do what they’ve been actually introduced right here to do, and that’s to realize their greatest.

So with the ability to get everybody on that very same beginning floor, simply set them up for achievement and drives us to that wholesome tradition. I not too long ago simply had a brand new rent come on board my workforce and. Simply the way in which we onboard them and get all of them arrange. It was good as a result of I didn’t have that a lot strain on me.

So it actually allowed me to know that they have been in that trusted hand. In order that is likely one of the issues that I feel units in a wholesome tradition of the supervisor has that confidence. After which that rep additionally has that confidence as nicely, getting began. 

SS: Superb. Final query, James. To shut, in case you might give one piece of recommendation to somebody seeking to improve coaching inside their groups, what wouldn’t it be?

JP: I’d say don’t be afraid. Whether or not it’s of suggestions, of change, of information. Use that to domesticate and adapt the world of coaching and know-how is ever evolving and the great thing about the connection we have now these days from boards and conferences and you realize, the works we have now a lot training on the market that don’t be afraid of it.

Take it one by one. Don’t know the way one thing will come throughout to your workforce? Implement a sequence, like have that be a portion of the educational. Possibly have a pilot group — pilot the thought with a sure workforce, see the way it does, ask for suggestions. Don’t be afraid and be daring.

SS: Unbelievable recommendation. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us at the moment. I respect your time. 

JP: Thanks. Have an amazing day. 

SS: To our viewers, thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win podcast. Be sure you tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can maximize enablement success with Highspot.