Based on analysis from Gross sales Enablement PRO’s State of Gross sales Enablement Report 2023, when reps perceive the successful behaviors that can assist them enhance efficiency, they’re 74% extra prone to successfully replicate them with consumers. So what position does efficient coaching and training play in an general enablement technique?

Shawnna Sumaoang: Hello and welcome to the Win Win Podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Be part of us as we dive into altering traits within the office and methods to navigate them efficiently. Right here to debate this matter is Malia Di Salvo, senior supervisor of coaching effectiveness at Upwork. Thanks for becoming a member of, Malia! I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position. 

Malia Di Salvo: I’m tremendous excited to be right here. A bit about myself, as you talked about, I lead the coaching and effectiveness workforce right here at Upwork. Beneath my purview, we’ve got gross sales coaches, we’ve got onboarding that’s a part of my scope, in addition to a frontrunner enablement program known as lead up.

A bit bit about me, I’m in Seattle, Washington so I’m simply getting in to benefit from the fall climate. I’ve a grasp’s in instructing. I’ve been a salesman, a gross sales chief, in enablement, main onboarding, teaching, and all these enjoyable issues. This has simply been actually the chance to marry a variety of my passions into one position and be capable of play a component within the strategic imaginative and prescient and serving to our gross sales groups and go-to-market groups actually change into efficient. Marrying all my favourite issues collectively now. 

SS: I like that. As you talked about, you concentrate on each coaching effectiveness and gross sales teaching at Upwork. Inform us about Upwork’s strategy to coaching and training what are the important thing parts of your enablement technique and the way do coaching and training each play a task on this?

MD: One of many issues that actually drew me to Upwork was the truth that that they had a gross sales coach workforce and we’re increasing it and constructing it. Having been a gross sales coach prior to now, I acknowledge the impression that coaches can actually have on the subject of not simply driving rep conduct and talent change, however in the end income.

One of many issues that drew me was the truth that that they had a portion on this workforce. Coaching and effectiveness to me, on the subject of our general enablement technique is actually about effectiveness, like precisely what the workforce is. With enablement, we associate intently with our advertising and marketing workforce. We have now a content material enablement workforce that we actually work intently with after they construct playbooks or speak tracks, after which we launch the coaching and the pull-through. 

Coaching and effectiveness, to me, are one of the paramount elements to pulling that enablement technique ahead and thru all the way in which to software to competency to mastery. We’re integrally tied to our enablement in addition to our general technique on the subject of driving income and impression.

SS: I like that. We have now this theme right here at Highspot to assist others perceive what beauty like. What does good appear like for gross sales coaching? In different phrases, what makes for an efficient coaching program? 

MD: Positive, I feel the general finest search for coaching is that if it’s tied into bigger strategic initiatives for the org. What are the overarching OKRs? Our OKRs ought to align again up into the go-to-market organizations and all the way in which up and thru. Attractiveness like having the ability to tie your initiatives to these larger-scale initiatives and begin displaying the impression you’re having on these initiatives.

I prefer to say that with enablement and with coaching and training, it’s actually laborious to say we’ve prompted these success metrics, however have we correlated with them? What a part of the equation had been we when it got here to attaining these general strategic initiatives? Have been we a part of the equation? Anybody who’s in enablement is aware of it’s actually laborious. There’s a variety of squishiness in enablement when it’s like, did we make an impression or not? I feel it’d be in the event you tie it into these bigger initiatives, so you’ll be able to present correlation to having achieved these, and that’s the place it actually exhibits the impression.

I really feel like on the subject of a number of the packages that we’re doing to realize these OKRs and these larger-scale packages, you begin progressive metrics alongside the way in which. For instance, if we’ve got a sure large-scale OKR from the CRO or Gross sales VP or whoever that could be. What are a number of the packages we tie in place to tie again into them? In the event that they’re trying to obtain X quantity of income by the top of the yr or by the top of the quarter, we are able to have a look at some packages to start out rising a number of the main indicators to tie into these final targets. 

If we concentrate on setting extra internet new conferences or higher {qualifications} or issues like that, will we see a rise in a few of these main indicators understanding that they may impression the lagging indicators? That’s the place the correlation begins to return in, and that’s the place the enablement program occurs. You want to have the ability to present that pull by way of that you just had been capable of do, not simply launching one thing, however the reinforcement, after which the last word indicator is like, oh, we noticed an uplift in these new conferences and new alternatives I’m protecting, understanding that that can in the end result in a number of the bigger scale packages and initiatives. 

SS: I like the way you guys are ready to attract that correlation. I’ve the same query about gross sales teaching. What, out of your perspective, does good appear like for gross sales teaching, and what are possibly a number of the core parts of an efficient teaching program?

MD: I imply, there are anecdotal and empirical methods to say what beauty like with teaching. My coaches each come from gross sales, so that they’re very empirical. They’re like, how do I do know I’ve been profitable? How do I do know what I’m doing is making an impression on these groups? Since they arrive from very black-and-white conditions the place it’s like, you had been profitable at this time, you’re profitable this month, otherwise you weren’t, there’s that anecdotal and empirical kind of approach. 

Let’s begin with the empirical. Will we see an uplift in any metrics? For those who began teaching a rep and also you’ve had them in your roster for X period of time, did you see an uplift in a number of the conduct and the indications you had been making an attempt to impression? It’s actually case by case since you may need one rep and that is very situational as effectively. You may need one rep who is actually fighting attending to the facility within the deal. They’re having hassle gaining government alignment. The teaching technique is on that. We have a look at, did we get a rise within the VP plus alternative or personas added onto these alternatives. Somebody may need been struggling to shut offers, so the coach is available in and actually focuses on why aren’t you closing offers as strongly. Oh, effectively, they’re not creating urgency sufficient earlier within the gross sales course of. We will begin trying on the deal to maneuver from stage one to stage two quicker. 

On the empirical aspect, there are a number of methods you’ll be able to have a look at that correlation. Once more, I’m going to say correlation as a result of the coaches are working tightly with the gross sales management as effectively. There are a number of issues coming at them to assist drive this explicit conduct set. You may see the correlation on the empirical aspect. Anecdotally, it’s actually like, do the reps get excited to satisfy with them? Are they like, hey, can I be in your roster this subsequent month, or are the leaders like, hey, can so and so be in your roster this subsequent month? They get an ideal Slack message on the finish of the session like this was actually nice and impactful. You actually helped me shut this deal. 

With regards to what beauty like, it truly is twofold. There’s empirical and anecdotal, and you’ll have a look at it and I really feel like it’s important to take each of them into consideration as a result of. As a coach, individuals should wish to meet with you so that you can be impactful. That’s the place the anecdotal is available in earlier than the empirical may even occur. 

SS: Completely. Now, I do know, particularly this yr, a variety of organizations are hyper-focused on how they will enhance productiveness, particularly amongst their revenue-generating groups. How can real-world teaching assist to scale the productiveness of a gross sales workforce? 

MD: That’s an ideal query. I feel proper now nowadays, everyone seems to be being requested to do extra with much less. We’re off the groups which are impacted by rifts and layoffs. You may have the gross sales groups that had been minimize drastically and are nonetheless having to drive income. How do you actually concentrate on probably the most impactful a part of your income workforce to do this? One of many issues that I discuss and that we’re actually trying to concentrate on as effectively right here at Upwork is transferring the center. How do you determine probably the most strong group of individuals the place the marginal advantage of them rising their quota attainment by 1% will exponentially enhance your income and productiveness targets?

The A gamers and the non-A gamers, we’ll say, the D and F gamers, that’s the place the leaders can actually lean into that. That’s the place you’d be that the gross sales coach aspect of the home can actually lean into the center and concentrate on their productiveness. How will we, once more, get extra with much less, however not simply essentially extra, however higher conversations, higher high quality conversations, extra energy within the deal, and more practical methods to create urgency? We actually attempt to concentrate on the center portion, as a result of once more, that’s the place we discover if we see the rise in productiveness, the rise in offers, the rise in quota attainment, that’s actually going to drive our income targets in a complete, in a complete new route.

The teaching workforce can actually assist the leaders concentrate on and double down on that as effectively. To have the ability to assist obtain a few of that productiveness and people income targets that we nonetheless should hit. Each firm nonetheless has to hit. 

SS: Completely. How do you guys leverage Highspot to assist convey your teaching technique to life?

MD: Our firm, our org is about up a bit otherwise than different corporations. Our enablement operate and our gross sales enablement operate concentrate on our content material enablement. They dwell in our advertising and marketing division, and so my workforce lives within the ops division. We work actually intently with our content material enablement workforce to have the ability to develop playbooks, develop performs, develop speak tracks, and all this stuff to have the ability to double down and reinforce. We associate intently with them to construct that content material out, after which we launch the dwell coaching. We launch any e-learns you may must have as effectively. 

It’s a double-down strategy. We will use Highspot as effectively for reinforcement and to make sure we are able to get the insights we want. Anybody in enablement has heard of the Kirkpatrick mannequin for measuring success. I feel we use Highspot and acknowledge that Highspot is a good asset to us as we glance to measure that impression. For degree one for response, we are able to get the coaching survey and possibly do a fast pull to see if it was impactful, however for degree two and degree three, you begin seeing the conduct, the training, enter, and impression. You are able to do the position performs and have them uploaded in Highspot. We have now the reinforcement materials. Who’s accessed it? Who’s been within the playbook that we created? Did it assist drive a deal ahead? 

It’s an actual method to get that empirical knowledge the place it’s actually laborious to enablement, a method to proceed that progressive measurement of success by using the device correctly you’ll be able to actually begin getting these insights. You may also see who hasn’t utilized it and get some suggestions on why you aren’t there. Why haven’t you used it? We will pivot shortly as effectively to make sure that the fabric is as used as doable if you’ll. 

SS: Do you have got any wins or finest practices you’ll be able to share in regards to the outcomes of leveraging Highspot for gross sales teaching?

MD: It’s all wins to me. Anytime we are able to make the most of a device to see what’s working, and what’s not. That is the start of the yr we launched a program known as Gaining Government Alignment. As with each different firm on the market, as we’re all making an attempt to get our individuals as geared up and enabled as doable, having energy on the deal is actually vital.

We partnered with our enablement workforce to construct out the content material and playbook for gaining government alignment collection. We had been capable of have a progressive collection program the place we did three totally different dwell periods. We did some content material and playbooks related to it. We had been capable of not simply use our dwell coaching, but in addition our content material workforce to have the ability to measure who’s using it. How is it working? We proceed to nonetheless use it. We noticed that after we targeted on it, it actually helped you, however we noticed a reasonably respectable enhance in really getting energy on offers and establishing new conferences with the best individuals as effectively.

We’re capable of again that into insights we use from it. If the particular person’s getting good, getting extra offers or they’re getting extra energy on offers, after all, even within the Highspot, lots using a number of the speak tracks and the playbooks that we’ve got. There’s a straightforward correlation to make. For those who use it it really works.

SS: Now, we’ve talked lots about ongoing coaching and training, however I do know that you just guys are additionally utilizing Highspot to assist together with your onboarding course of. Inform us a bit bit extra about that and the way you leverage Highspot in your onboarding program. 

MD: We’re really in a revamp of it too proper now, and I used to be simply talking with Nikki, who’s our proprietor of Highspot over right here at Upwork. Traditionally, we’ve used it for e-learnings and getting them on the trail for that, however as we glance to revamp our onboarding program and make it a extra, I received’t say progressive, however for lack of a greater phrase, progressive strategy in direction of a real ramping expertise versus this sort of like exponential curve after which fall off.

We’re how we’re going to be using Highspot to have that have be much more interactive with our new hires. Can we’ve got a brand new rent touchdown web page the place each new rent goes to the web page, they is aware of precisely what their journey is, the place they’re on the journey, what e-learnings are occurring that week, what milestones we name them, and what assessments are coming down. We’re really revamping it and going to be doubling down on our Highspot utilization for our new rent coaching to actually make it a way more singular supply of fact for our new hires to return in. 

It’s not so, go to the search bar and discover it, and right here’s e-learning. It’s going to be a one-stop store. I’m excited for what we’re going to be doing. I do know that it’s going to be much more impactful to our new hires. It’s a brand new approach that we’ll be using Highspot. One of many different issues we’re going to be doing with our new rent expertise is as we’re constructing out this content material or revamping this content material, what I feel we’ve discovered is that governance is actually laborious as we like having individuals leaving the enterprise or transferring into new roles. We have now to go in and replace any e-learning or any movies the place they had been in. 

We’re additionally ensuring we’ve got facilitator guides in order that anybody who does are available can take over shortly. We’re going to start out using AI. You realize, ding, ding, ding, the time period of the quarter of the time period of the yr. How will we convey AI into a few of our e-learnings and issues too, to actually make it a way more normal strategy versus a particular gross sales chief or particular person chatting with it? We’re additionally going to take a look at how we’ve got a gated approach inside Highspot to have all of those facilitators, like form of the backend, like with that leaders can entry particularly the place it holds all of the facilitator guides, holds all of the depth.

If it’s like, oh shoot, this chief’s out this week, within the Highspot hyperlink, right here’s the facilitator information, right here’s the deck you’re going to be presenting to the one who could be filling in for them. We’re going to be trying to develop over how we use Highspot for our new rent occasion. We’re engaged on the plan this quarter with a possible launch in Q1, or Q2. I’m excited to see how that seems and the way that’s going to impression our new hires coming in. 

SS: Superb. Properly, I’m enthusiastic about these plans as effectively. You guys are doing superb already. You guys have included Highspot coaching and training into everyday workflows of your reps, and also you guys are already seeing an 83 p.c recurring utilization, which is superb. I feel adoption and utilization are actually crucial with a view to be sure that you’re seeing that supposed conduct change. My final query for you, gross sales leaders clearly play a really crucial position in reinforcing conduct from the highest. How do you allow gross sales leaders to successfully help their groups and reinforce the worth of coaching and training?

MS: Nice query. I bought to provide enormous props once more to Nikki, who’s our supervisor over at Enablement. She owns, runs, and actually drives that adoption for Highspot. She’s an unbelievable associate. I couldn’t do that with out her. Reinforcement is the important thing on the subject of any enablement packages. I feel we’ve got all been at corporations that had coaching rollouts, no matter that could be, new packages, new merchandise, new pricing, new methodology, and it’s like, oh, nice. We’re going to be sitting on this coaching and let’s verify the field and get it completed after which the following shiny factor occurs and that’s all fizzled out and forgotten. 

Reinforcement is a large a part of success for any program or something you’re making an attempt to launch as everyone knows, however it’s additionally the toughest factor to do. What we’ve been trying to do, particularly understanding that leaders have a lot on their plate, is enablement groups are sometimes a workforce of 1 or two. How do you scale that reinforcement? How do you allow and supply the leaders with the instruments that they want that will help you reinforce that? How we use Highspot is after we’ve got coaching for a few of our bigger scale packages, we create what’s known as a gathering in a field. It’s easy, however it’s a one-sheet that ties out just a few decks that may present some extra workforce huddle supplies, and one-on-one questions to assist proceed that dialog.

With leaders, we attempt to make it so simple as doable, understanding that their days are insane and slammed. I’ve mentioned it earlier than and I’ll say it once more, I feel frontline leaders have the toughest job in any group. That center supervisor, you’re actually managing up, down, throughout in so many various methods. In enablement and coaching, our job, on the subject of ensuring that we get conduct and talent change and that these coaching are impactful, is on that reinforcement and that sustained movement. Whereas we rely on the leaders lots, how will we make it as straightforward as doable? 

We create this assembly within the field, we share it with the leaders afterward, after which we are able to, utilizing Highspot, have a look at who’s really getting in and using that useful resource and that device. It does a couple of issues. It’s like, okay, they’re using it, it’s being adopted like that’s that degree two of Kirkpatrick, we’re beginning to see it. We will see who’s not utilizing it. Once more, it’s an effective way to go and see if somebody’s not using it, why not? Our objective is to get 100% of our leaders using our content material and no less than getting in there to evaluate it and be capable of pull by way of to the applying.

It’s a method to additionally get suggestions and actually determine the not, the non-adopters, which is to me the important thing. Who’s not using it and why not? We will shortly iterate shortly, by seeing who’s not really getting in there and getting some insights from Highspot. We will go in actually shortly and be like, Hey, Mr. Gross sales chief, let’s have a fast dialog, a few questions. My prospects are the gross sales leaders, so I wish to know what’s not working in order that we are able to make it proper in order that they’re using it and their groups are impacted as effectively.

SS: I like what you guys are doing. It helped to allow your gross sales chief. You guys are doing a implausible job there at Upwork. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us at this time. 

MD: This was superior. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having such an ideal device too. We’re enormous Highspot followers over right here.

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