In accordance with The Occasions, staff now face a mean of 9 organizational adjustments per yr, up from two earlier than 2020, resulting in elevated change fatigue. So, how will you lead a change administration technique to assist reps successfully navigate these adjustments?
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 developments within the office and tips on how to navigate them efficiently.

Right here to debate this subject is Sobia Younus, the senior supervisor of gross sales studying and enablement at ApplyBoard. Thanks for becoming a member of us, Sobia. I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position.

Sobia Younus: Certain. I actually admire this chance. So I’m main the gross sales studying and enablement staff at ApplyBoard, a number one ed-tech platform that’s reshaping how worldwide college students entry international schooling. So I lead a worldwide gross sales enablement framework that focuses on efficiency course of and folks and my position.

Spans all the things from onboarding and ever boarding to efficiency enchancment initiatives that firsthand influence the income. However to rewind a bit, my journey has by no means been linear, and I imagine that’s been my power. So whereas I’ve all the time been rooted in worldwide schooling, my area of interest has all the time been B2B and B2C gross sales, and that helped me construct a robust understanding of consumer habits, market developments, and develop by significant engagements.

I’ve been with ApplyBoard for nearly six years. I initially joined the CX staff, which gave me perception into the coed journey and operations aspect of how purposes are being processed. From there, I transitioned into the gross sales position the place I gained the firsthand expertise of navigating the sphere.

Lastly in 2021, I moved into gross sales enablement, and that’s the place all the things got here collectively. It blended my ardour for schooling, my CX basis, and my love for gross sales efficiency into one objective pushed position. I feel right now I focus extra on constructing scalable strategic enablement applications that construct and drive income, empower folks, and join the dots between studying, progress and outcomes.

Personally, to me, and I actually wanna share that, I imagine that for me, enablement is the place storytelling meets the technique. That’s what make it so thrilling, and what excites me probably the most about my work right now is the mix of technique and human habits. Most significantly, understanding how folks be taught, they keep motivated, and the way the best device and messaging can flip a gross sales staff right into a excessive performing empowered drive. That’s why I’m so excited to be right here right now as a result of platforms like Highspot make an actual distinction. 

SS: Superb. Properly, we’re excited to have you ever right here, and given your in depth expertise in schooling administration, I’d like to be taught from you what are a few of the distinctive challenges that reps within the trade face, and the way can enablement assist them navigate these challenges?

SY: In order that’s a vital topic. So probably the most distinctive elements of worldwide schooling trade is how deeply it influenced by exterior components like immigration reforms, international mobility developments, and even geopolitical shifts. So not like different industries the place salespeople can depend on comparatively steady merchandise or markets, schooling is commonly on the mercy of forces past management.

And consequently, salespeople on this area aren’t simply promoting a service. They’re truly navigating fixed change, managing expectations, and sometimes having to realign their technique in actual time. And an excellent instance is what just lately we noticed final yr, the federal government launched caps in your worldwide pupil permits and tightened eligibility for post-graduation work.

Permits. So these adjustments had a right away influence on pupil demand, additionally program choice and college preferences. So virtually in a single day, our gross sales rep has to grasp the implications, shift focus away from applications that now not align with pupil objectives and reposition alternate options that also supplied sturdy attraction to college students.

That is the place enablement turned mission essential. And an apply board. We don’t simply see enablement as a static operate. It’s a actual time strategic engine that principally helps enterprise agility. So inside days of these updates, our staff not solely delivered the periods, so we created and rolled out gross sales performs and up to date speak tracks and Highspot.

We designed objection dealing with methods on Highspot to assist our. Salespeople reposition choices with readability and assurance. So in brief, we didn’t simply inform, we outfitted, so that’s essential. Our objective was to show uncertainty into readability in order that salespeople may carry on constructing belief and drive influence by their communication.

And I imagine that enablement additionally reinforces a tradition of agility. So in industries like ours, change is inevitable. However when enablement is finished proper. It truly turns into a aggressive benefit. 

SS: Superb. And I do know that at ApplyBoard, you truly switched off a earlier enablement platform and moved to Highspot. What motivated you to reevaluate and alter your enablement tech stack? 

SY: So once we initially constructed our enablement infrastructure at Apply board. Our main focus was on structured studying. So naturally our, you recognize, tech stack leaned in the direction of a standard LMS. It served its goal at the moment, like constructing, onboarding programs and observe completion.

However as our gross sales group matured. So did the scope of our wants. So we realized that enablement couldn’t simply dwell in siloed coaching modules. It needed to be built-in into the every day circulation of labor. And our gross sales staff wanted not simply studying, however related and updated assets and actual time help to navigate, you recognize, fast-paced trade adjustments.

So in brief, we would have liked greater than an LMS. We wanted a real enablement platform that might operate as a CMS, a single supply of reality, and I’d like to name Highspot a strategic one-stop store. In order that’s what motivated our ship to Highspot. We needed a one-stop answer the place onboarding and ever boarding coaching and gross sales performs and aggressive insights all may dwell collectively.

A platform that doesn’t simply share information, but it surely provides. To our salespeople once they want it in a manner that matches how they work. So it was a mindset shift from how can we practice folks to how we allow efficiency? And Highspot gave us the ash to simply try this. 

SS: Change administration is totally essential, particularly throughout main product or coverage updates. What are a few of the frequent pitfalls that organizations can face throughout change and the way can they keep away from them? 

SY: It’s a really essential subject, and it’s typically underestimated and never as a result of organizations don’t acknowledge its significance, however as a result of they assume communication alone is sufficient. Probably the most typical pitfalls is treating change as an announcement fairly than a correct course of.

So when main product updates or you recognize, adjustments occur, particularly within the trade like worldwide schooling the place exterior shifts might be sudden and excessive stake, merely informing groups isn’t sufficient. It’s essential allow them. So, and different pitfall that I wanna point out over right here is failing to attach the why behind the change.

So, if gross sales reps or CX groups don’t perceive how an replace or change a product shift ties again to their objectives or the consumer’s objectives. It normally creates resistance. Or worse disengagement. So change with out readability results in confusion. And I all the time imagine that change with no correct plan results in chaos.

So yet another typical misstep that I wanna point out over right here isn’t planning for reinforcement. So even when the rollout goes easily, however with no steady enablement, like fast one pages or speak tracks, or life eventualities and gross sales place, belief me, all habits will return. Folks default to what they know when issues get robust, you recognize?

However at ApplyBoard, we’ve realized this by the exhausting manner, that efficient change administration begin with empathy and finish spend with enablement. So we guarantee groups perceive the work, the why, and the way of each change, and we don’t cease at emails. We offer area prepared instruments, align managers as change champions, and use platforms like Highspot to make assets simply accessible and observe the engagement, which is essential.

So everyone knows that change is inevitable, however chaos is non-compulsory and you are able to do wonders when you deal with enablement as a bridge between technique and execution.

SS: In your opinion, what’s the strategic benefit of an enablement platform when navigating change? 

SY: So, in my view, the strategic benefit of an enablement platform throughout particularly the time of change, is straightforward.

It turns info into motion at scale and in actual time. So change, particularly within the fast-paced industries like worldwide schooling. Typically creates a spot between what the enterprise is aware of and what the sphere wants. So product evolves, insurance policies, they modify and market fluctuates. But when your gross sales groups can’t entry the best info on the proper second, belief me, execution suffers.

So that is the place an enablement platform turns into mission essential. It simply centralizes the phrase, the why and the way of develop into one cohesive expertise. So as a substitute of scattered emails, you recognize, outdated decks or reactive coaching periods, you get a single supply of reality, which is up to date, which is searchable, related, and embedded within the every day workflow.

I’m so glad to say that at Highspot has given us the power to roll out updates with precision and velocity, and when main adjustments hit, you recognize, just like the current PGWP reforms, we will reply with focus gross sales performs, up to date speak tracks, coaching modules, and enablement briefs in a single place. We aren’t simply informing the salespeople, we’re empowering them to behave instantly with readability, with the best message.

In order that’s the benefit of a robust enablement platform like Highspot, that it turns develop into motion. It aligns groups to maintain a transparent narrative, provides clear visibility into what’s working, additionally serving to you execute with assurance and keep forward. 

SS: And I do know Performs have been a key lever in serving to your reps navigate change, equivalent to, you recognize, with a current authorities coverage replace that impacted your go-to-market technique, how did you leverage performs to help this initiative and, and guarantee international staff alignment?

SY: So to be very trustworthy, Gross sales Performs have grow to be considered one of our strongest instruments for driving readability throughout moments of change. An awesome instance, as you mentioned, and I discussed earlier as nicely, the IRCC updates final yr, that considerably impacted which applications and establishments have been possible for college kids making a sudden shift in our go-to market method as nicely.

So we knew that with out fast and arranged actions, this might result in inconsistent messaging, confusion within the area and you recognize, misplaced belief with our shoppers as nicely. So we leaned closely on gross sales performs and Highspot to deliver construction to the chaos. So first we labored cross-functionally with the product staff CX and the market knowledgeable to streamline these adjustments into actionable insights.

So we took it this fashion, so we assist them perceive what it meant. What was altering and the way it impacted our shoppers and the scholars. Then we created some tailor-made gross sales place that included up to date speak tracks to assist salespeople place alternate options with with readability and empathy and segmented faculty lists like highlighted eligible and ineligible applications, advised outreach. Templates and objection dealing with method. Additionally, we did some dwell enablement periods to stroll them by our technique and create some area for q and a as nicely. However most significantly, subsequent steps for the salespeople. And since the gross sales play lived in Highspot, we may monitor.

The engagement, the utilization, and the adoption globally. So this gave us clear visibility into the place reinforcement was wanted and allowed the regional leaders to help their groups extra successfully. And truthfully, in moments like these gross sales performs are a automobile for alignment, readability, and assurance. They assist us go from reactive to proactive insurance coverage.

Our groups aren’t simply knowledgeable, however they’re prepared. 

SS: That’s spectacular. And also you additionally applied a Studying Tuesday initiative to drive engagement, which has helped you obtain a outstanding 91% recurring utilization in Highspot. Might you share extra about this follow and, and the way you’re driving adoption of the platform amongst your reps?

SY: So probably the most essential classes that I’ve realized in my enablement journey is that this. If you wish to construct a tradition of studying, don’t push your salespeople, stroll of their sneakers. So perceive their actuality, their pressures, and the way they spend their day and apply aboard are salespeople are continuously participating with shoppers, pitching a number of locations, serving to shoppers navigate a number of faculties and applications.

So for them to be efficient, readability is all the things. And it comes from understanding your product, your vacation spot, your message by coronary heart. And that perception formed our method to drive Highspot adoption as nicely. So as a substitute of simply treating enablement as a guidelines, we give attention to making studying related, well timed, and helpful.

In order that’s the place Studying Tuesday was born. It’s a recurring initiative, you recognize, to share brief, impactful studying that matches simply into the circulation of the week. So every Tuesday we select a selected focus space of our gross sales staff, whether or not it’s like a vacation spot or a college or a program or any product replace and construct a supporting asset and a fast quiz in Highspot to offer well timed, sensible useful resource that aligned with what salespeople are actively navigating within the area.

So the objective was easy. Like make studying a part of their workflow, not an interruption to it, you recognize? And it’s crucial to grasp. And since we use Highspot to focus on success tales throughout the groups. So this method helped us attain a 91% recurring utilization fee and Highspot, as a result of salespeople weren’t being instructed to be taught.

They selected to be taught and it was as a result of the belongings and focus areas have been so related, well timed, and assist them, uh, do their jobs. And I imagine that and its rating that enablement isn’t nearly sharing info. It’s about supporting folks by giving them the best instruments and add the best time and serving to them see the distinction it makes 

SS: Once more, spectacular. And as a outcomes pushed chief, what are a few of the key metrics that you just observe to successfully drive change initiatives? 

SY: That’s an excellent level. And you recognize, one that actually displays how enablement has advanced as a operate, particularly in ApplyBoard, so early in our en enablement journey. Like many different groups, we’re primarily targeted on the floor degree metrics, like variety of views and variety of belongings considered, and or how typically an asset was considered.

However we rapidly realized these numbers might be deceptive. For example, if two folks considered three belongings 100 occasions, the view rely could look spectacular, but it surely doesn’t let you know something about who’s participating, how many individuals are participating or whether or not it’s truly driving behavioral change. So we took a step again and requested ourselves that, what does significant engagement seem like?

What truly indicators that our enablement efforts are influencing efficiency. In order that led us to create a extra targeted Highspot efficiency, you recognize, engagement framework, one that truly prioritizes influence over bulk. So we began monitoring. Metrics that confirmed the complete image of how salespeople have been utilizing and making use of enablement of their work.

I’ll share some examples, like variety of distinctive folks viewing the belongings, not simply the whole views, month-to-month and weekly hours spent on Highspot, each total and segmented by the tasks. Additionally, the completion charges of assessments and the onboarding programs. Particularly tied to the onboarding milestones and likewise initiatives like Studying Tuesdays.

Additionally, engagement with the gross sales gamers and the sphere instruments, particularly through the moments of change. And once I say engagement, I imply time spent on these belongings and the way many individuals considered the belongings, and most significantly, a correlation. Between Highspot engagement and gross sales OKRs, like win charges or ramp-up time.

So this shift truly helped us transfer from reactive reporting to proactive resolution making. So as a substitute of simply understanding what’s being clicked or now we perceive what’s truly getting used. What is definitely being retained and you recognize, what is definitely impacting their efficiency. So it has helped us enhance our, you recognize, Highspot method by eradicating the low performing assets and focusing extra on what truly helps our salespeople within the area.

And I imagine that an enablement metrics shouldn’t simply measure exercise. They need to measure momentum. And while you give attention to the best ones, they grow to be a strong lever for driving lasting change. 

SS: Superb. Properly, Sobia, I’m hoping you may share with me. Since implementing Highspot, what enterprise outcomes have you ever achieved and do you’ve any wins you may share?

SY: So many. I can gladly say that. So many wins since we began utilizing Highspot. So many wins. So we’ve got seen some clear enhancements in key gross sales. Efficiency metrics that help our enterprise objectives. Whereas many issues can affect outcomes like market adjustments or staff progress, however enablement has performed a vital position in retaining that progress going.

Like I mentioned earlier in worldwide schooling and ed tech sector, issues transfer quick. We’re all the time coping with adjustments, immigration updates, and new info, and on the identical time, we’re rising rapidly and bringing in folks from all types of industries. So some with gross sales expertise, however little worldwide schooling expertise and information and others with the alternative.

So enablement helps bridge that hole early on. This combine truly led to longer ramp up occasions, like longer than usually 50 to 60 days. As a brand new rent, they have been studying about each the product and the schooling sector. So you recognize, it was taking lots of time for them to be taught all of that. However by constructing a construction.

Position particular onboarding program inside Highspot. We modified the sport, our onboarding program. Now delivers vacation spot coaching, platform fluency, and course of enablement multi function centralized, searchable area, excessive sport. In order a reserve, we’ve efficiently introduced ramp up time slightly below 30 days on common.

So the acceleration has had a transparent influence on early consumer engagement and income readiness. Highspot simply didn’t, you recognize, assist us set up the asset. It helped us succeed. Efficiently execute onboarding, scale their studying throughout borders, and you recognize, put together salespeople to thrive in probably the most dynamic industries on the market.

Additionally, I can say this with assurance that enablement helped translate develop into motion, and Highspot was the strategic engine that allowed us to try this with speeds, scale and readability. 

SS: Final query. When you may share one essential lesson realized out of your expertise supporting teenagers by change, what wouldn’t it be?

SY: So, one very essential and essential lesson that I’ve realized is that profitable change isn’t about having all of the solutions. It’s about creating alignment, belief, and momentum. So I’ve seen that groups reply greatest once they perceive the why. Really feel heard within the how. Can see themselves within the what’s subsequent? So change sticks when it’s not simply applied, however actually internalized.

And you recognize, that’s the place gross sales enablement performs a vital position by equipping groups with the best messaging, well timed coaching, and actionable assets to navigate change with readability and assurance and platform like Highspot make that occur efficiently at scale. 

SS: Sobia, once more, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. I actually admire your insights. 

SY: I actually admire that you just having me right here. It’s a pleasure and I really loved sharing, you recognize, the entire expertise and studying. 

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.