This article comes from Andrew Raymond’s insightful talk at our Sydney 2023 Sales Enablement Summit, check out his full presentation here.

As a sales enablement leader, what keeps you up at night? For me, it's not the day-to-day enablement challenges – it's how we're investing in and developing the next generation of talent in our field.

I'm Andrew Raymond, Head of Sales Enablement for APAC at Uber. With 20 years of leadership experience and 15 years in enablement under my belt, I've learned a thing or two about developing talent. Today, I want to share with you my approach to building the next generation of sales enablement professionals.

In this article, I'll take you through Uber's sales enablement strategy, the three key principles I use for developing talent, and some real-world examples of these in action. 

My goal is simple: to help you accelerate the growth of your team members, so they can achieve in two to three years what took me 15 years to learn.

So, let’s get started!

Building the next generation

Let's get right to the heart of the matter – how we can support and grow the next generation of sales enablement pros. I've broken this down into three main areas, each inspired by a quote that resonates with me.

1. “Know thyself”

The ancient Greek aphorism "Know thyself" is inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. In our context, it speaks to the importance of organizational and self-awareness.

Know your company

Sales enablement means different things to different organizations. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. It's crucial to understand what it means within your company, but also to have a broader perspective. 

If you know what sales enablement looks like at Xero, Adobe, Oracle, and others, his wider view will help you develop talent that's not just suited for your organization, but for the industry as a whole.

Understand your biases

We all have biases, both personal and organizational. I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased against process. It drives my team crazy sometimes! I'm more inclined towards development, growth, and mindset improvement. 

Recognizing this, I make sure to fill my team with people who are process-oriented to balance things out.

When you're coaching and developing your team, be aware of your biases. Don't just develop them based on your preferences – give them a well-rounded skill set that will serve them wherever their career takes them.

Park your ego

When it comes to addressing organizational and personal gaps, you need to park your ego. A great book on this topic is "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday – I highly recommend it.

Here's a real-world example: During a recent catch-up with one of my team members, we identified that go-to-market strategy was a gap in both our organization and her personal skill set. 

Now, I'll be honest – I don't know enough about go-to-market strategies to effectively coach her on this. So, what did I do? I reached out to a colleague at another company who's an expert in this area and asked if she could mentor her.

The point is, don't let your ego prevent you from seeking outside help when it's in the best interest of your team's development. Be less concerned about potentially losing talent and more focused on their growth.

Coaching For Busy Sales Leaders: Revitalize Performances
Revitalize your team’s performance with Global Senior Sales Enablement Manager, Lidia Arshavsky’s tactics for making coaching more impactful.
Sales Enablement CollectiveLidia Arshavsky