Grab your dancing shoes, cue the party music, and toss up some confetti because we are C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-I-N-G Sales Enablement turning 1!
We took this opportunity to carve out some time to chat it up with Nikki Poole, SVP, Head of Sales Enablement, to ask her a handful of questions about this past year and here is what she had to say about the development and launch of the S|E team.
Q: When the initial discussion and development of Sales Enablement (S|E) began did you envision the team and work to look anything like it is today?
A: Yes, it’s taken time to get to where we are, and there’s still so much we need to build, but we’re on the right path forward. This team has been absolutely amazing with some of the pivots we’ve had to make; we’re getting there, one step at a time. This next year is a year of big growth and development, we’re constantly focused on the organizational goals and outcomes. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the S|E team.
Q: If you could choose 3 words to summarize your S|E Team what would they be?
A: Grace, Intelligence, Witty
Q: What would you like the organization to know about S|E?
A: Our journey hasn’t been smooth or easy, nor did we expect it to be. We’re a new department; I would even argue we’re a new thought process for Compass Group. We’ve never been a company to adhere to complacency, and the development of S|E shows our leaders’ progressive thinking.
I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people around with the team that I have. From the positions we created to the team of Inside Sellers and Sales Opers I inherited, everyone works their tails off, brings new thoughts and ideas, and constantly strives to bring the best of the best to our sales organization.
I’m so unbelievably grateful I get to work with this talented team.
Q: What do you see in the future for S|E? Growth, contribution, development, impacts –
A: When we developed the Sales Operations team, led by Jon Worswick, consisting of Enablement, training and Inside Sales, we had no idea the impact we could make by creating a close culture, changing processes, and identifying the data needed to increase the value of Inside Sales. To date, they have been CRUSHING IT!
- Inside Sales has helped sell over $120M in revenue thus far in FY23.
- There’s a 67% increase in appointments booked from FY22 to FY23 through P8.
- There’s $292M of revenue in the pipeline (active + pending) that Inside Sales have either booked appointments for or supported through outreach/research.
- They have a 3% conversion rate, which is amazing, considering the industry standard is 2%.
What’s exciting about this is that once we get the Sales Enablement “ecosystem” plugged in with technology and our marketing automation platform, we’re predicting that the conversion rate will double.
As Alix Rice would say, “We’re getting smarter and more efficient” with the changes we’re making. Change is good.
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of our Sales Enablement team, we collectively wanted to pause and reflect on the journey this year has been. As a team, we have set big goals, and we worked tirelessly to identify gaps, streamline processes, and launch new initiatives. But we never lost sight of the fact that all this hard work would be for nothing if it wasn’t relevant to you, the sales team, and our clients. Your input, your candor, and even your pushback have been invaluable to us. Because at the end of the day, feedback is really a gift, and it’s the only way we can truly understand your needs and meet your expectations.
So, here’s to the Sales Team! Thank you for your partnership and your trust.
We are committed to continuing to provide you with the best possible support, guidance, and resources to help you achieve your goals. Here’s to another year of enablement and growth!
With appreciation, On behalf of:
- Nikki Poole, SVP, Head of Sales Enablement
- Jon Worswick, Vice President, Sales Operations
- Agathe Ferri, Vice President, Process Optimization & Strategy
- Regan Medzhibzher, Vice President, Strategic Marketing + Insights
- And the entire Sales Enablement Team
“Coming together is a beginning, Staying together is progress. Working together is success.”
– Henry Ford
