WiSE: What led you to transition from your role as a management consultant to becoming an Enablement Manager, and how do you feel your previous experiences prepared you for this transition?  

Katie Van Hoomissen:  I began my career as a management consultant, working mostly with Marketing, Revenue Operations, and Sales leaders at Fortune 500 companies on go-to-market strategies. When I decided to transition out of consulting, I began looking for roles that related to my favorite consulting projects, many of which had been with Sales teams, and offered a way for me to stay close to business development, which was one of my favorite responsibilities as a Manager at my firm. When I came across an Enablement Manager position, the description seemed like a great fit. I liked that Enablement allowed me to focus most on customer-facing teams, while continuing to partner with the different cross-functional teams I had worked with as a consultant. After I made the jump to Enablement, I found that there are many transferable skills from consulting to Enablement (I summarized them in this article). I have also found that Enablement is a great space to transition to as it attracts practitioners from a diverse set of professional backgrounds and is a relatively new formal discipline within many organizations.

W: What role do you see conversational intelligence (CI) tools playing in the Enablement tech stack, and how have they specifically benefited your teams in terms of scaling programs, measuring impact, and fostering collaboration across GTM teams?  

KV:  Conversational intelligence (CI) tools are a critical part of any Enablement tech stack because they allow Enablement teams to scale their programs and measure impact. In our increasingly remote and distributed work environment, it is impossible to observe GTM teams in the same way we have in the past. Using a CI tool provides valuable insights and saves Enablement, GTM teams and their leaders countless hours since they no longer have to be on every call to understand how teams are engaging with buyers, using materials, and adapting to new learning. CI has helped my teams spot trends, identify areas of opportunity, build and iterate on scalable programs, and share knowledge across GTM teams. We have also used the data gathered from CI to show the impact of Enablement programs on our business. 

W: What strategies or resources have you found most valuable for continuous learning and professional development in the field of Enablement, and how have they contributed to your growth and effectiveness in your role?  

KV:   In Consulting, consuming industry thought leadership and researching best practices was a core part of my role and I have found the same to be true in Enablement. One of my previous Enablement VP’s referred to diving into Enablement as a discipline and networking with industry peers as “Enablement for Enablement.” Enabling oneself is important to maturing Enablement as a function within a business and developing personally in an Enablement role. Below are some of my favorite outlets for learning about all things Enablement.

• Books. I have found “The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement” by Mike Kunkle and “Sales Essentials” by WiSE Co-Founder, Rana Salman particularly insightful. 

• Podcast. I regularly listen to the “The Audible-Ready Sales Podcast” by Force Management.

• Networking Groups. Women in Sales Enablement (WiSE), Sales Enablement Collective, and The Enablement Squad have all been foundational in establishing my network within the Enablement community. 

W: What are the core skills you believe are essential for success in an Enablement role, and how have these skills contributed to your effectiveness in delivering impactful programs?  

KV:   I have found that program management skills are important, regardless of your level in Enablement. Enablement teams need to be able deliver strong, comprehensive programs, on time. My program management skills help me proactively address dependencies and risks, while defining key performance indicators to gauge the impact of my programs on both the GTM teams I partner with and our overall company goals. 

An ability to collaborate well cross-functionally and communicate clearly are also key to success in an Enablement position. It is essential in Enablement to convey information to GTM teams and facilitate collaboration between various departments, while remaining clear and concise. My team and I use these skills every day as we spend much of our time crafting written communication, delivering compelling training, and working with others to drive alignment across GTM teams.

In addition to the skills above, you can learn more about my thoughts on “Must-have enablement skills and why you need them” at the Sales Enablement Collective. 

If you're a woman in enablement and would like to be interviewed for the site,

 email WiSEGlobalContact@gmail.com with the subject line, 'Interview'