An Interview with Michelle Sushin, CS Enablement Manager, Led by Allison Sword, Global Communications Lead at Wise

Allison Sword: Welcome, Michelle! To start, could you share a personal quote about Customer Success Enablement?

Michelle Sushin: Absolutely! “Empowering post-sale Customer Success teams with the right tools and processes to drive value, build relationships, and enable their customers to thrive.”

Allison: That’s a powerful statement. How did you get into the enablement field?

Michelle: My journey began as a Customer Success Manager, where I frequently trained and coached my clients. I realized I could apply those skills internally to benefit my team. Working at a start-up allowed me to wear many hats, and I naturally gravitated towards enablement. I started by creating and documenting the sales handoff process, which I then rolled out to the sales team. From there, I initiated various projects, including monthly customer-facing newsletters and prospecting one-sheeters for sales. Eventually, I transitioned from an external customer-facing role to becoming the “nucleus” of the revenue team.

Allison: That’s an incredible journey. In a few sentences, can you tell us what enablement means to you?

Michelle: I see myself as the Customer Success Manager for the CSMs. Just as CSMs aim to make their customers successful, my role is to train and coach them for success, helping them exceed their goals and grow professionally.

Allison: That’s a great perspective. What is one enablement tool that is a must-have for your team, and how do you measure its effectiveness?

Michelle: GONG is an essential tool for us. It provides a wealth of data and insights. Last year, I became Program Manager certified in Gong, learning how to leverage its data to identify gaps, gather insights, and create training and coaching plans. I particularly appreciate the scorecards and the new note-taking functionality, which promotes strategic listening and reduces manual note-taking for CSMs and salespeople.

Allison: Gong sounds like a game-changer. What skills do you possess that make you successful in an enablement position?

Michelle: Having been a CSM, I understand firsthand the challenges of the role. This experience allows me to empathize with team members, bringing credibility and the ability to connect on a personal level. It’s all about understanding their hurdles and helping them overcome them.

Allison: That empathy and experience are invaluable. How do you see enablement changing over the next five years?

Michelle: I foresee more opportunities in CS Enablement. Historically, Customer Success has been overlooked, but with about 70% of revenue typically residing with post-sale teams, it's crucial to continue developing those directly working with customers.

Allison: That’s a significant insight. Finally, what books, networking groups, podcasts, or resources do you recommend for enablement enrichment?

Michelle: WISE is, of course, a fantastic resource. I also value the networking opportunities on Slack via the Sales Enablement Collective and the Enablement Squad. For Customer Success, I try to attend as many CS-specific webinars as possible to gather information that I can pass on to my team.

Allison: Thank you so much, Michelle. Your insights are incredibly valuable, and I’m sure our audience has gained a lot from this discussion.

Michelle: Thank you, Allison. It’s been a pleasure to share my experiences and thoughts on enablement.

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'