For my third and final installment of our in depth look at Citrix and the sales productivity challenge we tackled, I’ll focus on the resource step of our five-step process – listen, explore, resource, measure, communicate – and how we built the right team of people to make the initiative a success. See an overview of the project here and a detailed look at how Citrix measured success here.
Identifying the right team for your sales enablement initiative
Once the system architecture was established and the solution identified, I started building the team. I knew it would take an entire village to raise this “child” we called sales enablement, so I sought five people from inside and outside the company, most of whom were not part of the existing global sales enablement organization, to directly focus on the sales enablement platform. I wanted people who would own the solution and make it excellent in its implementation and ongoing legacy.
The first addition was a project manager. I looked for someone who could get into the weeds and build and execute on a comprehensive communication plan. The project manager also needed to be able to build political and technical alignments, as well as understand how to successfully implement a system and have it adopted within Citrix. Based on those criteria, I brought an internal person onto the team. We needed a project manager who would not necessarily own the project long term, but would take ownership over the success.
Since governance was one of the primary problems, this role required someone who understood that it wasn’t about policing or restricting, but more about a plan and accountability, facilitating with resolve to a destination. Given those requirements, I hired someone for the governance and reporting role from outside the company who had experience working through this type of transition, could hold different groups responsible, and wasn’t already invested in a process or solution.
I looked at Citrix’s internal resources to find an onboarding and education expert because it was important for that person to have intimate knowledge of our company. That was also true for the channel person, as the project needed someone who really “got” our complex, two-tier distribution channel model and specific details about how we go to market.
I also sought a SAVO expert who had implemented the solution in other companies and would be a fresh face and voice of experience on the team, and then would be able to train, teach and ultimately hand off responsibility to the field. That person would also lead the entire project and bring daily focus to it, taking responsibility for it and the team and be the ultimate champion. I gave myself the role of removing obstacles, creating vision and collaborating with the people who know better than me.
I had a vision, but I also had a team who delivered on that vision, who rolled up their sleeves and overcame things I could never have anticipated. To be successful you need to find those people who are wholeheartedly invested and who are dedicated to grinding it out.
Now, we want to hear from you!
How has your company resourced your sales enablement initiative? Did we overlook a role that was critical in your project? Did you build the team from outside or within the company? What challenges did you face when assembling your team?
Add your comments below. We’re excited to hear from you and have you join the sales enablement conversation!
