Deep Dive into Sales and Channel Enablement

Kevin Benedict: I'm your host, Kevin Benedict. And I want to thank all of you out there for joining us today. I'm so excited to have Kevin strange with us today. Kevin is the vice president of global sales and channel enablement with Verint. Kevin, thanks for being with us.

 

Kevin Strange: Glad to be with you.

 

Kevin Benedict: Sales enablement, you've made a career out of sales.

 

Kevin Strange: Really have. It wasn't exactly where I thought I would start off, but it's turned into a really great career for me here.

 

Kevin Benedict: So talk to us a little bit about yourself, let us know what you're doing and your background.

 

Kevin Strange: So I'm actually a native of Georgia. So I grew up here. And I started off with this organization, as a trainer inside the organization. And then I knew that my background was in industrial engineering. So I wanted to be in a technical sales environment. So I moved into pre-sales, and I've run pre-sales here in the United States, as well as pre-sales abroad in Europe where I live for two years, then I came back from Europe, and I lived here and began to run business development, solutions marketing, and they just had a really broad set of understanding of the organization, and what it took in order to make an enablement program. So I use all that knowledge to create the enablement program that we have here.

 

Kevin Benedict: Well, you know, that's not always common because I graduated with a political science degree. And I never used it.

 

Kevin Strange: That's often what happens.

 

Kevin Benedict: I can't say I'd never used it. I never used it in politics. You know, you just learned systems and processes in organizations, and then you take that out into the commercial space.

 

Kevin Strange: Is this is your announcement that you're going to run.

 

Kevin Benedict: No, oh boy, no, I know. So what does sales and channel enablement mean to Verint?

 

Kevin Strange: Here at Verint, it means the education and looking at the role of a seller and the knowledge and the skills that are needed in order to be successful in that role. So we want not only to look at the product knowledge but also how to relate to the customers. And we try to do that for both our internal sellers, as well as our direct partners and channels. So the same programs, we try to use remote.

 

Kevin Benedict: Okay, so that might include inside sales, outside sales, pre-sales, and then all those same salespeople in your channels organizations.

 

Kevin Strange: That is correct. So the program, so when anyone is onboarded, as you said, for inside sales, business development, and even other teams outside of sales is, leveraging the program, because you've got the foundational building blocks in order to educate everyone to understand what our value prop is, how to go out and message what it is that we're trying to convey to our customers. So we're trying to get that across to everyone, as well as the process is needed in order to be successful in the role.

 

Kevin Benedict: Okay, Kevin, as an expert, I'm gonna ask you a question is being a good salesperson nature or nurture?

 

Kevin Strange: It is a little bit of both.

 

Kevin Benedict: Okay, talk to me about that.

 

Kevin Strange: So from a nature and nurture perspective, you've got to have that desire to want to be with your customers and understand them and take on their business problems and look at it from their perspective. So that requires some things that are innately in you, that is about what is happening to my customer, but then there's also the nurturing to go out and help your customer understand some things that they may not have known. So then I begin to go out and help bring them in and help educate them and bring them to the next place. And that's what we try to do here within a moment. Programs at Verint help our sellers build that relationship with the customer, as well as bring them new ideas to help bring them and lead them along to the next steps.

 

Kevin Benedict: Wonderful. So what do sales in channel enablement look like? Is it a series of in-classroom things? Is it online learning? Is it books they're supposed to read? What does that look like?

 

Kevin Strange: All of the above. So from my training and education perspective, we look at it in three different ways. So we look at the book knowledge that you would have to get, there's also the applied knowledge and able to demonstrate that you absorb that information, and then what happens within the field. So we leverage a couple of different techniques in order to do that. Obviously, there's some online training with the world the way it is today, mobile learning and being able to have that information at your fingertips and at your own pace. So we offer some online training, when you first start to the prerequisite, then we go to live training. So you get an opportunity to hear from our experts, the subject matter experts, understand the technology, understand the positioning and understand the business challenges. And then we begin to test you on that. So we test that knowledge by having done case studies, role plays, and that begins to make sure that it's becoming your own. No one wants to talk or purchase from a robot they want, right feel like you're a real person. So we do all those things together, and then we do, of course, some infield training and follow-up. So we try to use a several-pronged approach in order to make a holistic program for everyone.

 

Kevin Benedict: Now you guys do a lot of work with call centers. So when it comes to sales enablement, for those that are sitting in the call center, are there tools that are reacting to conversations going on that help a person guide them through responses and how to respond to different issues?

 

Kevin Strange: Definitely. So one of the things that Ben has done in the technology that we've deeply developed is the ability to not only record the interactions that are happening, whether you're on the phone or you're talking, you're emailing or chatting with someone, we have the ability to look at that and analyze it. So we can do speech analytics, text analytics, and we can do that in real-time. So then we were able to take that information, pump it against the database, and then see what suggested moves needs for the customer. Here's something that the customer needs to be offered. Here’s a way to answer that question, to try to speed it up and make the experience for the customer as smooth as possible. So we're trying to make that the best process no matter how you interact with any of our customers, then we want those experiences to be a burden on the best in the business.

 

Kevin Benedict: So Kevin, how important is sales and channel enablement to Verint?

 

Kevin Strange: It's one of the key factors of the organization as a publicly-traded company. Obviously, hitting Wall Street numbers is very important. Sales and customer success are very important to us making those numbers so that we get our customers to purchase more products from us and continue to hit those numbers. So we've got to make sure that our sellers understand the business problems that our customers have, how to go in with those and solve those first problems, but then how to begin to expand that footprint. And so they have to have the knowledge and the understanding of the broad portfolio, and how to make that work for our customers.

 

Kevin Benedict: So how success measured at Verint. For sales enablement.

 

Kevin Strange: We, within the program itself, the online training world automatically has knowledge validation. So I'm checking that book knowledge that inside and then, of course, the roleplay. So when you're doing roleplay, we have the capability with our learning management system to have people rehearse their information, and then it's really looked at by a subject matter expert. So then we're able to see that you are beginning to develop the skill and the competency to go out into the field in the field and we begin to measure that performance with a lot of long-form. So when someone from the outside is able to look at that and make sure that you're hitting all the criteria. And all of that gets pushed into a dashboard that allows us to look at you from beginning to end and look at your performance. But ultimately, it's measured by the numbers. If you're actually hitting those numbers in those deals, it is sales, after all. And the numbers really tell the truth.

 

Kevin Benedict: Of course, they do brilliantly. Yeah, how do you take that same kind of accountability and measurement out to a channel environment?

 

Kevin Strange: We leverage the exact same program. So all of the learning materials that we use, all of the measurements that we have, we do the same thing for that channel partners. They come to the same classes. They use the same technologies. They have the same tools. The only component that we don't do is the monitoring of their infield face to face because we're not with them in the sales. So we leave that up to their managers. So we try to teach our channel managers to teach their managers how to measure for these things so that we can come back and make sure to close any gaps that they may have found.

 

Kevin Benedict: Terrific. So you've been in sales enablement and channel enablement for a long time. So how have you seen it evolve during that time? How's it different today than it was back 10 years ago.

 

Kevin Strange: When I first started with the enablement program, we were really focused on it, especially being in technology. We were focused on the technical underpinnings of the technology and features and functions. And people weren't really talking about a lot of the business and the impact and the change that was happening as we've evolved the program and what customers are demanding because they've done so much research on the web. They know the features and functions. Now they want to understand the outcome. How were you going? How am I going to use this technology to get an outcome for my organization? How am I going to reduce costs? How am I going to increase sales? Which of your technology will help me do that? So over the years, we have begun to change the content and the information that we train our sellers on to have those types of conversations. And I see a lot more companies beginning to make those transitions because the other technical information is so readily available. So the way.

 

Kevin Benedict: So that's the part of the digital transformation that is impacting sales enablement. So much of it is pushed out there. There are how-to videos. There are experts talking about different things out there. So they can come to you pretty educated.

 

Kevin Strange: They can come pretty educated.

 

Kevin Benedict: So that is a higher level of sales. Almost.

 

Kevin Strange: We wanted to be able to have conversations at all levels inside the organization. And we want to make sure that our sellers are able to have not only those conversations for where customers today, but also be that thought leader to be able to provide them that additional information to where they might want to be. And that's where we spend a lot of time helping them understand those things.

 

Kevin Benedict: So when you're lying in bed, and you're thinking about the day, what are the biggest challenges you'd have to deal with around sales enablement.

 

Kevin Strange: Is making sure that our sellers understand that they're not in this alone, that although we have a very large portfolio, that there's a value add team to help support them, and how to make sure to leverage the team, as well as the information that we're providing to them. So taking that and drawing it out in that picture and coming up with that strategy. In order to be successful out in the field.

 

Kevin Benedict: Not everybody can have two decades worth of experience, can they?

 

Kevin Strange: No, not everyone can package it.

 

Kevin Benedict: Yeah. So they can focus on where they need to be and then reach out for help.

 

Kevin Strange: Reach out for help.

 

Kevin Benedict: And have it there. Excellent. So what do a best-in-class kind of sales enablement and channel enablement environment look like? What are the components that make it up at a high level?

 

Kevin Strange: I think you have to think about it in the way that a what it's going to take in order to be successful. So I'm going to have to transfer knowledge to the individual mean that hasn't changed since we were all in great. So I've got to go in and be able to transfer that knowledge. And then so look at the best, most efficient way to do that, with the introduction of mobile technology, people want to be more mobile. So you have to make sure that that that ability to get to that content is readily available on mobile devices. And not just in an office environment. When you move from there that you want to make sure that the person has the ability to show competency with that knowledge, are they able to handle it in a roleplay type situation, so that I can see that you're beginning to process it and think it through because it's a sales meeting is not scripted, it is something that's going to go on and have a flow to. And so you want to make sure that you can think quickly and process that information. And then ultimately, you want to make sure that the customers are getting what they want, making sure that the seller understands that these are customers for life. If I can do the very best for the customer, and help them achieve their goals, then they'll buy more products from me and anyone, anyone else that's in the program.

 

Kevin Benedict: So are you guys selling subscription kinds of products, monthly subscriptions to products now?

 

Kevin Strange: Yes, we have moved all of our products into the cloud. So now you can purchase our products, whether on-premise or in the cloud, and you're a hybrid, depending on how the customer wants to do it. So one of the strengths of the Verint offering is to be able to let the customer decide how they want to deploy the technology when they want to deploy the technology. And then we'll meet them wherever they are.

 

Kevin Benedict: So when it kind of started moving to that subscription model, the cloud-based model, how did that change your approach to sales? Because it's not just a one and done, right? You need to be taken care of them all year long. So they subscribe again. And again. So how did that change? Did you have to change your methodology and how you sell?

 

Kevin Strange: In the way that we sell because the technology itself is the same, we didn't change the way we sell. It's more on the way that the customer wants to adopt and deploy the technology that the cloud has made its biggest impact. Because one of the great things that Verint has done with our technology is that whether it's on-prem or it's in the cloud, you're getting the exact same technology. So we don't have there isn't a feature that I need to take away or something I need to describe differently because it all works the same. And with that, our sellers are able to just carry that and then allow the customer the opportunity to say, you know, how do you want to deploy them? How do you want to take advantage of this, and we'll meet you where you are?

 

Kevin Benedict: Got it. So, what kinds of platforms technology systems are you guys using? In sales enablement?

 

Kevin Strange: Excellent. We're using a learning management system, UL, which is formerly known as learn share, so that's what I use to deliver my content to them. We use an authoring tool called articulate Ron, so that's what our developers develop the training game. We also have our sales enablement platform, which we call Pathfinder, which is built on Microsoft SharePoint. So that allows us to serve up all the tools that are needed so if it's a PowerPoint or PDF document, or what facts and other documents that you want, so that houses that information and it is accessible, as I said, mobile from anywhere, so sellers can log into the portal, get any information they want, and share that with the customer. And so, those are the three major technologies that we have deployed inside the organization.

 

Kevin Benedict: So Kevin, are you restricted to training humans only? Or have they asked you to take that sales enablement skill and help them with chatbots and things like that as well.

 

Kevin Strange: We haven't moved to chatbots selling all of our is to still with humans. I can see as we move more and more into the cloud, some of the products that we have could possibly be sold in another way. So something for me to think about.

 

Kevin Benedict: Yeah, interesting. Because I've had projects where we were actually going through the sales processes, what are the questions that really come up? What are the possible answers? And if you answer this, what are the follow-up questions they're going to be and building that into either text bot, you know, bots on text or just chatbots do is pretty interesting.

 

Kevin Strange: That’s a pretty interesting way.

 

Kevin Benedict: I bet you they'll knock on your door sometime.

 

Kevin Strange: I'm sure that's coming from the headset.

 

Kevin Benedict: So what else do you see? If you were to put on your futurist hat? And you are looking ahead 10 years? How do you think your job is going to change and the requirements are going to change as things continue to evolve in a digital world?

 

Kevin Strange: I think the obviously the chatbots is one that's happening and not see that just being the prevalent move is, how do I make it more mobile? How do I make it more accessible? How do I begin to leverage all the technologies that are available? So I think we're in a very digital age. So is there more training that can be done in a digital process, where I can just go in and just in time, get information to go on and serve myself? So I see us almost educating the customer. And using a lot of things that we would have predominantly given to the sellers, giving it to the customers, and then just helping our sellers marry those two together and move it forward. So I'm seeing a lot more technology being deployed and new ways to go in and help people educate.

 

Kevin Benedict: That's fascinating. So I imagine we already are seeing more and more intelligence being pulled into the system. How do you see artificial intelligence helping salespeople today?

 

Kevin Strange: I see artificial intelligence, looking at what materials to use based on things that you know about the customers. So it's one of the things that we're inside of our Pathfinder tool is in our sales, briefcases actually looking at what materials this is the information I know about the customer and intelligently serving up information to give to the customer see, it’s just more and more in tune with what information I know, taking that information and having the system go in and say send them this document, send them this information. We deployed a piece of technology early in the year called self team, which allows us to look at what materials are being used in the field, what things are being sent out. So now we're able to see which ones are having the biggest impact. And then, information can help drive us as to what materials to recommend to other sellers who are in similar situations. So we're starting to use as much artificial intelligence as we can, where we are today inside of our organization.

 

Kevin Benedict: That's brilliant man, thank you for sharing your decade's worth of sales and channel enablement expertise with us.

 

Kevin Strange: It was wonderful. I enjoyed sharing and talking to you soon about other things that we're doing.

 

Kevin Benedict: Yes. And I want to thank all of you guys out there for joining us today.