Kristen Gleason is a senior sales and technical education consultant for RSA, The Security Division of EMC. She is responsible for sales training and course development. Kristen is a seasoned training and development professional with more than16 years of experience at leading organizations, such as Monster Worldwide, Comverse, and Putnam Investments. She also has been a presenter at several industry events, including Online Learning, ASTD, SHRM, and NEHRA, and was featured in the T+D Magazine article, "A Monstrous Welcome." Connect with Kristen on LinkedIn.
What is the scope of your role?
I help sales reps advance their selling skills and develop their knowledge of RSA’s solutions, services, and value proposition. I participate in all aspects of sales training, such as needs assessments, training design and development, facilitation, evaluation, and follow-up activities. My role requires updating existing sales programs, courseware customization, and offering additional training guidance and support.
What does a typical day in your life looks like?
I develop e-learning and instructor-led training courses, along with meeting with subject matter experts (SMEs), sales managers, and sales reps to determine or refine training objectives and materials. I also participate in additional training activities, such as brainstorming sessions or video production.
What are the top three projects you are working on at the moment?
Currently, I’m developing an e-learning course for one of RSA’s products, and will be assisting with the creation of customized RSA products sales playbooks. Eventually, I’ll be involved with associated sales personas and role plays videos. I’m also collaborating on a sales bootcamp for one of RSA’s premier products. This particular bootcamp is an intensive three-day event that includes a combination of presentations, sales activities, review exercises, whiteboard demonstrations, role plays, and case studies.
What is an area within sales enablement where you particularly shine?
I enjoy facilitating classes based on my course development. This oftentimes is a combination of working with SMEs, researching ideas, and determining the best blended learning approach I’ve also created my own training library, based on previous projects, that has been a helpful resource.
If you could have three wishes granted to make your job easier, what would they be?
More time, more resources, and more budget! However, that seems to be the norm in any organization. The trick is to be creative with what you have.
How did you get started in your career? Since then, how has your career evolved?
My original focus was to be a high school English teacher. However, after I graduated, I decided to check out the corporate business world. I worked in different industries, such as finance, advertising, and hi-tech. I soon realized that I had a passion for teaching in a corporate environment. I took a position as a training administrator and started to learn more about the training and development field. After obtaining my Masters in Training and Development, I worked in various training positions which allowed me to determine the right fit.
What skills or competencies did you need to advance in sales enablement? How did you gain those skills?
Listening and communication skills are critical within sales enablement. It’s imperative that I truly understand the needs of the sales organization in order to determine the appropriate solution(s)—which may or may not include training. As with any skill, listening and communication takes practice. Some things that have helped me was having candid (and sometimes tough) conversations, being open to feedback, learning from past mistakes, and keeping abreast of different tips and techniques, such as the information in ASTD’s Sales Enablement Community.
What is one of the greatest lessons you have learned from your career journey?
Always be curious and see what opportunities are out there. Don’t expect anyone else to do it for you—or you may be waiting a long time. I’ve reached out and presented best practices to several training and HR associations, which allowed me to make additional connections. I’m a big believer of sharing challenges, ideas, examples, and so forth. If someone is able to benefit from my experiences, then it’s time well spent.
It’s also important to know what new technologies are available. At the very least, try to understand what’s out there and be able to “talk the talk.”
Who do you look to for guidance and support? What about that relationship is most valuable?
I’m fortunate to have a manager that provides the guidance and support I need. He is open to new ideas and suggestions and will work with me to develop appropriate solutions. I know he has my back and values my ideas and opinions. For me, having a good relationship with my manager is a key reason why I would stay or leave an organization. It is extremely important!
What are your go-to sources for professional inspiration and development?
My co-workers and I are very collaborative and share a lot of ideas. I’m also an active ASTD and LinkedIn participant.
What are you reading? What books and blogs would you recommend?
I just re-read 6 Habits of Highly Effective Teams, and I am now reading Now You’re Thinking – Change Your Thinking, Transform Your Life. I’d also recommend ASTD’s sales blog posts. One blog I recently contributed is titled “Sales Onboarding Deep Thoughts.”
How have you seen the sales enablement function change in the last 10 years?
The training perception has finally shifted from being viewed as a “nice to have” to a “need to have,” which is great. Sales executives are seeing the value that training brings to their organizations and how it directly impacts the bottom line.
We still have some work to do in terms of specific ROI measurements, but we’ve started to see results in terms of time to productivity. We’ve also heard a lot of management anecdotal feedback, which is gold in terms of our perception and level of trust and respect.
What are you most excited about in the profession today?
There are many job opportunities for training professionals in a variety of industries. This growth validates that training professionals are recognized as valued business partners. We are now invited to sit at the executive table, instead of asking for a seat.
What advice would you give a young sales enablement professional?
Be inquisitive. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s usually a question that someone else wants to ask, or one that no one even thought of. Also, take chances. If you have an idea to improve a process or promote something, even if it’s unrelated to your job, do it! Taking initiative will help you stand out and get recognized within your organization.
Would you like to post a question to the community?
What type of follow-up activities do you have in place in order to make your sales training stick? What are the delivery formats (video, email communication, webcast, e-learning, and so forth)?
