How do you establish your credibility and authority as a sales enablement expert in your network?

Share - the best enablers are always learning and the best way to do that is to actively share what you are faced with. The best solutions also comes from collective knowledge!

Para estabelecer credibilidade como especialista em capacitação de vendas, compartilhe insights valiosos e práticos em sua rede, como tendências do setor, estudos de caso e melhores práticas. Participe de debates relevantes, oferecendo soluções estratégicas para desafios comuns. Publique conteúdos que demonstrem seu conhecimento, como artigos, vídeos ou webinars, e compartilhe resultados concretos de suas experiências. Construa relacionamentos com outros especialistas e participe de eventos e grupos do setor. O reconhecimento vem ao agregar valor de forma consistente e relevante, reforçando sua autoridade no campo.

Para estabelecer minha credibilidade e autoridade como especialista em capacitação de vendas, compartilho consistentemente insights valiosos e práticos por meio de artigos, webinars e palestras. Demonstro resultados concretos de projetos anteriores, destacando o impacto positivo nas equipes de vendas. Participo ativamente de discussões e grupos relevantes, oferecendo soluções baseadas em experiência e dados. Também busco construir relacionamentos sólidos, onde a confiança é reforçada pela consistência e pelo valor agregado que ofereço. Além disso, mantenho-me atualizado sobre as últimas tendências e práticas, posicionando-me como uma fonte confiável de conhecimento em minha rede.

Enablement is still a new kid on the block compared to other functions in the Corporate World. Believe it or not 30% of my job is constantly educating my Executive leadership, Sales leadership, sales professionals team what enablement is, what enablement is not and how we can help and collaborate. We are all significantly learning from each other. Furthermore, being creative about finding new ways to strategize and implement the Enablement strategy/ies. Sharing stories & chiming in what’s working & what’s not on LI forums, enablement forums, enablement conferences, sales forums etc. Having a rep or a sales leader/CRO highlight how enablement has helped or brought value to their sales funnel, sales quota, sales cycle, business acumen etc.

Host Expert-Led Discussions or Panels Invite sales leaders to participate in live Q&A sessions or webinars on trending topics like AI-driven sales strategies or data-driven decision-making. By facilitating high-value conversations, you demonstrate authority while expanding your professional network.

LinkedIn Articles and Posts are an easy way to get recognition. By sharing your own insights and tagging influencers or industry experts, you can start conversations that increase your visibility. It not only showcases your expertise but also invites engagement from others in your network, including thought leaders. It's a great habit to help catch-up with current trends and listen to others' voices on LinkedIn

Prospecting 101, prospect where your customers are... Get in the conversation with your customers via current influencers as you build your influence 🤑

Here’s how to approach engaging with influencers: 1. Collaborate on content: Co-author articles or create joint webinars with recognized influencers in the industry. 2. Attend industry events: Participate in conferences, summits, and webinars where you can network with other experts. 3. Engage on social media: Regularly interact with well-known influencers in the sales enablement space on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. Comment on their posts, share their content, and add thoughtful insights to their conversations. 4. Join expert panels or podcasts: Volunteer to speak on industry panels or as a guest on podcasts. Being featured highlights your expertise and allows you to reach new audiences.

Don’t just lurk on the sidelines; actively participate in discussions and connect with those who have a strong presence in your field. This doesn’t mean you need to agree with everything they say, but rather, contribute your unique perspective. Attend industry events, webinars, or online forums where you can interact with these thought leaders. Comment on their posts, share their content with your insights added, and even reach out for collaborations. Imagine teaming up with a well-respected figure in sales enablement for a joint webinar—this kind of exposure can elevate your status in the industry. The more you connect with credible names, the more you’ll be seen as an authority in your own right.

Selling to CROs and Sales Directors is like selling to the most skeptical group that knows all the sales, persuasion, influencing tricks under the sun. Instead, focus on deepening the relationship with them. And making sure your method is well-though through for their organization. Personally, I find this approach is more genuine and interesting than flashing testimonials and case studies.

Testimonials that are quantifiable are the gold here. You could list loads of Enablement programs that trained and adopted new solutions, skills, and such but a program that for example sped up late stage pipeline by X % or increased Lead conversation, etc. These stats are worth it's weight in gold. I'd go as far as to say 1 Quanified reference is worth 5 without it or more.

People want proof, and when you share tangible outcomes from your efforts, it reinforces your credibility. Use case studies to highlight how your strategies have driven success. Numbers matter - they tell a story of growth and impact. Don’t forget about client testimonials—they add a personal touch and validate your expertise. When potential clients see real success from others who have worked with you, it builds trust and encourages them to choose you.

If someone chooses to work with you, how can they be sure they will get the result they want? 1. Showcase your results (the results they will also get) 2. Showcase testimonials (the proof that other customers get the result)

You can show off results in several ways: - Case studies: Create detailed case studies that show how your strategies have driven measurable results, such as reducing the sales cycle or increasing close rates. Make these available on your website or LinkedIn profile. - Client testimonials: Collect testimonials from past clients that highlight your effectiveness. Let satisfied clients speak to how your sales enablement services have directly improved their performance. - Before-and-after comparisons: Use data to show clear improvements from before and after implementing your strategies. Metrics like lead conversion rates, pipeline velocity, and revenue growth resonate well with decision-makers.

It's best to make learning part of your everyday work experience. If you sign up for courses or webinars that require a chunk of time investment its more difficult to keep to that commitment. A good idea is to join a social channel, for example, Slack, so if you use Slack for work you can jump in and out without and big commitments. The Sales Enablement Collective have a Slack channel you can apply - just type it into Google and you'll find it :)

Sales Enablement like most professions is about implementing the latest innovations to improve the process... The process rarely changes that much, but the technology around it from AI to BI to CI (Conversational Intelligence) is changing constantly, can you keep up to date as an expert or not and become obsolete 🚨🚨🚨 If you don't have a daily "1-2 R&D hours" then you can't play at my level!!

When I started in Sales, I tried to fake things like eye-contact and a way of speaking that was 100% not my authentic self. A CEO whom I knew well told me "just be yourself" - very generic but now before I talk to a large room I usually open up about ASD/Autism in general. This usually shows vulnerability, which builds trust and therefore immediately helps with creditability. I also try to volunteer as much time as possible to help people in the community. You never know when they will help you with ideas or just having an emotional chat....

Remember this: One of the best ways to prove you're an expert in sales support is by sharing your real experiences — both the wins and the struggles. I once worked on a big project that didn't go as planned. Instead of hiding the mistake, I openly talked about what went wrong with my team and what I learned. Sharing this experience made me more relatable and encouraged others to share their challenges. It's amazing how being real and sharing your knowledge can create stronger connections and build trust in your network.

People buy what they know, like and trust... 🔑 Want to build trust, be authentic 🔑 Want to build more trust, over deliver (be generous) 🔑 Want to build even more trust, be Obsessed about your Solution and let everyone see that!

🌶️ Spicy Opinion Alert 🌶️ — To build credibility as an expert, you need to not only share your insights but be able to back them up with *real work* you've done. AKA be real, be authentic, and back it up! There's a lot of content out there but note which folks/companies speak in generalities vs specifics and who has experience to back it up.

Don’t just regurgitate what popular people in the field say (yes, we see you and it’s obvious). Be willing to share your unique use cases, the good and the bad. Don’t be afraid to have an original idea. There are, of course, foundational building blocks to any industry but it doesn’t mean we stop learning, thinking, and innovating. Someone has to be the first; why not you?

In my opinion, if you really want to establish your credibility and authority as a sales enablement expert in your network, don't demonstrate all the amazing things you know how to do... nobody cares!! Demonstrate only examples of how you can solve their problems 🤑 We care about the technology, they only care about the solution, whether that's with the latest AI or a $5 SaaS plugin 🚨🚨🚨

Enablement practitioners are lifelong learners at heart, so you can’t go wrong with teaching! Here’s what works for me: 1) guest speaking on podcasts, because nothing says authority like dropping knowledge while sipping coffee 2) commenting and contributing to articles—add value, and don’t be shy about sharing your lessons learned 3) sharing behind-the-scenes, first-hand experiences on LinkedIn, don’t gatekeep the good stuff 4) hosting virtual cafecitos with people in your network, because connecting over coffee just hits different even if it’s virtual 5) sharing my work as I launch new projects, and inviting feedback from my network Bottom line is the more you pour into people and help them shine, the more authority you earn.