--- layout: handbook-page-toc title: "Field Enablement" --- ## On this page {:.no_toc .hidden-md .hidden-lg} - TOC {:toc .hidden-md .hidden-lg} ## How to Communicate with Us Slack: [#field-enablement-team](https://gitlab.slack.com/archives/field-enablement-team) ## Mission Help customers successfully grow and evolve in their journey with GitLab to achieve positive business outcomes with effective enablement solutions aligned to [Gitlab’s values](/handbook/values/). ## Strategy
## Key Programs * [Sales Onboarding](/handbook/sales/onboarding/) * [Command of the Message](/handbook/sales/command-of-the-message) * Continuous Learning * [Customer Success Skills Exchange](/handbook/sales/training/customer-success-skills-exchange) * [Sales Enablement Level Up Webcast Series](/handbook/sales/training/sales-enablement-sessions/) * [Sales Training Resources](/handbook/sales/training/) * [Field Certification Program](/handbook/sales/training/field-certification) * [Sales Manager Best Practices](/handbook/sales/field-operations/field-enablement/sales-manager-best-practices) * [Field Flash Newsletter](/handbook/sales/field-communications/field-flash-newsletter/) * Sales Events * [Sales Kick Off](/handbook/sales/training/SKO) * [Sales QBRs](/handbook/sales/#quarterly-business-reviews) * [GitLab President's Club](/handbook/sales/club/) ## Handbook-First Approach to GitLab Learning and Development Materials Chat between David Somers (Director, Field Enablement) and Sid Sijbrandij (CEO)
### Key Discussion Points * Our [Mission](/company/strategy/#mission) is that Everyone Can Contribute, and our most important value is [Results](/handbook/values/#results). Like we've extended that to the Handbook, we want to extend it to our Learning Materials. * We want to leverage the best of an e-learning platform, with the benefits of reminders, interactivity, and more but make sure the materials we produce are also available to those who aren't using an e-learning platform, while fulfilling [our mission](/company/strategy/#mission). * There are benefits to keeping our e-learning material [handbook-first](/handbook/handbook-usage/#why-handbook-first): * Folks who have already completed a formal training through an e-learning platform may want to return to the materials * Those who never go through the formal platform may also benefit from the materials * The handbook continues to be the SSOT, with the e-learning platform leveraging handbook materials through screenshots, embeds, and more ## Six Critical Questions inspired by _The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business_ by Patrick Lencioni 1. **Why does the GitLab Field Enablement team exist?** See our [Mission](/handbook/sales/field-operations/field-enablement/#mission) 1. **How do we behave?** On our best day, we show up with a positive attitude while demonstrating [GitLab’s values](/handbook/values/) along with the following behaviors to overcome the [Five Dysfunctions](/handbook/values/#five-dysfunctions): - **Trust**: Extend trust, actively listen, and assume noble intent; give and receive feedback with respect and solicit feedback often - **Embrace Healthy Conflict**: Engage in constructive conflict for the purpose of achieving shared goals & objectives; resolve personal issues, quickly and directly - **Commitment**: Support decisions once decisions are made with a GitLab team-first approach - **Accountability**: Hold ourselves and each other accountable while encouraging each other & celebrating successes - **Results**: Strong drive for results and a focus on the customer; demonstrate passion for continuous learning & improvement 1. **What does the Field Enablement team do?** * Define, coordinate, and/or lead the development and delivery of effective enablement solutions (training, technology, knowledge, content, process, and tools) for GitLab sales reps, Customer Success professionals, and partners * Lead facilitation of prioritized behavior change in the GitLab field organization * Serve as a champion for the field – ensure they are regularly informed about relevant business and organizational updates and have access to enablement materials necessary for day-to-day work * Collaborate cross-functionally with key stakeholders including Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Sales Ops, Product, and PeopleOps 1. **What does success look like?** The below is a work in progress as we define success measures across each stage of the customer journey: * **Engage & Educate the Customer** * Increase # of rep-sourced opps * Accelerate sales cycle time and improve conversion of MQLs to SAOs * Accelerate and improve predictability of new rep ramp time * **Progress the Opportunity & Close the Deal** - * Increase # of closed deals per rep * Accelerate sales cycle time and improve conversion of SAOs to Closed/Won deals * Increase average sale price (inclusive of improved product mix to sell more Premium/Silver and Ultimate/Gold) * Accelerate and improve predictability of new rep ramp time * Improve forecasting accuracy * Improve win rates * **Retain & Expand** * Improve renewal rates (inclusive of up-sell and cross-sell) * Accelerate customer time to value * Increase breadth of stage adoption 1. **What is most important right now (2HFY20)?** 1. Field certification program (Sales, CS & Partner audiences) 1. Sales methodology & process * Command of the Message & MEDDPICC operationalization 1. Functional onboarding training for Sales & Customer Success roles * Continued execution & ongoing iteration to accelerate time to productivity for new field team members 1. Support launch & expansion of new GitLab channel partner program * Embrace partner enablement as an extension of GitLab Sales and Customer Success enablement 1. Standard operating procedures for Sales & Customer Success * Sales process documentation * Sales enablement to reduce the dependence of SALs & AEs on SAs 1. Improve learning experience via enhanced L&D tooling * LMS/LXP selection & implementation 1. Launch sales/field communications strategy 1. Continuous learning * CS Skills Exchange, Sales Enablement Level Up Webcast series 1. Improve sales asset management (in collaboration with Marketing) 1. Sales events support (SKO, QBRs) 1. **Who must do what?** * **[Director, Field Enablement](https://about.gitlab.com/job-families/sales/director-of-field-enablement/)** - Create a clear vision for the future that connects the Field Enablement vision & mission to the GitLab and GitLab Sales strategy - Oversee direction of current & future portfolio of Field Enablement programs - Help the team prioritize, where appropriate - Empower, trust, and support team members to develop strategies & tactics to achieve the vision - Remove obstacles to achieving that vision - Motivate and inspire team members and set the tone for team norms - Build & maintain meaningful influence across GitLab - Lead global Sales Kick Off (SKO) strategy planning and execution efforts with cross-functional team (including Sales, Corporate Marketing, Product Marketing, and more) - Expand professional knowledge and subject matter expertise by attending workshops/training, networking, and reading relevant publications, blogs, books, etc. * **[Program Managers: Enterprise Sales, Commercial Sales, and Technical Sales / Customer Success](https://about.gitlab.com/job-families/sales/program-manager-field-enablement/)** * **[Sales Training Facilitator](https://about.gitlab.com/job-families/sales/sales-training-facilitator-field-enablement/)** * **[Sales Communications Manager](https://about.gitlab.com/job-families/sales/sales-communications-manager/)** ## Field Enablement groups, projects, and labels * **Groups** - Use the GitLab.com group for epics that may include issues within and outside the Sales Team group - Use the GitLab Sales Team group for epics that may include issues within and outside the Field Operations group * **Projects** - Create issues under the “Enablement” project * **Labels** - **Team labels** - `field enablement` - issue initially created, used in templates, the starting point for any label that involved Field Enablement - `FieldOps` - label for issues that we want to expose to the VP of Field Operations; these will often mirror issues with the SCE: priority 1 tag, particularly those relating to OKRs and other prioritized projects by Field Ops leadership - **Stakeholder/Customer labels** - `FE:CS enablement` - label for Field Enablement issues related to enabling Customer Success (CS) roles - `FE:sales enablement` - label for Field Enablement issues related to enabling Sales roles - `FE:partner enablement` - label for Field Enablement issues related to enabling Partners - **Initiative labels** - `continuing education` - label for issues related to continuing education - `career dev` - label for issues related to career development - `FE:new request` - label for new requests originating outside of the Field Enablement team - `field certification` - label for issues related to https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/sales/training/field-certification/ - `field communications` - label for items that include work by/with the Field Communications team within Field Enablement - `force management` - label for issues related to Force Management engagement - `vff` - label for Value Framework Feedback - `vff::new` - starting point for Value Framework feedback - `vff::accepted` = Value Framework feedback that will be actioned on - `vff::deferred` = Value Framework feedback that will be deferred until more information is gathered - `vff::declined` = Value Framework feedback that is declined (no action will be taken) - `onboarding` - label for issues related to onboarding - `sales enablement sessions` - label for weekly virtual sales enablement series - `sko` - label for issues related to Sales Kick Off - `status:plan` - used in conjunction with sales enablement sessions to indicate when a session topic has been prioritized but not yet scheduled - `status:scheduled` - used in conjunction with sales enablement sessions to indicate when a session topic has been prioritized and scheduled - **Priority labels** - `FE priority::1` - Home runs (high value to GitLab and high likelihood of success that align to S&CE OKRs) and committed to completion within 90 days. This category will be limited because not everything can be a priority. - `FE priority::2` - Big Bets (high value to GitLab, lower likelihood of success) within 90 days - `FE priority::3` - Small wins (lower value to GitLab, high likelihood of success) within 90 days - `FE priority::Backlog` - Things in the queue not currently being worked - `QBR` - Requests from Sales QBRs * **Boards** - [Field Enablement Board](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-com/sales-team/-/boards/1191445?scope=all&utf8=%E2%9C%93&state=opened&label_name[]=field%20enablement) - [Sales Enablement Sessions Board](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-com/sales-team/-/boards/1231617?&label_name[]=sales%20enablement%20sessions) - [Customer Success Skills Exchange Board](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/sales-team/cs-skills-exchange/-/boards/1414538)