Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Sales Enablement Specialists
Natalie, a Sales Enablement Specialist at Viant Technology, suggests that there isn't a single entry point into sales enablement due to the relative youth of the field, noting that those who "enjoy solving problems, communicating ideas, and making teams and people more effective" can transition from diverse backgrounds like sales, operations and strategy, marketing, or even education-focused roles. This allows individuals to leverage "their expertise and their stories" to contribute to the department's success.
Sales Enablement, Entry-Level Positions, Problem-Solving, Communication, Career Paths
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Natalie Paterson
Sales Enablement Specialist
Viant Technology
Chapman University
Chapman University | M.S. Food Science
Chemistry
Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Sales enablement doesn't have a single entry point, making it accessible from various backgrounds.
2. Skills in problem-solving, communication, and improving team effectiveness are crucial for sales enablement roles.
3. Relevant backgrounds for sales enablement include sales, customer service, operations, strategy, marketing, product marketing, content creation, social media, and education/learning & development.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate or graduate student might consider?
That's a great question. What I find really exciting and inviting about sales enablement is that there's no single entry point.
As a department, it's quite young compared to others in a typical business structure. With no defined single entry point, it allows you to follow your curiosity.
If you enjoy solving problems, communicating ideas, and making teams and people more effective, you can build towards a sales enablement role from many different backgrounds.
For example, anything sales or customer-facing can lead into sales enablement. I came from operations and strategy, more on the back end, and I understood how the company was working and identified gaps.
You could also come from marketing, product marketing, content roles, or even education-focused roles like learning and development. Understanding human psychology and behavior change is also relevant.
For these reasons, sales enablement is a beautiful role. You can bring your expertise, your stories, and your stacked skills to deliver real value to the role and the department.