Sometimes I feel like the word survey is a "bad word" in Enablement. I totally get the overuse but if used strategically, sparingly and thoughtfully - surveys can be incredible impactful tools to gather information at scale and incorporate feedback from your target audience.
I'm most often asked for my tips for getting started in an enablement role and how to set it up for success to be a strategic function over a reactive support role. One of the concepts I've evolved as I've started enablement functions at three SaaS organizations is the concept of a Leadership Landscape Survey.
The purpose of this survey is to gain a quick perspective of your critical stakeholders in leadership. While it is not a formal needs analysis, this can be used in a variety of ways - the main result should be an understanding of their current perspective of enablement and enablement-related topics. As with most enablement, this should be created to scale - meaning it can be used when a strategy needs to shift/reset or when new leaders join to understand how much investment will be required to get the new leader on board with the current enablement strategy from their baseline experience coming in.
Here's a similar breakdown of one of the most recent surveys I leveraged. Please note the language here is casual and conversational based on the company culture. Adjust verbiage and tone to fit the organization you are a part of!
Context
Hi Revenue Leaders! The purpose of this form is to help get a lay of the land of leader
experience and professional preferences. This survey is NOT a test or performance
management in any way. The intent is also to not list everything you know but really drive at
the true areas of influence that you are passionate about!
Outside of general awareness, there are a few goals that we hope will be served by these
results:
1. Majority responses with positive sentiments could inform the need for evaluating/scaling
tools, coaching frameworks or methodology
2. Responses may identify Subject Matter Experts or internal champions for key initiatives
3. This information is a good baseline knowledge for me to leverage as the new leader as I onboard so we can have more meaningful conversations in our initial meetings!
There are three parts to this form:
1. Role Association (1 min)
2. Preferences (3 min)
3. Enablement Specific (1 min)
Role Association Section
[Select One] Please select the title delegation that is most aligned with your level. (Manager, Sr. Manager, Director, Sr. Director, VP, SVP, CRO, etc)
[Select One] Which segment do you represent? (Micro, SMB, Commercial, Enterprise, Strategic, Revenue Business Partner, Other, etc)
[Select One] What team do you represent? (XDR, AE, SC, CS, PS, etc)
[Select One] How long have you been with the organization? (Ranges from 0-1 to 5+)
Preferences
In this section you can collect preferences on technology, methodology, coaching frameworks, learning styles, aspirational organizations, etc.
[Select all that apply] Please select Learning Management Systems (LMS) you have previously worked with AND found to work well for your teams. (Potential options to provide: Allego, Brainshark, Bridge, Cornerstone, Docebo, Lessonly, MindTickle, SalesHood, Showpad Coach (formerly Learncore), Skilljar, Workramp, None, Other (Enter free text below)
[Free Text] Please share any other LMS you have found useful with your previous teams that may not have been included in the list list above. AND if there are any LMS where you have had a significantly negative experience - please share that as well. You have a strong stance on something? This is your opportunity to share it!
[Select all that apply] Please select Content Management Systems (CMS) you have previously worked with AND found to add value for your teams. (Potential options to provide: Brainshark (acquired BigTinCan), Guru, Highspot, MediaFly, Seismic, Showpad, None, Other (Enter free text below)
[Free Text] Please share any other CMS you have found useful with your previous teams that may not have been included in the list list above. AND if there are any LMS where you have had a significantly negative experience - please share that as well.
[Select all that apply] Please select SALES METHODOLOGIES/TRAINING you have previously worked with AND found to work well for your teams. (Potential options to provide include: Challenger Sale, Command of Message/Command of Sale (Force Management), MEDDIC/MEDDPPIC, Proactive Selling (Skip Miller) Sandler, Solution Selling, SPIN Selling, Strategic Selling (Miller Heiman), Value Selling, None, Other (Enter free text below)
[Free Text] Please share any other Methodologies you have found useful with your previous teams that may not have been included in the list list above. AND if there are any Methodology where you have had a significantly negative experience - please share that as well.
[Select all that apply] Please select COACHING MODELS or FRAMEWORKS you have previously worked with AND found to work well for your teams. (Potential options to provide include: GROW Model Situational Leadership BRIDGE Miller 17 Score More Sales / Objective Management Group None Other (Enter free text below)
[Free Text] Please share any other Methodologies you have found useful with your previous teams that may not have been included in the list list above. AND if there are any Methodology where you have had a significantly negative experience - please share that as well.
[Select One] With <insert current conversational intelligence tool>, what is your comfort level using as a coaching tool? (No adoption, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert)
[Free Text] What public revenue figures do you admire? Books do you live by? And/or podcasts you frequent? Any other resources that are core to your belief set in sales - please share them here.
[Free Text] What organizations do you look up to for our NEXT phase of growth? Who should we gain insight from/benchmark against as we move from $X to $X in revenue <insert the next phase of growth>?
Enablement Specific
[Free Text] How do you, personally, define enablement? (What does enablement do?)
[Select One] How much experience do you have partnering with a professional enablement function? (Potential options to provide: This is my first experience!, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10, 10+)
You can find a Google Form to make a copy of and give you a starting point to create your own in my resources repository (here).
What else would you ask in your survey? Please drop in the comments below.