The Enablement Edge – Détails, épisodes et analyse

A Seat at the Table? A Voice at the Table? Or Build Your Own Table?

In this very special episode of The Enablement Edge, join Steve & Heather as they host a live panel discussion from Seismic Shift 2024 with panelists Victoria Sanchez, Micah Jacobson, and Eric Mingorance. Throughout their discussion, our experts share insights on how to strategically navigate organizational dynamics, forge influential collaborations, communicate effectively, and recalibrate approaches to drive outcomes.

Other topics include practical tactics for enhancing organization-wide enablement visibility, leveraging metrics for sales outcomes, the future impact of AI, and the significance of continuous learning and adaptability. The panel emphasizes empathy, collaboration, and innovative communication methods, offering a holistic approach to driving transformational enablement within companies.

Tune in to discover how to not only get to the table but also shape the conversation and outcomes.

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Guest Bios

Eric Mingorance, Sr. Dir. Rev. Enablement at Zixi

Eric Mingorance is currently serving as the Vice President of Product Management at Zixi, a leading provider of live video delivery solutions. With a strong background in technology and product development, Mingorance has been instrumental in enhancing Zixi's platform, which is known for its reliability and efficiency in delivering high-quality video over IP networks. His expertise spans various aspects of product strategy, customer engagement, and operational excellence, contributing significantly to the company's growth and innovation in the broadcasting sector.

Micah Jacobson, Sr. Director, Revenue Enablement at Informatica

Micah Jacobson currently serves as the Senior Director of Revenue Enablement at Informatica, a role he has held since December 2022. He leads teams focused on onboarding, systems and tools, operations, and learning experience design within the Global Revenue Enablement function. Jacobson has been instrumental in developing comprehensive sales enablement strategies, including competency management and product launch enablement, which have significantly enhanced the effectiveness of sales teams at Informatica.

Victoria Sanchez, Senior Director, Enablement Services Center of Excellence at Pure Storage

Victoria Sanchez serves as the Senior Director of Enablement Services at Pure Storage, where she plays a pivotal role in driving customer success and operational excellence. With a robust background in technology and business strategy, Sanchez has been instrumental in developing innovative solutions that enhance the user experience and streamline processes within the organization. Her leadership is characterized by a commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, ensuring that teams are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel in their roles.

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Guest Quotes

“I hate the word order taker, it drives me crazy. That is not what I signed up for, I wasn't in kindergarten being like I want to be an order taker one day And so many of us in enablement we fall into that trap because we don't come with new information. If you come with new information, you shift from an order taker to a strategic partner. That's certainly the direction that I and my team, where we wanna go” – Micah Jacobson

“You need to lobby for these things. See if there are objections. Make sure you can get preliminary buy-in beforehand. Work with each individual org separately so that by the time you come to the table, they've already heard it. And then you're doing what you say. We're getting the priorities, we're all coming on the same page for the priorities, we're in agreement, there are no major showstoppers because you've basically done some preceding.” – Eric Mingorance

“All our companies are trying to invest a tremendous amount of money in technology. I think as an enablement organization, we have a great opportunity to stop the train and say, ‘Which one is the best one?’ And make a plan for it. It doesn't have to change tomorrow, but if you make a plan to get the best technology, you can accelerate how your sales leaders are really coaching and having more time for other activities, while you also orchestrate workflows in the internal cross functional teams so that you can operate more efficiently.” – Victoria Sanchez

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Time Stamps 

00:00 Episode Start

00:44 Today's Topic

01:54 Diverse Perspectives: Meet Our Guests

03:57 Earning Credibility and Building Influence

08:14 Aligning with Senior Leadership

18:59 Tactics for Showcasing Enablement Impact

22:33 Rock Bands and Enablement Tactics

22:49 Maximizing Seismic Notifications

23:05 Heroes of Enablement and Regional Programs

24:33 HTML Tips for Announcements

25:03 The Importance of Measurement

28:18 Unified Data Model and Metrics

29:39 Handling Bad Metrics

33:39 Strategic Enablement Advice

39:31 Future of Enablement and AI

41:43 Final Thoughts and Advice

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Links

• Connect with Eric Mingorance
• Connect with Micah Jacobson
• Connect with Victoria Sanchez
• Read more about Shift 2024
• Connect with Steve Watt on LinkedIn
• Connect with Heather Cole on LinkedIn
• Check out Seismic

On this episode of The Enablement Edge, Steve and Amber are joined by Ashton Williams, Director of Slack Enablement at Salesforce. Ashton shares the success story of Slack AI and how her team led a momentous kickoff amidst strenuous circumstances. 

Faced with tight deadlines, executive transitions, and mounting pressure, Ashton shares how her team focused their efforts, aligned leadership with consistent buy-in, and leaned into the pivots. She also goes into detail on how they decided to format their kickoff with sales leader sessions, industry-focused webinars, certifications, and live pitches across three global regions in the same week. 

What resulted from her and the team’s efforts was not only a huge boost to morale at the start of the year, but high and lasting sales success for a product that has continued to grow. The story highlights the importance of alignment and data-driven decisions in enablement functions, showcasing how strategic execution can have impactful outcomes in a changing business environment.

Perfect for enablement professionals yearning for both inspiration and practical knowledge, this episode provides an edge in enhancing their craft. The fusion of witty anecdotes and profound discussions invites listeners to engross themselves in the transformative power of enablement, making it a not-to-be-missed episode for those looking to sharpen their strategic edge.

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Guest Bio

Ashton Williams is a seasoned professional in the field of enablement and strategic programs, currently serving as the Director of Slack Enablement at Salesforce. With a strong focus on building high-performing teams, Ashton has leveraged her diverse background in sales and leadership to enhance organizational effectiveness. 

Prior to her role at Slack, Ashton gained valuable experience in various sales enablement positions, including a significant stint at Ada, an AI-powered customer experience platform. There, she was responsible for establishing the enablement function from scratch, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making and iterative learning. 

Ashton’s educational background and commitment to continuous improvement have made her a respected figure in the enablement community. She is Co-Chair of The Enablement Squad’s Leadership Lounge and actively shares insights on best practices in sales training and employee engagement. Her passion for fostering collaborative environments has positioned her as a leader in driving strategic initiatives within tech organizations.

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Guest Quote

“This ended up being Slack's first ever in person kickoff. Morale, retention, feeling connected to the team, attrition, all of those things, like we saw impact there. The sentiment was just one of absolute inspiration. And we made a bet and it really paid off in both what we call overall AEs hitting quota. But also to see that new product that we focused on be our absolute darling. It has continued to be the feature of our QBRs. It's continued to be the thing we double down on. It has been the thing we're putting more investment on the roadmap in because we're moving it. And also, you know, that's always lovely to see that customers love the things we build.” 

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Time Stamps 

00:00 Episode Start

01:10 Today’s Topic

03:30 Welcome Ashton

04:00 The most important thing enablers can do to ensure success

05:10 Setting the stage: Slack's Q1 of 2024

07:40 Why it was critical to enable every part of the business

09:20 How did Ashton do it?

11:30 Focusing all your efforts on a single motion

15:25 Sometimes you need to lean into the pivots

18:25 Leverage the data you have

19:30 Deeper into program specifics

23:00 You can't do it alone

26:10 The results of Ashton's efforts

29:40 Lessons learned

31:35 On the Edge

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Links

• Connect with Ashton Williams on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Slack AI
• Check out Salesforce
• Connect with Steve Watt on LinkedIn
• Connect with Amber Mellano on LinkedIn
• Check out Seismic

Enablement is expanding beyond sales, especially as AI gains traction.

But as AI integrates into the enablement landscape, how can you preserve and enhance your teams’ human strengths in customer interactions? 

We switched things up by inviting two guests to this roundtable episode to hear from companies both big and small. So, we’re talking with Steph White, Senior Director of Revenue Enablement at Loopio, and Rebecca Reyes, VP of Sales Enablement at IBM. 

Steph brings her passion for integrating AI into personal and professional development, and Rebecca highlights the transformative power of AI in sales and enablement. 

The conversation expands on revenue enablement’s role in transforming go-to-market teams, the importance of aligning with leadership for effective change, and fundamental selling skills despite technological advancements.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Steph and Rebecca:

1. The role of enablement is evolving. It's no longer just about driving revenue; it's about creating a holistic client experience that focuses on impact and business outcomes beyond the initial sale. 
2. AI is a game-changer, but it's not replacing the human element. It's here to augment our capabilities, making tasks like emails and call summarization more efficient so you can focus on what truly matters — connecting with customers and honing in on core selling skills.
3. Alignment is key. Whether with your leadership team or your sales strategy, ensuring that your enablement activities are synchronized with your company's core behaviors can steer you away from overextension and keep you grounded on the path to success. 

Jump into the conversation:

[05:16] A focus on driving sales velocity for revenue

[07:54] Enhancing team skills and client impact

[14:00] Expanding client enablement and focusing on content creation

[17:23] AI transforming from a dream to a reality phase

[26:47] Using AI to complement and enable productivity

[29:31] Focusing on basics for sales growth in 2024

[35:29] Heather and Steve’s takeaways

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Connect with Steph White and Rebecca Reyes to keep this conversation going.
• Looking to up your understanding of AI? Take IBM’s free course to start building your AI skills today. If you don’t already have a free account on IBM's SkillsBuild learning portal, you can sign up here.
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic and tune into past episodes at gotomarket-magic.com.

When was the last time you involved executive leadership in your sales process?

If it’s something that feels daunting, nerve-wracking, or like too much work, this episode is for you. 

When leveraged correctly, you set your executive team up to come into the sales process swinging (and they’ll probably knock down that sale if you get our analogy). So why aren’t more people doing it?

Toby Carrington, Chief Business Officer at Seismic, brings his invaluable insight into the critical yet nuanced art of engaging executives early in the sales cycle to build relationships, trust, and, ultimately, better business outcomes.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Toby:

1. Engage executives early for meaningful impact: Involve senior executives early in the sales process to build relationships and trust rather than as a last-minute effort. The unique value senior leaders add, like domain expertise, peer-to-peer insights, and best practice sharing, enables genuine conversations focused on the prospective customer and outcomes rather than the product alone.
2. Prioritize personalization and careful outreach: When reaching out to executives, personalization, authenticity, and relevance hold extreme importance. A strategic and well-briefed approach that ensures communication is tailored to the executive's preferences and context avoids BDRs and SDRs misusing their executive team’s time.
3. Focus on strategic long-term relationships: Building longer-term strategic relationships, not just selling, involves understanding the context and background of the person, aligning interactions with the sales cycle, and maintaining genuine and human connections.

Jump into the conversation:

[03:18] The value of leveraging senior executives 

[06:11] Navigating timing within the sales cycle

[08:22] Managing the fine line between relationship-building and sales objectives

[14:49] Setting schedule boundaries 

[18:44] Understanding the role of authentic connections 

[24:10] Strategies for building engagement

[29:02] Common pitfalls made when engaging executives in the sales cycle

[31:25] Heather and Steve’s main takeaways 

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Connect with Toby Carrington to keep this conversation going.
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic and tune into past episodes at gotomarket-magic.com.

What are the best and brightest minds in enablement talking about these days? 

In this special episode, we’re taking a pulse on the enablement industry and hearing directly from enablement professionals at Seismic’s annual Shift conference — including leaders from Loopio, Sands Capital, Bank of America, UPS, Experian, Proofpoint, and more. 

Along with Seismic’s Heather Cole and Steve Watt, they’ll reflect on the topics they wish more go-to-market leaders were discussing, the innovations they’re most excited about, and all things AI. 

Here are the key takeaways from this special edition of Go-to-Market Magic:

1. Leverage AI to boost productivity: The prevailing opinion of AI at Shift 2023 was focused on how embracing AI today will help you automate mundane tasks, free up time for customer engagement, streamline workflows, and quickly and easily create both sales and enablement content.
2. Lean on AI to improve faster: Productivity isn’t the only thing that AI can help teams improve though. Now, teams don’t have to guess at what’s working, they can know. Now, it’s possible for AI to give the entire go-to-market organization insight into what’s happening during a sales call — and how they can better support reps with training, coaching, and content. 
3. Maximize LinkedIn for social selling: Some of the most successful social selling programs are being led by enablement teams — and a thoughtful social selling program augments your selling ability rather than limiting you to a short-term transactional perspective. 

Jump into the conversation:
[01:21] Loopio’s Stephanie White on how AI can make enablers even more impactful

[01:51] Ways UPS is using AI to improve efficiency and prioritize their customers

[02:37] Actionable ways to leverage AI for enablement (and how to mitigate common concerns voiced at Shift 2023)

[05:00] Bank of America’s main hope within AI

[12:19] Heather’s main takeaways for the audience on AI

[15:44] Madison Glass on why Experian is a big proponent of LiveSocial for social selling

[20:47] Why social engagement is crucial and what Tyler Murphy at ProofPoint had to say about being a thought leader on LinkedIn

[22:09] Tips for navigating compliance in regulated versus non-regulated industries

[23:27] Heather and Steve’s closing thoughts on rising above the noise, building better social profiles, and leveraging LinkedIn as a tool

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Shift 2023 might be over, but you don’t have to miss it next year. Sign up for the waitlist to be notified when registration goes live!  
• Follow today’s special guests on LinkedIn for more insights like these — Loopio’s Stephanie White, Sands Capital’s Kenneth Lamar, Experian’s Madison Glass, and Proofpoint’s Tyler Murphy. 
• Learn more about Seismic for Meetings, a new Seismic product that ensures sales teams can more effectively prepare, present, and follow up on every meeting and win more deals.
• Find out how Seismic LiveSocial can help you grow trust and win over customers and prospects alike on social media. 
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic and tune into past episodes at gotomarket-magic.com.

It's time to stop focusing on pipeline growth. Yes, you read that right. 

In this episode, Mark Kosoglow, CRO at Catalyst Software, shares his perspective about why you should be focusing on customer success instead of inbound pipeline. It's shaking up the industry by encouraging revenue leaders to truly focus on the incremental value — and revenue growth — that customer success teams can deliver.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Mark Kosoglow:

1. Deliver more "moments of impact”: Time-to-value should not be measured as time to achieve maximum value but rather as time to achieve a meaningful moment of impact. Instead of delivering the entire value of your platform or product immediately, you should provide incremental value over time. This method addresses the problem of delayed implementations and demoralization.
2. Align promise makers and promise keepers: Organizations must bridge the gap between sales and customer success. Aligning the teams responsible for making promises with the ones tasked with keeping them can enhance trust, streamline value delivery, and drive revenue growth.
3. Elevate the success of the customer: Mark's approach not only benefits businesses but also transforms the role that customer success teams play. By empowering them to have more strategic conversations and become proactive value partners, they can deliver exceptional results for their customers and their organization.

Jump into the conversation:

[05:38] Why it’s essential to challenge current sales paradigms 

[12:54] Turning operational sales dreams into reality

[18:45] How to change the time-to-value mindset within company culture

[23:36] The division of roles within customer success teams

[25:17] Mitigating the risks of Account Executive (AE) involvement

[27:39] Ways to shift the traditional CSM mindset to a business impact mindset

[33:41] Words of wisdom for aspiring industry change-makers

[36:06] Heather and Steve’s key takeaways 

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Focus on people, processes, and technology to forge a stronger, more aligned future for your go-to-market team. Download this ebook for tips on how to do just that. 
• Empowered CSMs deliver amazing value in every interaction. See how to enable their success in this ebook. 
• Learn how Seismic can empower your customer success team with the training, coaching, content, and insights that make renewal rates soar here.  
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic at gotomarket-magic.com.

There’s a lot of talk about how AI can be utilized for content creation and productivity, but how about leveraging it to train your organization?

Juliana Stancampiano, CEO of Oxygen Experience, shares her perspective and proposes new ways to harness intellectual resources from subject matter experts. You’ll also learn the importance of creating safe spaces to “fail fast” as you figure out how to use AI effectively and why human skills remain critically important.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Juliana Stancampiano:

• Utilize AI to develop learning resources: Preserving the intellectual resources of subject matter experts is valuable for any company. Using AI to help SMEs harness what they know and create learning resources is an efficient way to impart institutional knowledge and improve enablement across the organization.
• Find the right balance between strategy and action: While AI sales enablement needs to stay firmly rooted in the company’s core strategy, you also have to empower your people to learn and explore new things. Organizations have to learn to walk before they can run, which is why safe spaces for playing with new tools are encouraged.
• Use AI when it’s needed, not just for the sake of it: AI is still relatively new, and you shouldn’t necessarily have company objectives that require using it just yet. Juliana emphasizes that there needs to be a focus on clarity as we discover ways that we should (and shouldn’t) incorporate AI into business.

Jump into the conversation:

[02:17] How AI will impact learning and development

[03:50] How subject matter experts might use AI to create learning resources

[12:29] What the future looks like for learning professionals with AI in the mix

[15:27] The importance of keeping the company’s leadership philosophy and maturity levels at the core of AI sales enablement strategies

[21:24] Why organizations should focus on “better” not “more”

[30:02] Juliana’s advice for learning leaders looking to leverage emerging tech

[33:54] Heather and Steve’s key takeaways from the episode

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Grab your copy of Juliana’s book, Radical Outcomes: How to Create Extraordinary Teams that Get Tangible Results.
• See how Seismic is pioneering the future of AI in enablement on our website. 
• Want more conversations like these, but live and in person? Join us at Shift 2023 in sunny San Diego from October 23 - 26!
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic at gotomarket-magic.com.

Sales enablement ensures your sales teams are well-prepared and efficient in their efforts.

Sales evangelism taps into the power of customer advocacy and word-of-mouth marketing.

Both are essential for a business's success by driving sales growth, enhancing brand reputation, and fostering customer loyalty.

Paul Norford, a seasoned enablement expert from Ivanti, delves into the dynamic world of enablement and evangelism in the tech industry and how the two functions are related. In this episode, we discuss the transformative power of revenue enablement, emphasizing the human aspect, storytelling, and adaptability as key drivers of success. Join us as we explore how Paul's innovative strategies help technical sellers and channel partners excel, pushing the boundaries of traditional enablement.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Paul Norford:

• Blend enablement and evangelism: It’s important to seamlessly integrate the roles of enablement and evangelism within a tech organization. By starting with external audiences and making content engaging, companies can later adapt and refine these materials for internal teams, ultimately achieving better results.
• Measure beyond tangibles: Paul challenges the notion that everything in enablement must be quantifiable. He highlights how focusing solely on easily measurable metrics can stifle innovation and limit growth potential. By embracing immeasurable aspects such as relationship building and networking at events, companies can tap into valuable opportunities that traditional metrics might overlook.
• Nurture innovation: Organizations should explore adjacent industries and areas to discover common threads and inspiration for enablement strategies. By looking beyond their immediate sphere, businesses can gain fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that can be adapted to their own industry. Ultimately, it helps them stay ahead of the competition and drive success in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Jump into the conversation:

[11:06] Combining enablement and evangelism roles within a tech organization

[13:38] Start with external audiences and later adapt content for internal teams

[18:00] S.L.A.C.C.A.: space, light, audio, camera, clothing, and accessibility

[21:18] The value of enablement beyond tangible metrics

[23:19] The art of telling a good story

[30:33] Building trust within teams, fostering innovation, and looking beyond your industry

[34:42] Heather and Steve’s key takeaways from their conversation with Paul

Continue the conversation with these resources:

• Learn more about Paul Norford and his work as an enablement evangelist on his YouTube channel.
• Read about how to evangelize and champion sales enablement within your own organization on Seismic’s blog. 
• Want more conversations like these, but live and in person? Join us at Shift 2023 in sunny San Diego from October 23 - 26!
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic at gotomarket-magic.com.

What role does influencer marketing play at one of the biggest B2B software companies in the world? 

Find out as Ursula Ringham shares insights from her 10 years building an impactful program as Head of Global Influencer Marketing at SAP. In our conversation, she openly discusses the do’s and don'ts of working with influencers, why it's important to protect their brand and yours, and how to measure impact. 

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Ursula: 

1. How to leverage influencers for any industry: Learn how you can utilize the expertise of influencers to amplify your brand, even as a B2B company.
2. How to strike the right balance for your brand: Discover why and how to protect both the influencer’s brand, and your own, by allowing influencers to put your messaging in their own words. 
3. How to measure impact and convince executives: Reach, impressions, and amplification can help evaluate your campaign's performance, but it doesn't stop there. Learn how to set clear KPIs, benchmark past views and clicks, and measure impact to satisfy your stakeholders.

Jump into the conversation: 

[06:01] How B2B companies should think about the word “influencer” 

[09:22] Compensation and relationship-building with influencers 

[11:15] Navigating influencer marketing on different platforms

[18:55] Determining KPIs and reporting metrics to measure the impact of an influencer campaign                                                        

[25:59] How to structure your influencer marketing team

[31:05] Where to start if you need to start small 

[34:17] Heather and Steve’s takeaways from the episode

Continue the conversation with these resources: 

• This blog on Seismic.com, Women of Influence in Asset Management, is an example of B2B influencer marketing in the wild. Check it out! 
• See how Reach plc uses Seismic to measure the influence of their content on revenue generation in this video. 
• The best and brightest go-to-market leaders flock to Shift, Seismic’s annual user conference. Join Go-to-Market Magic there October 23-26 in San Diego, CA. Learn more here!
• Learn more about Go-to-Market Magic at gotomarket-magic.com. 

Traditional training methods for sales teams just aren’t cutting it anymore. Instead, top performing teams utilize technology to level up their sales techniques.

Josh Bersin, a global industry analyst and the Founder and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company, shares his insights on the evolving landscape of sales training and the impact of technology in the sales process. As an industry thought leader in HR and training, Josh also shares his personal experience of emulating successful selling techniques and how technology allows reps to observe and adapt different communication styles. The conversation also touches on the potential for AI in sales and the importance of respecting and enabling salespeople well. Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of sales training and discover the strategies that drive success in today's dynamic market.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Josh: 

1. Traditional training methods are not effective in today's market: Week-long classes are not enough to equip sales representatives for success. Instead, it's crucial to understand what the best sales performers are doing differently and learn from their techniques.
2. Leveraging technology for sales success: Technology plays a significant role in adapting communication styles and identifying strategies that work. Sales reps can observe different approaches, find their authentic style, and easily replicate it for consistent outcomes. 
3. Respecting and empowering salespeople for growth and productivity: Sales organizations should view their sales teams as continuous learners and valuable sources of market insights. By providing proper support, resources, and training, companies can enhance rep performance, resulting in higher revenue.

Jump into the conversation: 

[02:42] Josh Bersin’s experience in sales

[07:52] How sales training provides confidence to overcome challenges

[19:33] Why sales teams should educate customers to simplify their decision-making process

[23:02] How technology helps enhance expertise in a sales team

[27:51] What career progression from sales support to product manager could look like

[31:40] Heather and Steve’s takeaways from the episode 

Continue the conversation with these resources: 

• Read Josh’s book, Irresistible: The Seven Secrets of the World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations, to be introduced to a new way to think about organizational design and employee engagement. 
• Download this training plan template to give your sellers the best possible path to success. 
• New to sales training software? This blog is the perfect introduction to the ins and outs of how it enables reps to ramp faster, improve selling skills, and succeed more often. 
• The best and brightest go-to-market leaders flock to Shift, Seismic’s annual user conference. Join Go-to-Market Magic there October 23-26 in San Diego, CA. Learn more here!