Predictive Enablement - How Luster Is Transforming Revenue Performance with AI

Predictive Enablement - How Luster Is Transforming Revenue Performance with AI

In this episode, SBI’s Ray Makela sits down with Christina Brady, CEO and Co-Founder of Luster, to explore the emerging category of Predictive Enablement and how AI is transforming the way organizations develop revenue talent. Drawing on her experience training more than 30,000 professionals and advising over 100 startups, Christina shares why traditional enablement often identifies skill gaps only after they impact business results—and how AI can help organizations get ahead of the curve. Together, they discuss how AI-powered practice, proficiency mapping, and predictive analytics can uncover skill deficiencies before they affect customer conversations, pipeline performance, and revenue outcomes. Christina explains how organizations can personalize onboarding, coaching, and certification programs while giving managers better visibility into team readiness and performance. The conversation also explores the future of AI in enablement, from custom learning paths and real-time coaching recommendations to measurable improvements in ramp time, win rates, and sales productivity. Whether you're a sales leader, enablement professional, or revenue executive, this episode offers a practical look at how predictive, data-driven learning is reshaping revenue performance.

AI in the Wild - What Top GTM Teams Are Getting Right About AI Adoption

In this episode, SBI’s Ray Makela sits down with Craig Riley and Jamie Halpin, to explore what separates successful AI-driven go-to-market organizations from those still struggling to realize measurable ROI. Together, they unpack the growing divide between “AI haves” and “have-nots,” and why leading companies are using AI not just to improve productivity, but to make smarter revenue decisions across the customer lifecycle.Craig shares fresh research on AI adoption across sales organizations, highlighting how top-performing teams are leveraging AI for everything from intelligent lead routing and conversational intelligence to predictive churn modeling and customer expansion strategies. The discussion also explores why many organizations fail to see results despite significant investment in AI tools.Jamie breaks down the foundational elements required for successful AI adoption, including strategy, governance, clean data, workflow design, talent readiness, and change management. The conversation also dives into real-world use cases transforming sales and customer success, including AI-powered coaching, inbound SDR automation, and customer signal engines that help teams proactively identify churn risks and expansion opportunities.Whether you’re leading sales, enablement, RevOps, or customer success, this episode delivers practical insights on how modern GTM organizations are operationalizing AI—and how to move from experimentation to real business impact.

Client Success Training That Drives Revenue - From Handoffs to Expansion Strategy

In this episode, SBI’s Ray Makela sits down with Annie Stefano, Senior Training Consultant for Client Success, to unpack what it really takes to turn client success teams into revenue drivers. Annie shares how organizations can shift from a transactional “buyer” mindset to a long-term customer growth strategy—starting with one of the most critical moments in the journey: the sales-to-CS handoff. Together, they explore how leading organizations are building high-impact client success programs by focusing on strategic thinking, proactive engagement, and time mastery. Annie breaks down the skills modern CSMs need most—from running efficient, outcome-driven meetings to anticipating customer needs before they surface—and why many teams struggle to balance client-facing and behind-the-scenes priorities. They also dive into practical ways to align sales and client success through shared journey mapping, internal kickoff calls, and better cross-functional collaboration—turning friction into a competitive advantage. Plus, Annie shares how to measure the real impact of training using metrics like time-to-value, net revenue retention (NRR), and NPS, while setting realistic expectations for behavior change. Looking ahead, the conversation explores how AI and automation are reshaping the role of client success—freeing teams from manual work so they can focus on what matters most: building human-centered relationships and acting as true strategic partners. Whether you’re building a client success function or scaling an existing one, this episode offers actionable insights on how to drive retention, expansion, and long-term customer value.

Customer Success 2.0: How AI & Education Are Redefining Growth | Sales Readiness Podcast

In this Gainsight Pulse debrief, SBI’s Ray Makela and Annie Stefano explore the dual forces transforming customer success: AI as a strategic partner and customer education as a growth engine. Learn how leading CS teams operationalize tools, build outcomes-based journeys, and upskill talent to deliver measurable, value-driven results.

Activating Sales Playbooks – Turning Strategy into Daily Manager Impact

In this episode of the Sales Readiness Podcast, SBI’s Ray Makela sits down with Charlie Dorrier, leader of SBI’s enablement activation team, to unpack why most sales playbooks fail to drive performance — and what high-performing organizations do differently. Drawing on joint research with the Revenue Enablement Society, Ray and Charlie explore a surprising finding: simply having a manager playbook does not directly correlate with improved performance. They break down why playbooks often fall flat — from lack of executive sponsorship and overbuilt content to poor integration into managers’ daily workflows. Charlie shares what “best-in-class” activation actually looks like: leadership-led initiatives, bite-sized content shaped by influential sales leaders, and a structured 6–10 week enablement rollout designed to embed behaviors, not just distribute documents. Together, they discuss how to eliminate low-value manager tasks, define a clear operating cadence, and make the playbook a living, evolving system rather than a static manual. The conversation also dives into the future of playbooks — including AI-driven coaching prompts, CRM-integrated nudges, conversational intelligence triggers, and real-time digital access that transforms the traditional “owner’s manual” into an on-demand performance engine. If your organization has invested in playbooks but hasn’t seen the expected uplift, this episode offers a practical roadmap for turning strategy into sustained manager impact — and measurable performance gains.