How are enablement leaders transforming product-heavy organizations into value-driven sellers that can differentiate and prove measurable business impact in an increasingly competitive market?

In this episode of The Emblazers Show, a fireside chat replay from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026, host Tim Riesterer speaks with Anne Lake, Revenue Enablement Leader at IBM, about the shift from product-centric selling to value-based conversations. Anne explains how IBM separates product enablement (“what to sell”) from value enablement (“how to sell”), helping sellers move beyond features and functions to focus on outcomes, differentiation, and the “why change” behind every deal.

She also shares how IBM’s “Deliver with Impact” program combines storytelling, value messaging, and interactive techniques like whiteboarding and flipcharting to create more engaging, human-centered buyer conversations. The episode further explores how IBM is blending qualitative storytelling with quantitative business cases, using tools, AI, and financial modeling to help sellers justify decisions and demonstrate ROI.

Tune in to learn:

Why separating product knowledge and value messaging is essential for modern enablement
How storytelling and whiteboarding transform buyer engagement and retention
How leading organizations are combining qualitative narratives with quantitative business cases to prove impact

Episode highlights:

(00:00) Introduction
(05:19) Focusing on value conversations versus product enablement
(13:36) Deliver with Impact workshop pilots and global rollout
(16:12) Storytelling and whiteboarding as engagement tools
(22:16) Capstone exercises to integrate value messaging and client scenarios
(27:44) Quantitative business value and financial discussions
(31:15) Infusing value messaging into product training and AI coaching
(38:23) Making value selling a natural part of the sales process

Links and Resources:

Connect with Abby Kerr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbycathkerr/
Connect with Tim Riesterer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-riesterer/
Connect with Anne Lake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-lake/
Request the replays of your choice from NEXT Revenue Summit 2026: https://win.corporatevisions.com/NEXT-Revenue-Summit-2026-Replay-Request.html

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Learn about Anne Lake

As a Revenue Enablement Leader at IBM, Anne Lake focuses on bridging learning, messaging, and measurable business impact. She helps teams turn complex product capabilities into clear, outcome-driven narratives that enable sales and executives to communicate value effectively. With a background in human-centered enablement and talent development, Anne equips facilitators and sellers with practical storytelling techniques—from whiteboarding to flipcharting—to create more engaging, high-impact delivery. Her work helps global teams move beyond features to confidently articulate business outcomes that drive adoption at scale.

Learn about Tim Riesterer

As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.

Learn about Abby Kerr

As Director of Content & Community at Emblaze, Abby Kerr designs content experiences that spark conversations and strengthen the connective tissue between B2B revenue leaders. With a background spanning brand voice strategy, enterprise B2B content, and education, she brings a sharp eye for nuance and a deep understanding of how people learn and grow. A champion of insight-driven storytelling and peer-to-peer learning, Abby helps make Emblaze a place where leaders don’t just consume content—they contribute to it. She’s also a warm, un-shy introvert who reads fiction, asks big questions, and drinks her coffee black.