The CX Live!

The CX Live! podcast is an interview-style show for briefing programs and meetings. Our goal is to be your dedicated channel for all things customer experiencer where we ask industry thought leaders the tough questions about building a world-class program. Each month we’ll explore a new topic or trend that impacts customer experience, employee engagement, digitization and more…We’re unfiltered. We’re authentic. We’re having a conversation… join in!

All Episodes

The CX Live!

The CX Live! Episode 91: Transforming Sales Teams from Passive Participants to Champions of Your Program with Michael Herren

November 11, 2025

In this episode, Michael Herren, Director, Global Customer Engagement Program at Illumina, shares strategies to deepen partnerships with sales teams and create strong evangelists. He advises to understand sales structures, motivations and pain points, then prioritize the desired outcomes of the partnership. Whether it’s the guidance you provide, tools you offer or ‘rules-of-engagement’ you define, make working with your team as frictionless as possible. Sales engagement must be earned!

Highlights

Embrace Challenges to Achieve Measurable Successes
Define Clear Sales Engagement Outcomes
Understand Sales Structure, Motivations and Pain Points
7 Key Sales Engagement Strategies
Share Key Tools and Collateral
Develop an Effective Communication Plan
Define Clear Rules of Engagement

Resources

7 Engagement Strategies & Rules of Engagement
“The Power of Moments” by Chip & Dan Heath
“The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker
A Bit of Optimism - Simon Sinek
A Good Hang - Amy Poehler

Guest Thought Leader

Michael Herren, Director, Global Customer Engagement Program, Illumina

Michael leads a world-class team dedicated to delivering strategic, story-driven experiences that strengthen partnerships and drive business growth. With over 18 years of experience in the biotechnology, life science, and diagnostics industries, Michael brings a unique combination of technical expertise, operational excellence, and customer engagement strategy to his leadership role.