Let’s break down what sales enablement means today and how companies can get it right.
Sales Enablement Definition
At its simplest, sales enablement is about giving your sales team the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed. This can include technology, content, training, and anything else that helps them perform at their best.
Think of it like this: Even the best golfers in the world can improve their game with better clubs, top-notch training, and more information about the courses they’re playing on. In the same way, even the most talented sales reps can benefit from the right support and structure, which is what sales enablement provides.
In the modern business world, sales enablement solutions are often focused on the buyer. The goal is to help sales teams target the right buyers and engage them effectively throughout the customer journey. It’s about removing any obstacles that might get in the way of a smooth buying process.
Given the many challenges in today’s sales environment, it’s easy to see why sales enablement has become a priority for organizations around the globe.
Benefits of Sales Enablement
If we assume that most salespeople are good at their jobs and that what they’re selling is valuable, sales enablement offers a clear path to gaining a competitive edge and uncovering new opportunities.
Here are some key benefits of adopting a sales enablement platform:
Scaling Success
When an organization equips all its sales reps with effective sales enablement tools, it becomes less dependent on a few top performers to achieve its goals. These tools help lower-performing reps reach their targets and can push average sellers to the next level.
Stronger Sales Data
With so much B2B business happening online, sales enablement technology has become crucial. Many of these tools are designed to gather, organize, and use data to help sales teams. Insights into buyer preferences, challenges, and needs allow sales reps to approach prospects in a more personalized way. This is vital when 64% of B2B decision-makers say they won’t engage with a salesperson if the communication isn’t personalized.
Faster Deals
Speeding up the sales process is a major goal of sales enablement. With better data and tools, sales reps can quickly access the information they need, leading to more focused and effective conversations. A study by Aberdeen found that sales reps were spending up to 43 hours per month on research, which shows there’s plenty of room for improvement.
Better Alignment with Marketing
Using the right content at the right time is often a key part of the sales process. Sales enablement helps strengthen the relationship between sales and marketing, leading to better collaboration and more effective sales efforts. This alignment between the two departments brings its own set of benefits.
Improved Company Reputation
Every time a sales rep interacts with a potential customer, they represent the company. When they are well-informed, responsive, and helpful, it reflects positively on the business as a whole.
Best Practices for Sales Enablement
While the idea of giving your sales team what they need to succeed can seem broad, there are some clear guidelines that can help you develop an effective sales enablement strategy.
Focus on the Buyer’s Journey, Not Just the Sales Cycle
Today’s buyers expect tailored, on-demand experiences, similar to what they get from services like Uber and Netflix. Sales enablement tools help B2B companies adapt to these expectations by focusing on the buyer’s journey rather than just pushing prospects through a traditional sales funnel.
As LinkedIn has pointed out:
“Sales enablement recognizes that effective selling requires identifying key moments in the buyer’s journey and building a strategy to reach the consumer with the right content at the right time.”
Provide the Right Content at the Right Time
Successful B2B selling is about being timely and opportunistic. With buyers doing more of their own research than ever before, sales and marketing teams need to work together to identify key moments and deliver messages that resonate.
Measure Everything
Sales enablement isn’t just driven by data on buyers; it’s also powered by your company’s internal data. Tracking what works and what doesn’t allows you to refine and improve your strategy. However, only 35% of sales teams track the effectiveness of their content, which is a much smaller portion than the number of marketers who do so.
Best Sales Enablement Tools
There are many different types of sales enablement software, each offering unique features. Here are some of the most popular tools for sales teams:
- Sales Acceleration Tools: SalesLoft, Yesware, Outreach
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, HubSpot
- Sales Intelligence: LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Setting Up a Successful Sales Enablement Process
Most companies already have some form of sales enablement in place. According to the 2018 CSO Insights Sales Enablement Optimization Report, more than 60% of companies now have a dedicated sales enablement person, program, or function. This number was less than 20% in 2013.
Not only are dedicated roles becoming more common, but full sales enablement departments are also emerging. However, there’s always room for improvement, even in organizations that emphasize sales enablement.
Here are three important steps to ensure sales enablement success:
1. Foster a Culture of Collaboration and Adoption
While sales enablement tools are important, they won’t matter much if your team isn’t on board. Encourage cross-functional collaboration and ensure that your salespeople are well-trained and comfortable with any new solutions you introduce.
2. Choose the Right Tools, Content, and Practices
There are many options out there, and finding the right fit depends on your business type, industry, and sales strategy. The right tools can include sales CRMs, sales intelligence software, content management platforms, customer experience management systems, sales and marketing automation software, and AI-driven sales enablement solutions.
3. Put a Team in Charge of Management and Oversight
Sales enablement solutions are only useful if salespeople know how to use them effectively. It’s beneficial to have a dedicated team or individuals responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
Building a Sales Enablement Team
Simply adding more sales reps won’t solve sales enablement issues. Instead, focus on building a team dedicated to enhancing your sales enablement strategy.
Consider including the following roles:
- Sales Enablement Manager: This person leads sales enablement initiatives and is responsible for their successful implementation and ongoing management. In some companies, this role is handled by a sales leader with other managerial duties, while in larger organizations, it may be a standalone position.
- Marketing Manager: To ensure strong collaboration between sales and marketing, involve a marketing leader in your sales enablement team. This person can help align goals, processes, and strategies across both departments.
- C-Suite Involvement: It’s important to have at least one C-level executive involved in the sales enablement team. This person can set the tone from the top and ensure the initiative has the necessary support and urgency.
- Analytics Specialist: Assigning an analytics expert to the sales enablement team ensures that data is used effectively, helping sales and marketing teams make informed decisions.
LinkedIn’s Sales Enablement Platform
LinkedIn offers a powerful sales enablement tool called Sales Navigator. This platform helps your team leverage LinkedIn’s extensive network for digital selling. Sales Navigator is a leader in sales intelligence software, helping teams target the right prospects, understand decision-making structures, and engage with personalized outreach.
Creating a Comprehensive Sales Enablement Strategy
To sum up, a successful sales enablement strategy should include the following elements:
- Shifting focus from the sales funnel to the buyer’s journey
- A repeatable process for delivering relevant content at each stage of the journey
- A data-driven culture that emphasizes measurement and optimization
- A solid framework for developing and managing your sales enablement program
By following these guidelines and leveraging the right tools and team, you can create a sales enablement strategy that drives success in today’s competitive marketplace.
