Sales enablement has exploded in popularity with sales companies. In fact, it has seen a 34% increase in adoption over the last 5 years!
A core aspect of sales success is the importance given to continual development and training. Sales training includes much more than how to seal a deal.
Salespeople need training on subjects including customer relations, team dynamics, and communication skills. Sales managers also need training on how to lead their team most effectively. In fact, 61% of executives have claimed their sales managers have not been adequately trained in management strategies and techniques.
It is only through continual development that teams will see growth, and sales enablement is the perfect place to start. It focuses on the development of all team members in order to elevate performance.
There are more LinkedIn job postings for sales enablement teams than ever before. And companies are allocating whole budgets to these efforts. So what is all the hype about?
Being a salesperson, or leading a sales team, can be extremely challenging. Sales teams have so many responsibilities, and in the age of instant gratification and quick results, they have little time to do them.
Salespeople play several different roles, but companies started noticing that there weren’t resources for sales teams to adequately fulfil these roles. To fill this gap, companies have started to invest in a sales enablement team.
This term has gained much popularity over the past few years, and its importance is now undeniable. Let’s dive into what it entails and why it is important for your sales team.
Sales Enablement
Sales enablement is the process of providing sales teams with everything they need to become holistically efficient, productive, and successful in sales. Sales teams often lack the right resources, training, and tools to reach their full potential. This can include marketing content, sales training, sales tools, and much more. This process focuses on certain goals of teams, such as higher quota attainment, conversions, or customer retention. Then, it finds out what the sales team needs to reach these goals and provides it. Sales enablement can be different for every sales team, depending on their targets. However, there are a few main elements that should be core to every enablement effort. Let’s look at some of its key aspects.Customer-Centric
An essential factor of sales enablement efforts is the focus on the customer. Sales leaders want their sales teams to be customer-centric, so sales enablement should elevate this to the next level. Sales enablement efforts should first look at buyers’ pain points and what they need. Then, they can find ways to enable the sales team to provide for those needs. For example, if buyers are looking for a more personalised experience, sales enablement can provide training for the sales team members on personalising the buyer experience. Another example would be providing sales teams with more user-friendly tools that will attract buyers looking for a seamless experience.Data-Driven
Another important aspect that will ensure a more successful sales team is how much it values measurement. A strategy without data is an unsuccessful one. So everything that sales members work on should be measured and evaluated. Sales enablement should prioritise measuring all efforts by the sales team based on the team’s targeted metrics. Metrics may include average buyer experience length, lead conversions, and average time spent on a deal. Based on this data, sales enablement can find gaps and provide the most helpful resources for the team members.Continual Development
