After spending time deep-diving into AI for Sales a lot of topics have come up. Sales Enablement is one of them – what the hell is it? 

And opinions differ a lot between companies and roles.

Some sales enablement leaders are very down in the nitty gritty. Creating presentations, videos, and content to support sales when they are trying to move the buyer through the buyer’s journey. Creating playbooks, coaching 1-1, deep-diving into recorded sales meetings, etc. 

They focus on requests coming in from sales, taking on both the sales manager coaching/training role and marketing content production. 

This only works until a certain point. Scaling enablement is hard. 

Some sales enablement leaders are driving a hardball with moving the entire revenue team. They co-lab with marketing on ICP work, buyer persona work, and industry knowledge. They produce training material for sales reps in different teams in an online format for scalability. They are addressing coming changes in market conditions, working on GTM and working with data in AI, Outreach platforms, CRM, and customer success platforms to identify new opportunities at a scale, manage all the platforms in the sales tech stack, and simply scale all things that exist in individuals minds.

They are not as hands-on, but they support at scale. 

Sales Enablement is not just a one-size-fits-all concept; it’s a tailored suit designed to make you look damn good in every sales scenario. 

And guys, it’s a lot of responsibility – let’s dive into it.

What Sales Enablement should be responsible for

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and communicate the overarching sales enablement strategy aligned with the company’s business objectives.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure sales enablement initiatives support overall organizational goals.

​Team Management:

• Recruit, build, and lead a high-performing sales enablement team.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to team members

​Content Development and Management:

• Oversee the creation of sales training materials, playbooks, and content that align with the sales strategy.
• Implement systems for efficient content management, ensuring the sales team has easy access to relevant and up-to-date resources.

Training Programs:

• Design, implement, and manage comprehensive sales training programs for onboarding and continuous development.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to ensure training content reflects industry best practices and the latest market trends.

Technology Integration:

• Evaluate, select, and implement sales enablement technologies and tools that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales team.
• Ensure seamless integration of technology solutions with existing sales processes.

Sales Process Optimization:

• Analyze and optimize the sales process to increase efficiency and productivity.
• Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement, and implement solutions to streamline workflows.

Metrics and Analytics:

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of sales enablement initiatives.
• Regularly analyze data and feedback to assess the impact of programs on sales performance and adjust strategies accordingly.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Foster strong relationships with other departments, particularly marketing, product, and customer success, to ensure alignment in messaging and strategies.
• Collaborate with sales leadership to understand specific needs and challenges within different sales teams.

Sales Enablement Communication:

• Develop a communication strategy to keep the sales team informed about new tools, processes, and content.
• Facilitate regular communication channels for feedback, updates, and best practice sharing.

Continuous Improvement:

• Stay abreast of industry trends, sales methodologies, and best practices in sales enablement.
• Continuously assess and refine sales enablement strategies to adapt to changing market conditions and company priorities.

Budget Management:

• Develop and manage the sales enablement budget, allocating resources effectively to achieve maximum impact.
• Justify investments in new technologies or training programs based on their potential to enhance sales performance.

Customer Feedback Integration:

• Incorporate customer feedback into sales enablement strategies, ensuring that the sales team is equipped to address customer needs and pain points effectively.

Sales Enablement Evangelist:

• Act as the internal champion for sales enablement, promoting its value and impact within the organization.
• Lead by example, embodying a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

In essence, the VP of Sales Enablement plays a pivotal role in aligning the sales organization with the company’s strategic objectives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring the sales team is equipped with the tools and knowledge to thrive in a dynamic market.

What matters the most? 

The 4 most important parts of Sales Enablement 

Training Extravaganza

Mastering the Art of Sales We’re not talking about the dull, snooze-fest training sessions you might have endured in the past. This is a training extravaganza, a symphony of knowledge that’ll turn you into a sales virtuoso.

Really great sales enablement leaders will deliver training to you in the formats that suit ALL their team members. 

• Before and after meetings: Create programs filled with key learnings that you can put into your process in your next meeting after consuming the content. Programs adapted to your preferred format and preferred way of learning, specific to your role now and ambitions ahead.  A mix of online modules like BtB Skills, internal programs for your market and sales reps, industry programs to better understand ICP, Sales playbook training, and much more. 

• During meetings: Live coaching with software like Velocity.ai so that you can have an online LIVE coach while you are talking to prospects and customers, finetuning your every interaction to create a great experience for the people you meet while you get closer and closer to 100% quota attainment!

• Deliver content libraries to reskill and upskill. You need to continuously encourage people to train through gamification, incentives, and KPIs.

So, you need to be on top of training. 

The magic of the process

Really great sales enablement leaders will deliver processes through playbooks, a crisp as fuck tech stack, and a really strong understanding of ICP and the market. 

• Interactive living Playbooks are key to survival – to be able to figure out where your strengths and weaknesses lie, we need a clear framework to understand how to finetune the team’s skills. To train well we need to know what to train and in what context. We have all seen the PowerPoint presentations of copy-paste from Meddic or Bant or whatever else 90-s sales process. We also know they are pointless. The sales reps with be onboarded with this crap and then you run a 60 min monthly on the process, but at the end of the day… it doesn’t help your team. 

The content of these playbooks lacks a lot of things to be used daily. 

A few things are:

• “Stories” – preferably recorded by the sales rep who did the process with that customer, to be voiced out and used for other sales reps. 
• Industry-specific trends impacting your prospect and How to use it. 
• Actual ICP content and HOW to use it in conversation. 
• Your mission/vision statement – preferably recorded by your founder so you can adapt it.
• Training on how to build an intro of yourself that makes people give a shit when you open your mouth.
• Scenarios YOU will get into when things do go well, and how to address them. 
• How to build your brand. 

ETC ETC ETC, the list goes on and on. 

Anyway, the point is: Sales Enablement, this one is on you. 

Sales tech stack

The magic compilation of the best of the best solutions to support you on your journey creating amazing experiences for your prospects and buyers. 

In a world where time is of the essence, we must stay caught up.
Enter the realm of tech marvels – tools and platforms that will make your sales process not just efficient, but legendary.

The tech stack will look different for each business and buyer’s journey. 

Some examples of things Sales Enablement needs to dive into: 

• CRM Mastery: Customer Relationship Management isn’t just a fancy term. It’s your secret weapon for organizing, analyzing, and capitalizing on every customer interaction. All your activity data (and I do mean all) should be in this environment. Trust me when I tell you that your CRM will be your secret weapon OR your biggest time-thief. Sales Enablement needs to create CRM masters for each salesperson on the team. 
• AI-Driven Everything: Analytics, coaching, improvements, customer behavior, smart ways of mimicking a prospect’s voice in text: Ever wished for a crystal ball to predict customer behavior and help you create a strong buyer experience to close more deals?? AI-driven tools are as close as it gets. Unleash the power of data to understand your customers on a whole new level and tailor your approach for maximum impact. Sales Enablement needs to explore this in detail. 
• Communication Platforms: In a world that’s more connected than ever, communication is king. Sales Enablement will need to explore communication platforms beyond emails – think real-time collaboration, instant messaging, and video conferencing that bring a personal touch to the digital realm. 

​
Culture

It matters SO much more than you think.

In the dynamic landscape of sales, fostering a robust sales culture and prioritizing customer centricity is paramount for success. 
Sales Enablement stands as the architect of this essential foundation, playing a pivotal role in shaping the mindset and practices of a high-performing sales team.

So how can Sales Enablement take responsibility for this? 

• Leadership Example: Sales Enablement leaders must embody the desired culture, setting the tone for the entire team. Leading by example, they inspire a culture of resilience, innovation, and customer focus.
• Continuous Learning: Infusing a culture of continuous learning is non-negotiable. Sales Enablement creates an environment where every team member is empowered to evolve, adapt, and enhance their skills continually. To make this happen: Incentive is crucial. So Sales enablement leaders: This is a fight to take to the rest of the management team. 
• Celebrating Wins: Recognizing and celebrating victories, both big and small, is integral to a positive sales culture. Sales Enablement fosters an atmosphere where achievements are acknowledged, boosting morale and motivation across the team. Gamification of the correct metrics will help you help the sales teams!!

Armed with this Sales Enablement toolkit, you’re not just ready to face the sales battlefield; you’re poised to dominate it. 

Training, technology, content, and feedback – it’s not just a strategy; it’s a way of life.

So, people – embrace Sales Enablement, own it, and watch as it transforms not just our careers but the entire sales landscape. 

The stage is set and the audience is waiting – let’s give them an experience they’ll never forget.

If you are a sales enablement leader – we will launch modules for you in our new skill-platform BtB Sklls.  

Sign up for the alpha below to get access to this in Q1 2024. 

If you are lacking sales enablement in your business and you need training, sign up for Alpha! There will be plenty of modules for you to accelerate your skillsets on your own!