Enablement

2024 is the year to invest in enablement software

By Par Tony Smith — On May 13, 2024

In today's dynamic business environment, effectively engaging with customers and prospects is vital for organizational success. However, a large part of that ability hinges on the strategies, sales enablement tools, training, and processes that go-to-market (GTM) teams use behind the scenes in their sales motions.

Many GTM teams already rely on sales enablement software. The recent increase in its use isn't just because more organizations are adopting new technology; it's also about how enablement leaders are using modern tools to lead change, scale proven methods, and revolutionize training. That's why for enablement leaders, investing in enablement technology isn't just a matter of convenience — it's a strategic necessity.

To better understand the critical role enablement technology plays in empowering GTM teams across the globe, Seismic recently surveyed nearly 2,000 managers and senior leadership figures across GTM roles. The aim was to delve into their enablement strategies, the effectiveness of those strategies, the obstacles they face, and their GTM approaches.

The study revealed that 92% of enablement tech users believe the desire for strategic, effective enablement will increase over the next 5 years, with 49% predicting a significant increase.

Read on to understand the importance of sales enablement solutions and why this strategic investment is critical for driving growth, enhancing competitiveness, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

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Why enablement technology matters

Enablement technology empowers organizations to drive impactful customer engagement and prospect interactions. According to our study, increasing revenue, boosting customer satisfaction, optimizing operations, improving marketing and sales alignment, and increasing client retention are just some of the ways respondents say enablement technology helps their organizations. In fact, 82% of respondents estimate that enablement tools will help their company exceed its revenue targets in 2024.

Part of the reason that it's possible to achieve the business outcomes noted above is because enablement technology is great at enhancing the efficiency of GTM teams. On average, it saves respondents 12 hours per week, enabling teams to trade administrative work for higher value activities. Beyond streamlining processes, the adoption of enablement technology holds profound implications for employee retention and organizational competitiveness. Respondents feel so strongly about the necessity of enablement technology that 52% of enablement tech users say they simply wouldn't work for a company without these tools.

Who uses sales enablement tools?

Once primarily utilized by sales teams, sales enablement technology now encompasses other GTM functions like customer success and marketing, reflecting its growing importance across customer-facing and revenue-generating teams. According to our study, 6 in 10 enablement users say that their company's sales team uses enablement tech, while 58% report that marketing uses enablement tech and 53% say that enablement tech is used by customer success teams.

When asked if the desire for strategic, effective enablement has increased over the last 3 to 5 years, 9 in 10 sales enablement tool users say yes – with 38% reporting a significant increase.

The case for investment

The study revealed that enablement spend is on the upswing: 58% of respondents say that their company plans to increase their investment in enablement technology in 2024. Notably, those who already use enablement technology and know its benefits were 75% more likely to say this. Sales leaders were 34% more likely than average to report an increase in spending.

Investing in enablement technology isn't just about staying ahead; it's about securing your organization's future resilience and competitiveness. A staggering 83% of those planning to increase or retain investment agree that enablement technology is integral to weathering difficult economic times. This speaks volumes about the perceived value of sales enablement tools.

And the repercussions of neglecting this investment are real – with 36% of respondents considering leaving their organization due to inadequate tools, putting organizations at risk for attrition and diminished GTM performance.

The promise of AI and outlook

Recent advances around generative AI have the potential to transform digital sales enablement. In fact, 92% of respondents who plan to increase investment in enablement tech plan to do so because of the promise of AI. Today,AI is already transforming and simplifying enablement workflows, saving humans hours of administrative time by assuming repetitive, manual tasks.

As generative AI continues to evolve, organizations can expect to improve data-driven decision-making, better understand customers, and deliver the personalized interactions that buyers crave. Investing in AI-powered enablement technology positions organizations to thrive in the future by driving innovation, streamlining operations, and delivering a superior customer experience.

It's time for Generation Enablement

Today's GTM teams are not just adopting sales enablement software — they're harnessing it to drive transformational change across the business. They're not defined by their age, but by their outsized impact on GTM strategy, behaviors, and results. At Seismic, we're calling this Generation Enablement, or Gen E for short.

The Seismic Enablement Cloud^TM is designed to help GTM teams break down silos across departments and generations to help them perform their best and drive revenue growth.

To learn more about Gen E and the results of our study, download the report here.