Is sales enablement a good career? We could bore you with our thoughts on the matter, but the numbers speak for themselves. The enablement universe grew significantly last year, particularly in the job sector. In 2022, 77% of B2B companies worldwide listed employees with sales enablement job titles which is more than double from 2015.
Companies are increasing their budgets for enablement, as well as for the talent that will fill these positions. Budgets for enablement programs increased 75% last year, and organizations noted a 38% increase in hiring for enablement leaders. The time couldn’t be better to start a sales enablement career.
If you’re wondering how to get into sales enablement, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll highlight some of the sales enablement careers in the job market and how to pick a career that’s right for you.
Common sales enablement titles
The sales enablement function has evolved over the past ten years. However, the field is still in its infancy and is just beginning to become formalized within organizations. And, as the function matures, enablement continues to prove its importance to the organization. As organizations build their enablement teams, there are several sales enablement jobs that plan, implement, and support team strategies.
In the following sections, we’ll share a few common sales enablement job descriptions, as well as how to get into sales enablement.
Enablement Associate
If you’re looking to get your foot in the door, a role as an enablement associate is a great starting point. Enablement associates are great opportunities for new college graduates as the role typically requires less than one year of experience.
The enablement associate role is a developmental opportunity and relationship-building should be prioritized. It’s a great way for talent to learn to communicate with their managers and colleagues. It’s also a role where individuals are encouraged to learn by asking questions and finding answers throughout their organization.
Written and verbal communication is an important facet of the role. Enablement associates are expected to be able to verbally communicate clearly and logically when interacting with fellow members of the team and organization. The role is also an opportunity to develop written communication skills that will be highly relevant as they progress within their current role and beyond.
From a tactical standpoint, enablement associates support enablement programs by creating content or lessons and assembling playbooks. In the early stages, this role isn’t yet responsible for running programs – that responsibility rests with enablement managers.
Enablement Manager
Now, let’s look at how to become an enablement manager. Enablement managers have anywhere from three to five years of experience in an enablement organization.
As enablement professionals advance in their careers, they become more accountable for high-visibility projects and deliverables. Sales enablement managers are responsible for the success of the enablement team’s goals. Team goals are often defined by the vice president and director of enablement but their execution is driven by managers.
Enablement managers are viewed as a reliable point-of-contact for colleagues both within and outside the enablement team. Junior associates depend on enablement managers to train them and guide projects and deliverables. Qualified enablement managers are skilled in and responsible for training and elevating the work of their team’s junior associates.
One of the most important skills that enablement managers have is the ability to build trust and credibility cross-functionally, as well as within the enablement team. They rely on these relationships and their expertise to garner buy-in for the enablement programs they create, ensure adoption, and measure their impact.
Enablement managers are invaluable to their teams because they operate where the rubber meets the road. Not only do enablement managers play a part in shaping their team’s goals, they also have a hand in ensuring their success.
The senior enablement manager position is a promotion between enablement manager and enablement director roles. Senior enablement managers are given the same responsibilities as enablement managers, but with the expectation that they can manage responsibilities with less oversight. Senior enablement managers demonstrate the ability to align stakeholders, facilitate and run enablement sessions, build their own content and live sessions – and do it all independently.
Enablement Director
Senior roles in the sales enablement career path are directly responsible for go-to-market (GTM) activities. Enablement directors typically report to the vice president of sales enablement and are responsible for fulfilling their team’s stated goals.
An enablement director position builds upon the knowledge, skills, and expertise developed in more junior roles. By the time an enablement professional becomes a director, they’re proficient in running enablement programs independently with limited input. In addition to day-to-day program management, directors serve as enablement ambassadors by taking a leadership role both within and outside the enablement team.
Enablement directors have a greater deal of autonomy and responsibility which extends to strategy and planning. Directors are active contributors when it’s time to shape their team’s enablement strategy or charter.
The ability to lead is important within their organization, as well as the broader enablement community. Effective enablement directors – whether as independent contributors or team leads – play an active role in coaching and mentoring junior team members. Directors are also committed to sharing their voices among their peers within the enablement community. Membership and participation in organizations like the Sales Enablement Society (SES) or Women in Sales Enablement (WiSE) provide an opportunity for Enablement Directors to continue growing the community and profession.
Vice President of Sales Enablement
As the leader of an enablement team, the vice president of enablement is responsible for driving the team’s strategy and execution. Vice presidents are instrumental in developing their team’s enablement charter and strategy. While direct reports like enablement managers and associates execute tactical tasks, the VP is responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly.
The VP of sales enablement is also responsible for stakeholder management. As the leader of an organization’s enablement team, they develop and maintain cross-functional relationships with fellow department leads, while also reporting to the executive leadership team. They also ensure that executives are aware of key enablement initiatives and their outcomes.
In addition to cross-functional and executive-level relationships, the VP of sales enablement is responsible for fostering relationships with the enablement team. People management isn’t limited to more senior roles like the director of enablement. Vice presidents also develop relationships with junior members of their teams.
How to get into sales enablement
Sales enablement careers continue to grow at a rapid pace. We’re committed to promoting the advancement of enablement professionals here at Seismic and throughout the broader industry. If you don’t see a Seismic role that’s just right for you – don’t worry! We also track the latest enablement career opportunities across the industry. You can get the latest opportunities here! Be sure to check the list periodically, as it’s updated monthly.
