If there was any doubt that sales enablement is one of the fastest growing sectors of the sales and marketing world then this statistic I’m about to present will put all those doubts to rest. Hubspot has found that organizations are spending $66 billion on sales enablement and training annually.
If you’re an infrequent visitor to this blog, first may I suggest you rectify that quickly, second, you may be asking yourself “What is sales enablement? What’s the definition of sales enablement? How does my organization benefit from sales enablement?” After you’re done asking yourself those questions you’ll probably start thinking that the words “sales enablement” sound weird to you.
To help you wrap your head around the concept, let’s kick this blog off with a sales enablement definition.
Sales Enablement Definition
Sales enablement is the process through which traditional barriers are removed between Sales and Marketing. Sales enablement improves the entire content process, increases collaboration, enhances alignment, and unlocks insights that lead to better-informed business decisions. These initiatives are often accomplished through numerous internal stakeholders, a concerted strategy and process for execution, and a technological solution that provides users with the tools necessary to be successful.
That definition encompasses a lot of different things. Sales enablement has the power to radically alter the way organizations operate. Organizations that have implemented a sales enablement solution have seen a 350% increase in content usage, 275% boost in conversions, and 65% more revenue generated by new reps. Additionally, Aberdeen has found that organizations with a sales enablement platform experience a 13.7% annual increase in deal size.
So now that we know the definition of sales enablement let’s take a look at the ways your organization can implement some sales enablement best practices.
Sales Enablement Best Practices
Every organization is going to have a different way of enacting their sales enablement strategy. Sales enablement is a fluid thing that takes on many different forms and formats. While not every organization will have a similar strategy, there are a handful of tenets that are necessary for every sales enablement practitioner.
Here are some sales enablement best practices when it comes to content:
- Storage: Effective content storage reduces the time sellers spend looking for content and the time marketers spend managing content.
- Reducing and Improving: Seismic has discovered that only 5% of content is used at a high frequency. That means 95% of content is simply taking up space and needs to be archived or updated.
- Taxonomy: Content organizations plays a huge role the ease of discovery and manageability.
- Personalization: Sales enablement strives to provide sellers and marketers with the tools to quickly create personalized content at scale.
Sales enablement can truly transform an organization’s content strategy and the effectiveness of every Sales and Marketing activity.
Sales Enablement and Sales & Marketing Alignment
Not only does sales enablement have an outsize effect on content’s effectiveness, it also greatly improves the overall alignment between Sales and Marketing. Because of the way that sales enablement breaks down traditional gaps, Sales and Marketing can work more effectively.
Here are some ways that sales enablement improves sales and marketing alignment:
- Sales Communication: By providing sellers with the latest information on competitors, industry trends, and organizational updates, sales enablement gives sellers the tools to be as informed as possible.
- Increased Collaboration: Leading sales enablement solutions provide users with the ability to quickly and efficiently collaborate on projects, leading to better results and better communication.
- Access to More Data: One of the greatest benefits of sales enablement is the amount of previously unknown insights that become available. Sellers and marketers gain access to content analytics and ROI statistics that allow them to better plan and execute.
Now that we’ve reached the end of the blog, you may be asking yourself “Yes, this all sounds great, but where are the more in-depth ways that I can use to implement my sales enablement strategy?” But this blog is but a coquettish tease. To become a real expert on sales enablement you’re going to have to read our guide below. Sales enablement mastery is right around the corner for you friend!
