What is sales enablement?

“What is a sales enablement program?” If that’s a question you’re asking, your team needs it. 76% of organizations see an increase in sales between 6% to 20% as a result of sales enablement. Without sales enablement tools, sales teams lack the knowledge to navigate evolving customer needs and convert leads.

Not only does B2C/B2B sales enablement require a strong strategy and well-defined goals, but it also requires the right technology and content to be effective.

Whether you’re looking into developing a sales enablement strategy or need to update your existing program, there are several steps you should take to ensure success. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about sales enablement and training:

• What is a sales enablement program?
• What is the goal of sales enablement?
• What is the difference between sales enablement and sales training?
• What does a sales enablement platform do?

Let’s talk about how you can enhance your company’s growth through a successful sales enablement program.

What is the difference between sales enablement and sales training?

It's easy to see why people think sales enablement and sales training are interchangeable. However, they serve different but complementary purposes.

Sales enablement is a broader term that encompasses the strategic use of tools, training, content, and analytics to support the sales process. It's about building an ecosystem that empowers sales reps to succeed. Sales enablement ensures that salespeople have access to the right information at the right time, keeping them “sales-ready.”

Sales training is a subset of sales enablement; it’s the act of teaching sales reps the skills they need to sell more effectively and efficiently. Modern employee training delivers content in different formats to maximize learning, from micro-learning videos to gamification.

In essence, sales training aims to develop individual competencies, while sales enablement is about enhancing overall sales effectiveness.

What is a sales enablement program?

Sales enablement programs equip sales representatives with the resources they need to engage potential clients and close more deals. Types of sales enablement resources include:

• Presentation decks
• Product demos
• Webinars
• White papers
• One-pagers
• Product sheets
• Solution briefs
• Case studies
• Testimonials
• Email templates
• Sales scripts

Providing your team with the proper training, content, and sales enablement tools ensures sales representatives are agile as they navigate the complexities of selling in modern times.

What is the goal of sales enablement?

At its core, marketing and sales enablement aims to maximize revenue and enhance the customer experience with consistent and seamless messaging.

This process involves collaborative efforts across customer service, marketing, and sales; enablement requires teamwork. For example, while the sales department is the primary beneficiary, marketing teams often play a pivotal role in creating content to support sales efforts. Your departments need to be aligned, along with customer needs, business goals, and market dynamics, in order for your sales enablement strategy to be effective.

But the last thing your salespeople need is a bunch of unorganized resources they’ll never use because they don’t have the time to sift through it all. That’s where a sales enablement platform comes in.

What does a sales enablement platform do?

Navigating the demands of today’s consumers takes more than charisma and a good pitch. Sales teams need an arsenal of tools not just to compete, but to excel. A sales enablement platform is designed to serve as the central hub for all sales-related activities. Think of it as mission control for sales operations.

Without going into too much detail about features and functionality, here are a few key things that sales enablement software does:

• Centralizes Content: It houses all your sales content in one searchable repository. This means no more frantic searching for the latest version of XYZ in the middle of a conversation with a hot lead; it’s all at your sales team's fingertips.
• Enhances Training: A sales enablement platform isn’t a static library of resources; it’s a dynamic learning environment. It provides interactive training modules, keeps track of progress, and helps sales teams stay sharp with the latest product updates and sales strategies.
• Tracks Performance: With robust analytics, sales leaders can see what's working and what's not. Managers can track employee performance and provide continuous coaching, enabling data-driven decisions to refine sales tactics.

But, as with most technology, sales enablement software isn’t as easy as pushing the “on” button. You need a professional team to help you develop a sales enablement strategy, turn it into a sales enablement program, and implement the program using a sales enablement platform.

Enable your sales teams to sell smarter, not harder

Between information overload and airtight schedules, salespeople are in dire need of a solution that’s built for their needs. Now that you can answer “What is a sales enablement program?” it’s time to take action to equip your salespeople.

At Unboxed Training & Technology, our sales enablement and training programs deliver short bursts of engaging content on demand, so learning can happen wherever your salespeople are, whenever they have time. Whether you want to integrate our custom content into your LMS or launch your sales enablement program in our skill-building platform, Spoke®, our team is ready to get to work.

Schedule a demo to learn more about how we can help propel your sales team forward with a custom sales enablement strategy tailored to your unique needs and goals.