The concept of sales enablement first appeared about 25 years ago. And it became especially "popular" in the last 5 or so years. However, a lot has changed in the last 25 years. To put this in perspective, at that point you probably didn't even imagine that your cell would be connected to the internet in less than 2 years' time! So, fast-forward 25 years, what is sales enablement and what use does it have in modern business? Let's find out...
Gone are the days when a charismatic salesperson with a convincing pitch could guarantee success. While charisma and a great product are still important, the modern buyer's journey has become increasingly intricate and demanding. As a result, organisations need a more sophisticated and nuanced approach to effectively engage with customers and close deals. This is where sales enablement steps in, providing a systematic and strategic framework to empower your selling teams at every stage of the sales process.
Sales enablement recognises that each organisation is unique, with its own set of challenges and goals. It understands that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective in today's rapidly changing markets. Instead, sales enablement adapts its strategies to align with the specific needs of each company. It takes into account factors such as market shifts, technological advancements, and evolving consumer behaviours, ensuring that sales teams are not just reactive but proactive in their engagements.
Historically, the main aspect (and pretty much the only one) of sales enablement is its focus on equipping sales professionals with the right tools and resources. This includes providing them with access to up-to-date and relevant content, as well as comprehensive training and coaching. By arming sales teams with the necessary knowledge and skills, sales enablement empowers them to confidently navigate the complexities of the modern buyer's journey.
Moreover, sales enablement always recognised the importance of technology in driving sales success. It embraces advancements in sales automation, CRM systems, and data analytics to streamline the sales process and provide sales professionals with valuable insights. Through the integration of technology, sales enablement reduces administrative burdens, improves efficiency, and allows sales reps to focus on building relationships and delivering value to customers.
However, nowadays sales enablement goes beyond focusing on sales teams. The reason for that is the change in customer behaviour, as well as the ever-evolving competitive landscape. If you think of the good old sales funnel, the old-school approach was for marketing to own the top of the funnel (ToFu), and part of the middle of the funnel (MoFu). Where sales team was responsible for the middle to bottom of the funnel (BoFu) and the end conversion of the qualified leads to valuable customers. The new approach is based on looking at the co-ownership of the sales funnel by both sales and marketing, with customer experience being the key focus. This new approach allows for the customers to not only get a great but also, very importantly, consistent experience. It also allows a much better sales and marketing alignment which can result in over 200% increase in revenues.
In addition to this, we need to recognise that customer engagement does not end at the sign of the contract. If anything, it might be just a small fracture of the ongoing engagement. Say your sales cycle averages 6 months, and the lifetime cycle of your customers averages 10 years. At the point of the purchase, your customer had 1/20 of the engagement time with you. Now imagine how many upsell opportunities you might be getting in that time… Apart from that, imagine how many new customers a happy one can attract. So, one of the biggest gaps in the original sales funnel is the loyalty or delight stage, and the ability to recognise that customer experience and revenue generation go beyond the sign of the contract.
It is very important to highlight, that sales enablement is not a one-time initiative; it's an ongoing and iterative process, stretching alongside the whole lifetime of your customers. It requires continuous evaluation, refinement, and adjustment to keep pace with changing market dynamics. The success of sales enablement is based on feedback from your selling teams and customers, leveraging their insights to fine-tune strategies and optimise outcomes.
Sales enablement is a dynamic and adaptive methodology that empowers your selling teams to navigate the complexities of the modern buyer's journey. By tailoring its strategies to align with the unique needs of each organisation, providing the right tools and resources, leveraging technology, and embracing continuous improvement, sales enablement revolutionises the way organisations present their offering, ultimately driving success in today's competitive markets.