Everything You Need To Know About Sales Enablement Strategies
Do you want to make your sales team more productive and efficient? Are you thinking of ways to increase sales in a smarter, long-term way?
Well, it seems like a “Sales Enablement Strategy” is the right course of action for you. This is not a new concept, but it’s definitely something you’ll need to take more seriously in the world of sales to reach the top.
Keep reading for a clearer idea about what a sales enablement strategy really involves and how you too can jump on the bandwagon!
What is a Sales Enablement Strategy?
These three fancy words may sound a bit complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. Having a sales enablement strategy is basically giving your sales team everything it needs to strategically improve its performance.
This can be in the form of technology, information, and even training. The ultimate goal is to remove all barriers and give your staff the support to make the sales process smoother.
Why Do You Need One?
See it this way – even before a football game, no matter how good the players are, they are shown videos of the other team’s game to assess how they play.
The players have carefully planned strategies when they go into a game, which they nearly always follow. In fact, they even need very special kinds of uniforms and the best quality balls and fields to get the most out of their performance.
All these factors help them to beat the other team. In the same way, you, too, can give your sales team resources to get optimum results through a sales enablement strategy.
Five Steps to a Successful Sales Enablement Strategy
When it comes to sales, there is no one size fits all solution. But here’s a guideline that will help you go on the right path –
#1. Stay Equipped with the Right Tools
In the sales world, there are plenty of tools and platforms that help make strategizing easier. There are many different categories that address a range of issues. Starting from customer relationship management to sales intelligence and acceleration – technology and software have your back.
A few popular platforms include SalesHood, Outreach, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Hubspot, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The right fit will vary depending on your company’s operations, scale, industry, and strategy.
#2. Keep Track of Sales Data
If you want to be the best in business, you’ll need to have the numbers on your performance. Even if it’s on a weekly or monthly basis, check out the sales regularly and sit with your team.
This is the only way you’ll be able to understand what is working.
Having intel on your own company and assessing it for improvement is honestly one of the most integral parts of any sales enabling strategy. Numbers give you answers – and at the end of the day, when you’re working with sales, numbers are the only results that matter.
#3. Know Your Buyer
This is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your business. Everything depends on the buyer -so make sure you know your target population well.
Also, the more personal, the better. Try to collect as much information as you can on buyer preferences, triggers, and pain points. This can help you make much better strategies that are more likely to be successful.
You need to be on the lookout for opportunities to sell and adjust your advertising according to the occasion. Marketing in a timely manner and using a sentimental or resonating approach will always keep you ahead of others.
#4. Create a Collaborative Adaptive Work Culture
Putting a sales enablement strategy in place means completely changing how your organization works on a very internal level. All the departments have to be very sales focused, and goals have to be realigned.
This means every aspect of your organization should be working in collaboration. All the staff needs to be appropriately trained and taught how to work in sync. However, it is important to note that there is no textbook success story for sales to succeed.
Your organization should be able to deal with surprises and changes in the market and be flexible enough to take instant action. Sure, tools, software, and platforms are important. But they can only take you so far. Ultimately, it’s the people that are doing the work.
#5. Keep a Separate Sales Enablement Strategy Team
Salespeople are certainly the heart of the sales team. However, if you’re planning on strategizing, it’s important to designate work properly and keep a separate team in charge of management.
There’s a lot of things to manage and keep track of, and a handful of people can’t handle it all. In fact, you also need people with the right background to take your sales enablement plan to the next level.
A fresh perspective is what you need to change the direction of your company. Having the same people work on your strategy might not be the best idea. Also, sales managers and salespeople need to work on the ground, so you can’t expect them to dedicate all this time to research.
So even though it might be a little costly, invest in hiring the right people. You want a sales enablement team that is trained, tech-savvy, knowledgeable, and well-organized.
Final Thoughts
A sales enablement strategy has several benefits. It helps you stay more in tune with the market, speeds up sales processes, and most definitely increases your revenue.
However, creating this strategy is not a walk in the park. You need to put in the effort and make the right changes to your company. The key to success in this field is basically smart thinking and collaboration from all departments.
Remember – there is no end to a sales enablement strategy. It’s an ever-changing process that you need to keep updating as time goes by.