Sales are the driving force behind your company’s growth, but what’s really fueling your sales efforts?
In recent years, sales practices and buyer behaviors have evolved dramatically, leading to a noticeable gap. Consider these eye-opening statistics:
- By 2020, companies were achieving less than 30% of their sales quotas on average.
- Only 32% of B2B buyers felt that sales representatives exceeded their expectations in securing business.
- 44% of millennial buyers prefer not to interact with a salesperson throughout the buying process.
So, what’s behind these numbers?
While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly impacted sales practices, there’s another significant factor at play: Sales teams often lack the essential tools, training, resources, and ongoing coaching needed to meet evolving buyer demands. Additionally, many sales reps miss out on crucial performance metrics that could help identify areas for improvement. This disconnect can create bottlenecks and result in less effective sales performance.
A well-structured sales enablement program can enhance rep confidence, refine training methods, and optimize sales practices. Despite its benefits, sales enablement is often managed separately from traditional sales operations, which can lead to misaligned strategies and goals.
Let’s explore how to build a robust sales enablement plan.
What Is a Sales Enablement Plan?
A sales enablement plan provides sales reps with the necessary training, content, coaching, and resources to sell effectively. It’s a strategic guide outlining what needs to be done, how to do it, when, and with what tools. This plan includes:
- Training materials and playbooks
- Coaching guidelines
- Content management systems
- Performance metrics
Why is this important?
- Companies with top-tier sales enablement programs achieve 38% higher quota attainment than the industry average.
- Sales reps in these companies reach their quotas at a rate of 75%, which is 25 percentage points higher than average.
- Organizations with effective sales enablement strategies see a 13.1% increase in year-over-year revenue.
What Is a Sales Enablement Framework?
A sales enablement framework is a structured approach that ensures your sales enablement plan is effective. Think of it as a “user manual” for your sales enablement processes, providing a set of rules and steps to follow.
Here’s how to create and maintain an effective sales enablement plan:
Step 1: Develop a Sales Enablement Charter Aligned with Sales Goals
A formalized strategy is crucial for effective sales enablement. This charter will serve as a roadmap, detailing how your sales enablement efforts align with your sales strategies and objectives.
Questions to consider:
- Onboarding and Training: How will you define and deliver onboarding and training? What systems and methodologies will you use?
- Coaching Strategy: How will coaching be structured? How often will reps receive coaching, and will it be in person or remote?
- Content Needs: What types of internal and external sales content will you provide? How will this content be managed and updated?
- Performance Metrics: What key performance indicators (KPIs) will you use to measure success?
Creating a comprehensive charter will set the stage for a successful sales enablement plan.
Step 2: Collaborate with Sales Management
Sales leaders are crucial in understanding what effective selling looks like. They have direct insights into the challenges and processes of sales reps.
Actions to take:
- Consult Sales Leaders: Discuss with them where there are pain points and how sales processes can be improved.
- Regular Check-ins: Establish a regular schedule for check-ins with sales leadership to evaluate trends and adjust strategies as needed.
Involving sales leaders ensures that your sales enablement plan is practical and effective.
Step 3: Define Metrics for Sales Enablement
Sales enablement metrics track how well your sales enablement practices are working and how engaged reps are with the materials and processes.
Important metrics to monitor:
- Training Completion Rates: How many reps complete training courses?
- Quota Attainment: How well are reps meeting their sales quotas?
- Win Rates: What percentage of deals are closed successfully?
- Talent Retention: How well does your program help retain top sales talent?
- Revenue Impact: How does sales enablement influence revenue growth?
- Number of Closed Deals: How many deals are closed successfully?
Regularly review these metrics to understand the effectiveness of your sales enablement efforts and make necessary adjustments.
Step 4: Align Sales Enablement with the Buyer’s Journey
Create and organize content that aligns with different stages of the buyer’s journey. This helps ensure that your sales reps have the right materials at each stage of the sales process.
Steps to follow:
- Catalog Content: Organize existing content based on buyer personas and stages in the buying process.
- Identify Gaps: Determine if any stages lack sufficient content and work with marketing to develop additional resources.
- Analyze Engagement: Use engagement metrics to understand which content performs best and refine your content strategy accordingly.
A well-organized content catalog will help sales reps deliver targeted and effective messaging.
Step 5: Secure Stakeholder Buy-In
For your sales enablement plan to succeed, you need support from key stakeholders, including the C-suite and other decision-makers.
How to get buy-in:
- Share Your Plan: Present your sales enablement plan to stakeholders and gather their feedback.
- Promote Collaboration: Encourage stakeholders to be actively involved in shaping and supporting the sales enablement strategy.
Having the backing of key decision-makers will help ensure the success of your sales enablement efforts.
Step 6: Plan Your Launch and Ongoing Activities
Before launching your sales enablement plan, establish a realistic timeline and outline the next steps.
Considerations include:
- Onboarding and Training: Allocate time for onboarding and training programs. Ensure that reps have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with new resources.
- Ongoing Coaching: Schedule regular coaching sessions to support reps and keep them updated on best practices.
- Technology: Ensure you have the necessary tools, such as a sales enablement platform and CRM system, to support your plan.
- Feedback and Improvement: Use data and feedback to continuously improve your sales enablement practices. Monitor metrics, gather insights, and adjust your strategy as needed.
Moving Forward
For a deeper dive into sales enablement best practices, check out our latest State of Sales Enablement Report. If you’re ready to explore sales enablement platforms, schedule a demo with us today.
Building and implementing a robust sales enablement plan will set your sales team up for success, driving better performance and increased revenue.