How the parts fit together
A methodology guides how people approach a sale. A process defines the stages and responsibilities. Enablement provides the material, training and tools that help people use both. In B2B sales, where several decision makers are often involved in a purchasing decision, that support needs to help people work through longer sales conversations, not only first meetings.
What B2B sales enablement can include
- Sales process and methodology.
- Value propositions built around the pain points of each client group.
- Client-facing material, such as proposals, presentations and case studies.
- Playbooks and training resources.
- Content management: where material is kept, who owns it and how it is kept up to date.
- CRM requirements and useful management reports.
- Responsibilities for maintaining the material.
Building a B2B sales enablement strategy
Review what the team uses now and where they lose time or lack support. Talk to the people who sell: which questions do clients ask, where do opportunities stall, and what do they have to create from scratch each time? Agree the priorities with sales, marketing and relevant service leaders, so that content creation follows what the sales team actually needs and messaging is consistent across the firm.
Then test changes with a small group of users before extending them to the whole team. A sales enablement programme can then run in stages, with each stage reviewed before the next begins.
Sales enablement tools and your tech stack
Sales enablement tools range from shared folders and CRM templates to dedicated sales enablement platforms. Start with the process and the material, then decide what the tech stack needs to do. Existing tools are often enough once content is organised around the stages of the sale and the CRM records what managers need to see.
Checking whether it helps
Look at adoption as well as sales results. Can people find the material? Does it answer their questions? Are CRM records and reports more useful? Over time, look at conversion rates between stages, sales cycle length and closed deals, while allowing for other changes in the business.
Set up a feedback loop so salespeople can report what is missing or out of date, and agree who acts on that feedback. Enablement that is not maintained loses its value quickly.
Fees and timing
A full enablement programme typically runs over two to three months. Fees are quoted after a discovery call. The proposal sets out the work, the people involved, the timing and the fee. Any ongoing support is agreed separately.
Questions about enablement
Do we need new software?
That depends on the gaps identified. Existing tools and content may be sufficient once they are organised around the process. If a new platform is needed, the requirements come from the review, so you can compare products against what your team will use.
How is this different from a playbook?
A playbook documents the sales approach. Enablement can also include the tools, training and responsibilities needed to put it into practice.
Who should be involved?
The sales team and the people responsible for marketing, systems and service delivery should help define what is needed.
What does a sales rep need from enablement?
Usually three things: a clear view of the next step in each opportunity, material they can use with clients without rewriting it, and quick answers to common client questions. The review asks your team what they need rather than assuming it.