As the calendar flips to a new calendar, enablement leaders face a critical and demanding period. This is the time to review the past quarter’s performance, identify what did and didn’t work, and highlight opportunities for improvement.
It’s also the time to set new goals and define the strategies to achieve them. This likely requires some big moves when it comes to your sales enablement training goals. And while you can do a lot to set your team up for success, this blog will dive into four key initiatives we recommend including in your plans.
Establish a sales enablement vision
Enablement is often used as an umbrella term to describe all things onboarding, training, coaching, content management, social selling, and more. Start thinking about your sales enablement strategy without pigeonholing yourself into distinct categories. As a budding sales enablement pro, you can think of this activity as your “Pinterest board” of sorts.
Here are a few thought-provoking questions to fuel your daydreaming session:
- Imagine the most frustrating problem your team faces today. What could they do if it magically disappeared overnight?
- Imagine you have an extra hour every day. How do you use it?
- What takes your team the most time for the smallest reward?
- I wish my team was better at _______________.
- When you look back on it this time next year, what improvements would you like your team to have made?
Figure out what makes your ideal customer sales-ready
So, you’ve daydreamed about the big things your team could do with a sales enablement certification under their belts. Now, it’s time to dream about what your customers and prospects would experience.
One of the beautiful things about a new or renewed focus on sales enablement training is that it’s no longer sales enablement vs. marketing, it’s sales + marketing. Your sales enablement software will help you identify what converts and what doesn’t, but it’s never too early to start thinking about that ideal customer and the journey they’ll take with your team. Give some consideration to the telltale signs of a soon-to-be closed-won deal.
Here are some examples of what you might look for:
- Email engagement: What email nurture campaigns are working well? Are there cadences that drive deals to close faster than before?
- Website interactions: Are there specific forms submitted that almost guarantee a great conversion rate?
- Content that converts: Which white papers, ebooks, and one-pagers lead to the highest quality leads?
- Social media engagement: Are your most effective team members excelling in the comments section, selling on social media, or posting regularly to drive product awareness?
Make it official with an internal sales certification program
We all love a sparkly little badge sometimes. If you’re rolling out a brand-new sales enablement program, consider creating a certification program to get all your people on board and in one place. Certifications ensure that your team has truly done the work to make the most of the training you’re asking them to invest in this season.
Of course, there are many ways to unite all stakeholders and contributors you’ll need. If certifications aren’t the right way forward for you, consider a recurring meeting where your sales and marketing departments align, collaborate, and debrief on your sales enablement training program. This will help ensure that everyone across your GTM organization is working towards the same goals and has the resources needed to succeed.
Replace your old product knowledge docs with a searchable, update-ready alternative
How many times have you peeked at your sales playbook, sales enablement courses, or product collateral only to notice they aren’t up to date? If this is the case, it’s the perfect time to rethink your sales training and enablement efforts.
One of the benefits of a sales enablement training program is that you can update it to meet your team’s current needs. If you use sales enablement software updates are as easy as writing an email. Pricing updates? No need to reprint every product manual under the sun! Major market shift? There’s a comparison chart for that. New product launch? Here’s everything you need to know, all at the click of a button. With enablement software, you meet your team where they are, whenever they have a spare moment to devote to training.
Enablement training FAQ
How can we begin establishing a comprehensive sales enablement strategy for our team, considering the various aspects like onboarding, training, coaching, and content management?
A comprehensive enablement strategy considers how these various aspects complement each other. Instead of thinking about each separately, establish a holistic process that addresses everything from sales enablement coaching to content management in one streamlined framework.
What are practical steps to identify and understand our ideal customer’s journey?
First, map out the buyer’s journey. This outlines the steps and stages a customer goes through from awareness to consideration to final purchase. This will help visualize the customer’s experience and identify critical points where they interact with your organization. It’s also helpful to collect and analyze customer data. Use your organization’s CRM system, website analytics, email, and social media metrics to help gain a deeper understanding of how your customers engage with the content. This will also help you identify when they might stop engaging with your brand during the journey.
What are the benefits of implementing an internal sales certification program?
Implementing a sales certification program ensures that your sellers have a consistent and comprehensive understanding of your organization’s products, services, and sales process. This consistency can lead to more effective buyer interactions. A certification program also provides a structured and scalable learning path that allows sellers to develop their skills and knowledge at their own pace. This training method can boost confidence and comprehension, leading to better performance and engagement.
Fast-track the sales enablement process with Seismic
Achieving your sales enablement training goals has never been easier with the Seismic Enablement Cloud ™. When sellers have the right tools and knowledge to do their jobs, teams close more deals and grow revenue. Sales teams around the globe use Seismic to ramp new reps quickly, hone essential skills, and deliver coaching and certification programs at scale. If you’re ready to unlock your team’s potential and hit the next quarter’s goals, get a demo.
