When it comes to building a successful sales team, quality always beats quantity. It doesn’t matter how many reps you add if you don’t have the right sales enablement pros to coach them on how to win more deals.
Here are the five people you should have on your sales enablement team and how smaller and larger organizations can identify candidates to fill them, in their own ranks or from outside the organization.
Sales Enablement Manager
The manager is in charge of all sales enablement initiatives. They oversee the launch of the program and the implementation of its processes, procedures, and systems. Once the program is up and running, they’re responsible for its ongoing operations.
The manager typically handles:
- Uploading new marketing and training materials to the sales enablement system
- Removing outdated pieces
- Monitoring usage of marketing content
- Scheduling and leading meetings
- Providing regular reports and updates to key stakeholders.
A good manager is a champion for the program and is willing to do anything it takes to achieve success.
The ideal candidate for this position should have several years of sales enablement experience. The program manager typically reports into sales, but are in constant contact with members of the sales and marketing teams.
For many start-ups and smaller firms, this responsibility falls to a marketing manager in addition to their regular duties. In larger companies, the sales enablement manager is a dedicated position that may have a team supporting them.
Analytics Expert
People launching new sales enablement programs are often overwhelmed by the amount of data they have access to. Marketers and sales professionals generally don’t have the backgrounds needed to read, understand and interpret it.
It’s critical to find someone with a background in data and analytics to support them. Small companies may have an accountant or bookkeeper that can pitch in. Or they could find temporary help on an as-needed basis. Larger organizations usually have employees with analytical backgrounds that can become part of the team or they hire dedicated sales analysts.
Training Manager
The training manager is responsible for understanding what sales reps need to learn to be effective in doing their jobs and supplying training to educate them. This includes everything from onboarding to improving skills and filling knowledge gaps.
Training managers typically partner with the marketing team to develop different types of learning experiences or purchase them from outside sources.
They check that everyone completes their assignments on time, monitor the effectiveness of the training and recommend changes to improve it.
At smaller firms, the training manager responsibilities are handled by an experienced member of the sales team. At firms with large sales forces, it’s a dedicated position that is supported by a team of training experts.
Marketing Manager
The marketing manager is responsible for developing the messaging and materials sales reps use to support their interactions with prospects and clients. They also, working in close partnership with the training manager, develop training or purchase it from a supplier.
In order to be successful, marketing managers must work closely with people on the sales team, along with the sales enablement manager and data expert to understand which messages and materials are working and which are not, so they can be improved over time.
In smaller companies, marketing managers may create assets themselves or work with agencies and freelancers. At larger firms, they typically have a team to back them up.
C-Suite Executive
As with any business initiative, a sales enablement program needs a senior-level company sponsor for it to succeed. The sponsor attends meetings, provides insights and most importantly, communicates the importance of sales enablement to the organization.
At smaller businesses, this position is usually filled by the owner or head of sales. At larger ones, it’s an executive that oversees sales or marketing, such as a chief sales officer or chief marketing officer.
Filling all these roles will help ensure your sales team has the support it needs to sell effectively. Providing them with the right tools will, as well. Mobile Locker offers a sales enablement system that is easy and intuitive for all types of users. You owe it to yourself to check it out and see how it could support your team.
