To put it simply, sales enablement is a game changer. Just about anyone who knows what a sales enablement platform delivers — higher revenue, greater employee retention, enhanced productivity, and more — would agree with that statement.
Getting senior leadership to sign off on investing in sales enablement, however, is another story. You’re not only competing for mindshare and budget dollars, but you’re also convincing them to invest in a solution they may never have considered previously. Before approaching senior leadership about investing in sales enablement, you’ll need a strategy with supporting tactics.
To address your need to sell senior leadership on why sales enablement is important and how to select the right solution, ensure that you ask — and can answer — the following questions.
What does your organization need?
You wouldn’t head out on a road trip without knowing how to get there. The same goes for selecting the best sales enablement platform. First, create a sales enablement roadmap and better understand what your organization needs.
Everyone wants to increase sales, but to do so requires taking a step back and addressing one of the many business problems that sales enablement supports and optimizes. What’s required to get new hires to sell earlier and more often? Do sellers struggle to find the right content and messaging that help them engage with customers? Do sellers need training and coaching resources to hone their skills? You need to do some investigative work. Talk to sellers and get their take on what they need to build their sales funnel and close deals faster. There’s a good chance the answers you get from sellers will differ from those in leadership.
Who are the key stakeholders?
While it may seem like any title that includes the word sales would be most relevant to sales leadership, remember that the teams that support the revenue cycle are affected by how well the sales organization is doing. That’s why it’s important to understand the needs of key stakeholders from marketing, customer success, and operations because a sales enablement tool impacts the entire go-to-market (GTM) function.
Find out who in leadership should be the sales enablement champion. Everyday champions include the CMO, CRO, or the head of enablement.
What should be included in the business case?
Building a business case will assist you on two fronts — securing budget dollars and helping you select the right sales enablement solution. Make sure you highlight the benefits of implementing top sales enablement software, including the potential improvements in sales productivity, efficiency, customer experience, and revenue growth backed by case studies and data. If you’re looking for some compelling stats, you can find many gems in the Seismic Value of Enablement Report. Here are just a few examples:
- 97% of those surveyed say that enablement technology gives them quick access to content, information, and/or coaching and that having quick access to information and/or content helps them speak to clients from a more informed standpoint.
- 84% of enablement technology users say it makes them more productive.
- 79% of those who plan to increase or retain believe that their company’s enablement tools will help them retain more employees in 2023.
What is the sales enablement value proposition?
Be prepared to state the sales enablement value proposition and how it addresses their pain points around sales effectiveness, streamlining internal workflows, enhancing the customer experience, and driving revenue growth. If you solicit their buy-in, they’ll evangelize sales enablement and why it’s needed, whether they realize it or not.
The value proposition should clearly communicate exactly how sales enablement will address all the needs you’ve uncovered through internal meetings, discussions, and interviews. Just remember to develop a list of objections you may encounter and then be prepared to effectively and affirmatively answer them all. Sales enablement vendors often have helpful resources readily available on their websites to address common concerns around cost, integrations, security, and ease of use.
What to look for in a sales enablement vendor?
For your sales enablement program to be effective, look for sales enablement vendors that address your core needs with the ability to scale as your business needs evolve over time. The best sales enablement tools have sales content management capabilities that enable sellers to easily access and personalize content for customers, train and coach sellers, and prepare sellers for buyer engagement.
To ensure a single source of truth, sales enablement software should also integrate with systems of record such as a CRM or business intelligence tools. Including that vital information provides proof of ROI, and it also gives leaders the analytics needed to understand what behavior is closing deals and what reps need to improve.
Your best first step
Remember, championing a sales enablement solution requires persistence, effective communication, and a clear understanding of the value it can bring to your organization. However, coming to a decision doesn’t have to be difficult; Seismic partners with organizations on day one to help them get started. The Seismic Enablement Cloud™ offers a suite of tools around sales content management, personalization, training and coaching, and buyer engagement, with enablement intelligence to help GTM teams demonstrate ROI and close deals faster.
If you’d like to learn more, connect with us and get a demo today.
