What Are The 6 Core Sales Enablement Activities You Should Never Overlook?

Building a successful sales team requires more than just hiring skilled individuals – it demands a strategy that consistently empowers those individuals to perform at their best. However, what’s critical beyond setting the strategy, is defining the day-to-day tasks that they’re undertaking to power and truly drive that strategy. It’s with these detailed, daily and proactive activities that the wheels of sales enablement are set in motion.

In this article, we’re going to spend some time talking about these activities and how they create a top-performing sales enablement team.

How Does The Sales Enablement Strategy Drive Activities?

Before we can talk about KPIs and activities, it’s critical to realise that underpinning those KPIs and activities is the sales enablement strategy. We’re not going to spend a whole heap of time on this in this article, however, there are two things to consider.

Firstly, what is the monthly curriculum that you are running and how does that turn into the activities for the sales enablement team? This is a learning curriculum that satisfies not just onboarding sales individuals, but also the ongoing training and development of your teams, individual contributors and managers.

The second thing to consider is the sales enablement roadmap. This is the strategy of sales enablement. The roadmap defines which programs are being made use of, or against which part of the product they are being released. If there is a new release or if there is a new feature or function, the sales enablement team must get this into the hands of sellers and reps before it goes live. This roadmap needs to be published and visible to all in the business. 

Now with these two critical parts of the strategy; the ongoing sales training and coaching curriculum, and the sales enablement roadmap, this should start driving the activities of the team.

The key to a successful sales enablement strategy is ensuring that all elements work together seamlessly to enhance sales performance. From providing continuous learning opportunities for sales teams to aligning content with different stages of the buyer’s journey, every aspect of the strategy should be aimed at helping the sales team work smarter, not harder.

Key Elements of a Successful Sales Enablement Roadmap 

To build a sales enablement roadmap that truly drives the right activities, certain foundational elements have to be in place. These include training programs, content management, and the right technology stack. Let’s take a closer look at each of these components.

1. Continuous Training and Skill Development

Sales teams need to continuously develop their skills and stay updated on the latest selling techniques. The buyer’s journey is evolving, and the expectations of today’s customers are higher than ever. Continuous training helps salespeople stay sharp, whether it’s learning new methods for handling objections, understanding changes in buyer behaviour, or keeping up to date with product knowledge.

A strong sales enablement strategy will include ongoing training programs that should cover the following activities:

• Selling methodologies (e.g., MEDDIC, SPIN, Challenger)
• Industry trends and market insights
• Product and service updates
• Buyer persona training and coaching
• Management development and coaching
• Comprehensive onboarding

These programs can be delivered through in-person workshops, online courses, or even microlearning modules that allow reps to access learning materials on demand.

2. Content Creation and Management

Content is at the heart of every sales interaction. Sales teams rely on well-crafted content to engage buyers and provide valuable information at each stage of the sales funnel. However, the effectiveness of that content depends on how well it’s aligned with the buyer’s journey.

A sales enablement strategy should include a content management system (CMS) that organises and delivers the right materials at the right time. This could include:

• Product guides and data sheets for prospects in the awareness stage
• Case studies and testimonials for leads in the consideration stage
• Detailed proposals and pricing information for buyers in the decision-making stage

Moreover, the CMS should enable sales reps to access content quickly and easily, whether they’re in the office or on the go. It should also allow for easy customisation of materials to suit different buyers or industries.

Something important to note here; although content creation falls under sales enablement and is an activity, we still need to be strategic about this content creation. Our job is not to simply be reactive when it comes to content creation. For example, if reps and managers are asking for a new deck or asking for competitive battle cards, our job isn’t just to spring into action and react to that. Its creation should be built into a more strategic, deliberate roadmap with a clear goal. So, whether this is product guides, case studies, or new product releases, we need to still think strategically even though this is a day-to-day task.

3. Technology Stack Integration

Technology is a critical enabler of modern sales enablement strategies. Integrating the right tools into your sales processes ensures that salespeople have access to the data, insights, and automation they need to be more effective. A well-rounded technology stack includes:

CRM Systems: These are essential for tracking customer interactions, managing pipelines, and providing visibility into sales performance. CRM systems help sales reps stay organised and informed, allowing them to engage buyers with personalised content and insights.

Sales Intelligence Tools: AI-powered sales intelligence tools can help prioritise leads, score opportunities, and predict deal outcomes. By leveraging data and analytics, these tools enable sales teams to focus their efforts on the most promising prospects.

Analytics Platforms: Data-driven decision-making is key to optimising a sales enablement strategy. Analytics platforms help track important metrics such as pipeline velocity, conversion rates, and win rates, allowing sales managers to make informed adjustments to the strategy over time.

4. Integrating Proven Sales Techniques

A successful sales enablement strategy doesn’t just rely on tools and content – it’s also about applying the right sales techniques. Incorporating proven methodologies like MEDDIC, SPIN selling, and the Challenger Sale can give your sales team an edge when it comes to engaging buyers and closing deals. A large part of enablement is creating repeatable, centralised and scalable foundations that support a business’ growth and scale. It’s not a technique if it only works once with a small sample. These are some proven and effective approaches:

MEDDIC: This methodology helps sales teams qualify leads by focusing on identifying key decision-makers, understanding the buyer’s metrics, and ensuring there is a compelling reason to purchase.

SPIN Selling: SPIN focuses on uncovering customer pain points through a series of probing questions that reveal their needs and challenges. Once identified, the salesperson can create a solution tailored to the buyer’s specific pain points.

Challenger Sale: This approach is about challenging the buyer’s thinking and providing insights that help them see their problems from a new perspective. It’s especially useful in competitive markets where differentiation is key.

Make it your own: When you distill these methodologies down, you’ll notice they share a degree of similarity. One thing to be mindful of as an enablement function is not necessarily just picking the right methodology, but also borrowing from those methodologies to create your own.

In other words, if it’s perceived as something that’s already aligned with your organisation, it’s going to have a much higher chance of adoption, as opposed to simply mandating a new, flashy methodology for the sake of it. Methodologies work to bolster what is already aligned, and to realign that which needs a nudge – don’t let the methodology derail you, but let it strengthen the strategy. Don’t be afraid to borrow from these methodologies to create your own to satisfy your organisation. 

4. Aligning Sales and Marketing Teams

One of the most critical aspects of any sales enablement strategy is ensuring alignment between sales and marketing teams. In many organisations, sales and marketing operate in silos, which leads to miscommunication, missed opportunities, and wasted resources. A robust sales enablement strategy breaks down these barriers by fostering collaboration between the two teams. Some key steps to align sales and marketing include:

Clear Communication Channels: Establish regular communication between sales and marketing teams to ensure that content, messaging, and goals are aligned.

Shared KPIs: Both teams should work towards common goals, such as lead quality, conversion rates, and content performance. Shared KPIs foster accountability and collaboration. Even more crucial is combining this collaboration with a clear indicator of how these are affecting the pipeline, after all, that is the goal of setting KPIs. These can range from close rates, pipeline conversions, a decrease in deal lengths and an increase in order values.

Feedback Loops: Sales teams are on the front lines of customer interactions, so they have valuable insights into what content and messaging work best. Creating feedback loops allows sales teams to inform marketing about their content needs, leading to more relevant and effective materials.

5. Leveraging Technology and Data Analytics

Sales enablement strategies are increasingly dependent on technology and data analytics. Implementing the right tools can streamline the sales process and provide actionable insights to drive better decision-making. Some of the key technologies and tools include:

AI-Powered Sales Intelligence: These tools can automate lead scoring, forecast opportunities, and provide insights into buyer behaviour. This allows sales teams to focus on high-value activities, rather than manual tasks.

Data Analytics: By leveraging data analytics, companies can track key performance metrics such as conversion rates, average deal size, and pipeline health. This data informs decisions and helps optimise the sales enablement strategy over time.

6. Measuring and Optimising

A large part of the enablement function’s day-to-day activities will be measuring and optimising its performance. The success of your strategy should be evaluated based on a mix of leading and lagging indicators:

Leading Indicators: These include metrics like pipeline velocity, the number of new opportunities created, and engagement with content. They help predict future success and highlight areas that may need adjustment.

Lagging Indicators: These metrics, such as win rates, revenue growth, and average deal size, show the long-term impact of your strategy and help assess overall performance.

Regularly reviewing these metrics allows for ongoing optimisation. By making data-driven adjustments, you can ensure that your sales enablement strategy continues to support your business goals and sales performance.

Empowering Your Sales Force for Success

Building a sales enablement strategy is a powerful way to unlock the full potential of your sales team. By equipping them with the right tools, training, and insights, you’re not just improving their ability to close deals, you’re setting your organisation up for sustained growth. Aligning sales with marketing, leveraging advanced technology, and continuously optimising your approach based on data will ensure that your strategy remains effective in a constantly evolving market. 

Empower your sales enablement team with effective training and a well-executed plan, and watch as their performance reaches new heights, driving meaningful results for your business. Contact Flow State support and learn how an expert sales training agency can help improve your sales team’s output.