What are the key skills and attributes of a successful sales enablement leader?

Ideally, they are also working with the practitioner and understanding what the field is seeing. Often, enablement plans are created in a vacuum without a clear understanding of the challenges in the market.

I frequently say "enablement is the ultimate cross-functional role" but maybe that's a nicer way of saying "professional cat herder." 😉 Jokes aside, enablement cannot function let alone be successful in a vacuum. Strong leaders come into the role building bridges and seeking to understand what exists (and why) before building programs and requesting headcount. Collaboration and feedback should be the backbones of all programs to ensure success for all teams involved. Without collaboration your efforts will feel disconnected from the company and lose buy-in.

In addition to these teams and departments, I would also highly recommend asking members of the sales teams themselves for their view on the situation, what would help them in role, and what they view as being blockers to bringing in revenue. Getting the perspective of the teams who will be using and utilising your enablement will not only help when building, but will help the content land and be used once finalised.

Testing concepts with smaller collaborative teams can yield success, as modifications and improvements can be made to help anticipate and overcome potential objections [before it's too late].

Um bom Líder, na minha Opinião precisa saber fazer perguntas que engajem seu Time. Acredito também que fazer Reuniões semanais, ao iniciar a semana com feedback sobre a semana anterior e alinhamento de expectativas para a semana que está começando podem ser cruciais para a melhoria de resultados. Além disso, em minhas Mentorias, sempre oriento a Liderança a fazer Feedback individual mensal para valorizar os pontos fortes do mês e mostrar o que precisa ser corrigido. Ao realizar essas práticas, percebo que os Times engajam mais e entregam resultados por perceberem a Liderança mais próxima.

I have hired a person with the subject matter expertise on how people learn vs. the content they are learning. Having technical depth is optional for the role to be successful so long as they can collaborate with the many teams that make training a reality.

Good software here is key, to monitor key metrics on how content is being used (views, downloads, shares, time spent, etc). Armed with this, data-driven decisioning can prevent spin and reactionary production based on perceived needs. Also, the old-fashioned 'ride along' can be extremely helpful to understand intangibles of how content is used in the field.

A top-notch sales enablement leader boasts deep content expertise, serving as the encyclopedia for all sales-related materials. They master the art of crafting, curating, and optimizing sales content that resonates with both the sales team and customers. Essential skills include a keen understanding of customer pain points, the ability to translate product features into benefits, and proficiency in utilizing data to refine content strategy. Key attributes encompass a strong grasp of industry trends, an analytical mindset, and a creative flair, ensuring the sales content is both informative and engaging, driving sales effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

In today's information age, content reigns supreme. Sales enablement leaders possess a keen understanding of content creation and curation. They can identify the information needs of salespeople and develop compelling content, from sales collateral and presentations to training materials and battle cards.

Sales teams are constantly under tight time restraints and juggling different types of tasks for different audiences. It's imperative to structure the training to be bite-sized and just-in-time on a platform with robust search capabilities so that they can access the needed info globally anytime anywhere 24/7.

Modern sales enablement leaders need to blend traditional training skills with design thinking and user experience design - in essence, they need to become sales experience designers. Prioritizing a rep-centric approach ensures we're crafting engaging and effective learning experiences tailored to sales reps' unique challenges and needs. The best enablement pros create intuitive training materials that resonate with the audience because they deeply empathize with and understand them.

Training skills are vital in enablement - and it's important to acknowledge that adult learners absorb and engage with new information very differently to other groups of learners. By weaving in adult learning principles, switching up modalities (not relying exclusively on live lecture-style sessions!) and giving reps the opportunity to apply learnings as soon as possible in role, you will vastly increase the chances of your enablement offerings being applied long term, long after the programs have come to a conclusion.

Onboarding training (often the default) is great, but ongoing skill-building is even more important, and often overlooked. Bad habits, functionality assumptions and lack of knowledge can hamper best-laid plans for a team.

Strategic acumen is vital for sales enablement leaders when it comes to training skills. We need to ensure that all programs are in alignment overarching business goals. Begin with the end in mind. Always start with why and take the time to define the behavior change or outcomes you want to achieve.

Pela minha experiência, percebo que os Treinamentos precisam seguir a Tríade: * Estratégia, pois para quem não sabe para onde vai, qualquer caminho serve. * Técnica, pois sem isso, o Vendedor não avança * Comportamental, pois nossa Mente tem o poder de nos fazer avançar ou nos derrubar. Práticas de Coaching e uma Liderança Próxima podem ser bem eficazes nesse quesito e com certeza, impactam os Resultados de maneira positiva.

Technology skills, because we're living in the age of gadgets and gizmos aplenty. You can't just be handing out stone tablets in a world of iPads. Embrace the digital tools, CRM systems, and analytics. Learn to decipher data like an ancient scroll, and use it to your advantage. Being tech-savvy isn't an option; it's a survival skill.

The most important technology skill a sales enablement leader can have is the ability to lean in and leverage AI. AI in sales enablement means leaders do more with less, leveraging data for targeted strategies and automating tasks for efficiency. It personalizes learning, optimizing team capabilities quickly. AI-driven customer insights enhance engagement, improving conversions with precision. Real-time analytics enable swift, informed decisions, keeping strategies lean yet potent.

A proficient sales enablement leader is well-versed in technology, leveraging tools and platforms to streamline sales processes and enhance team performance. They possess the technical skills to select, implement, and manage sales enablement software, CRM systems, and analytics tools. Essential abilities include understanding the integration of various technologies, data analysis to inform strategic decisions, and training the sales team on tech adoption. Key attributes encompass a forward-thinking approach to technology, adaptability to new tools, and the capacity to translate technical capabilities into practical sales benefits, ensuring the sales team is equipped with cutting-edge resources to achieve their goals.

The sales tech landscape is brimming with innovative tools and platforms. Sales enablement leaders are not intimidated by technology; they embrace it. They possess a strong understanding of relevant sales enablement technologies and can leverage them to streamline processes, optimize workflows, and empower the sales force.

In my experience, a sales enablement leader must influence organizations to be successful. A sales enablement leader is in essence, an educator.

Leadership skills are essential to any enablement role (whether manager or not). The enabler will have to partner with sales team members and must be looked at as a leader. An enablement leader should be able to demonstrate by example the skills they are teaching the sales team.

The head of the enablement hierarchy must be an incredible leader because Enablement is a horizontal function and change tends to transmit hierarchically. That means that this role is incredibly challenging as you need to drive meaningful change in an unnatural way. Effectively, an enablement leader is an in-house sales rep and CSM, responsible for helping buyers (other leaders and reps) connect their pains to enablement solutions and then ensuring a flow of communication on existing work (customers) to demonstrate that the work in is producing the right output. 'Influence without authority' is the most relevant competency here.

Sales enablement leaders are more than just managers – they are inspiring leaders. They motivate and energize their teams, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. They are also adept at building trust and rapport, creating a positive and productive environment where salespeople can thrive.

A good Sales Enablement leader should above-all have high EQ and a degree of empathy for the daily realities of a salesperson in their organization. They need to think of the salesperson as their 'client' and build plans and strategies to meet their specific needs.

Understand how to design learning programs with basic Instructional Design knowledge. Be curious. Your job is to lead and guide the sales organization into developing the right solutions. Training is usually not the first best answer. Know how to teach adults and what motivates them to learn new things.

A Sales Enablement leader should ideally have been in Sales before and been successful in that role. That allows them to be able to share their knowledge and unique insights on how to sell and to help establish a quick rapport with the Sakes teams they are supporting.

You don't need past sales experience to be a successful sales enablement leader. HOWEVER, if you lack direct sales experience it's your job to be a continual student of sales as if you were going to "carry a bag" yourself.

I learned a key skill for enablement from my 11th grade journalism teacher: Always consider your audience. Sales is your customer, so build for their success. What they need to know, what they need to do and how to do it, what & how they need to solve/sell, etc… Don’t ever fall into the trap of “we do enablement“. No, you enable sales. They’re not the same thing.