If you’ve embraced sales enablement as an essential business practice, you’ll already have sales managers and existing team members working hard to implement it.
So when should you hire a dedicated sales enablement manager?
When does a sales enablement manager – or a sales enablement director – become a necessity?
Why do you even need one?
Why hire a sales enablement manager
Simply deploying sales enablement software is not enough for success. Implementing a program of activities is not enough to change attitudes and mindset. Mapping out a sales enablement strategy on its own is not enough to drive organizational change and revenue increase.
It needs someone to oversee and execute. It needs more than a sales manager, it needs a director of sales enablement. Someone to support and guide whole teams and ensure sales enablement practices are followed wherever possible.
There are several key signs to look for as to when you really need to recruit a dedicated sales enablement director. It’s time to hire when:
- Your current managers don’t have time
- You need to improve coaching and training
- Your sales reps are missing buying signals
- You need to unite teams
- You need to streamline processes
- You need to align departments
- You need to improve the customer journey
- You’re eager to get more from your sales enablement software
1. When your current managers don’t have time
If your current managers are struggling to stay on top of their duties, then they’ll never be able to manage an effective sales enablement roll-out.
If they’re jumping from task to task, trying to support a team of sales reps in their day to day activities, training new team members AND identifying ways to implement sales enablement activities, they’ll never succeed.
An effective sales enablement approach needs a dedicated leader at the helm who has the time and resources to devote to it.
2. When you need to improve coaching and training
A lack of time will almost certainly mean coaching and training falls by the wayside. And they’re essential to any sales enablement strategy.
If new reps are not reaching their quotas fast enough, then training and support is often to blame. If they’re not using the tools at their disposal, there’s probably a flaw in the onboarding process.
It’s not just new reps either. Everyone in the sales team should have access to regular training, to:
- Understand how sales enablement is working throughout the organization
- Learn new business strategies, marketing plans and product details, and
- Familiarize themselves with sales enablement tools
A dedicated sales enablement director will oversee all coaching, training and onboarding.
3. When your sales reps are missing buying signals
Identifying buying signals is an essential part of any sales enablement approach. It’s one of the major benefits of deploying software to support the sales process.
But if your sales reps are not monitoring prospect clicks, downloads or video views, they’re missing key buying signals.
They won’t respond fast enough to deliver the right content at the right time.
A sales enablement manager will ensure the right sales enablement tracking and reporting is in place across the department to prevent missed signals.
4. When you need to unite teams
If you’re seeing large variations in conversion rates, closed deals and active selling time between your sales reps, then it’s time to hire a sales enablement director.
Lack of consistency in your team shows that some reps are working efficiently and using the tools (and the strategy) at their disposal, while others aren’t.
A sales enablement manager will bring leadership and structure, adding accountability for all your sales reps. They’ll look at what can be learnt from successful reps and applied to those who are struggling. And they’ll identify targets and goals to improve the consistency and effectiveness of sales enablement deployment across the business.
5. When you need to streamline processes
The learnings from successful sales reps will likely focus on efficient workflows and processes. If your reps aren’t working efficiently and struggle to find the information they need, hiring a sales enablement director will pay immediate dividends.
They can look at the whole sales process and pinpoint problems. They can make sure everyone has the right access to the right content, as and when needed, and can quickly and easily share it with prospects.
They’ll make sure sales enablement software works seamlessly with your business operations, so that you can scale effectively.
6. When you need to align departments
One of the most common problems with sales enablement processes is the gap between sales and marketing. If sales aren’t using the content marketing provided or can’t make requests to improve it, then it’s time to hire a sales enablement director.
They will help close the gap between sales and marketing
They will have the time and the resources to overhaul the communications and processes between the two departments, with new workflows, systems, joint meetings and review practices, all aimed at increasing the effectiveness of your sales enablement strategy.
7. When you need to improve the customer journey
That connection between departments is essential if you want to improve your customer journey, and you should. Buyers are demanding a personalized customer experience from start to finish.
If too many deals are fizzling out with a ‘no decision’, then the chances are you’re not delivering the experience that your buyers want. You’re not providing them with the right information at the right time. You’re not delivering a seamless handoff from one department to the next.
You’re not deploying effective sales enablement practices. Hiring a sales enablement director should change that.
8. When you’re eager to get more from your sales enablement software
If you’ve invested in sales enablement software, you’ll want to get as much return from it as possible.
Recruiting a sales enablement manager will help you do that. They’ll help you focus your efforts on that entire customer journey – from marketing through to customer success – and make sure you deploy your software at every opportunity.
Their job should be to drive revenue across the entire business. To deploy sales enablement software across every stage of the customer journey.
So maybe you shouldn’t hire a sales enablement manager or sales enablement director.
Maybe you should hire a Revenue Enablement Director?
