Sales enablement is all the ‘buzz’ these days and rightfully so. Having a thoughtful, effective approach to sales enablement “…can improve sales productivity by up to 27.6%.” according to research by CSO Insights. There is no single generally accepted definition of sales enablement but there are some very key similarities in the definitions, key elements and effective approaches. Any sales organization that is interested in sustainable, improved results needs to pay attention to these key elements and effective approaches to put in place their own sales enablement plan. Do you have a defined sales enablement plan or ‘just winging it’ and hoping for better results?

At a high level, the most common key elements in an effective sales enablement approach are Development, Technology and Strategy. Truly effective sales enablement happens where these three elements come together in a harmonious way. In today’s fast-paced, ever changing sales environment, many sales managers are stretched so thin that they don’t take the necessary time to ensure their sales enablement plan is being effectively executed or they even have a sales enablement plan for that matter. Let’s examine each of the three key elements in a little more depth.

Development goes beyond training of traditional selling skills of how to meet and greet, overcome objections and ‘close the deal’. Training on these skills is still important but not enough to compete in today’s environment. Sales professionals need constant skill building to stay current with the technology they use, selling skills and product knowledge. Often overlooked is the development needed by the sales manager. In many instances, the sales manager is elevated to that position because they were the top-performing sales person. The skills needed to be a top-performing sales professional are not the same skills needed to be a top-performing sales manager and yet these folks are very often thrust into the position with very little or no preparation for their new role. Sales managers need well developed coaching, performance management, communication and engagement skills to properly guide and develop their sales teams. Development also needs to take place with the sales team regarding the technology that they have at their disposal.

The key part that having a sales enablement strategy is ensuring that the development efforts, the technology being deployed, and the sales processes all align with each other to provide a seamless and enjoyable customer experience. One that not only meets the current needs of the customer but establishes the foundation for building an ongoing relationship with the customer. Strategy work is critical for assessing the current alignment and constantly looking to the future to maintain alignment going forward. A sales enablement plan should be thought of as a living, breathing ‘sales ecosystem’ that requires constant care and development to ensure sustainable improvement in sales performance.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail” is just as true today as it was when first spoken by Benjamin Franklin. What is your sales enablement plan?

Introduction

This activity can be completed by as little as two individuals or groups of up to five to six individuals. The purpose of this exercise is to get people to recognize where they are not taking 100% responsibility in key areas in their life and how they can change that. This is a great exercise for introducing the concept of taking 100% responsibility without overwhelming them.

Process

1. Divide the participants in equal groups in a range from 2 up to 6 participants – have participants sit in a circle or facing each other if in groups of 2




2. Have the Responsibility Stems that you want to work on displayed on a flip chart or one per page on a PowerPoint slide




3. Have the participants complete the Responsibility Stems one at time by going around the circle in a clockwise manner – Have them state the entire Responsibility Stem and then adding their words to complete the sentence




4. Demonstrate the process by completing a sample Responsibility Stem while providing multiple answers




5. Continue going around the circle until all participants have had multiple chance to complete the Responsibility Stem – this may require 2-5 minutes per sentence




6. You can use multiple sentences depending on the most important topics that need to be covered




7. You Have the participants reflect on their responses for completing the Responsibility Stems and determine what adjustments they need to make to accomplish their desired results for each of the topics covered

Example Sentence Stems & Responses*

If I were to take 5% more responsibility for my life and well-being….

• I would exercise 30 minutes a day.
• I would only eat fast food one time per week.
• I would meditate more often

If I were to take 5% more responsibility for the attainment of my goals….

• I would do five things a day to get me closer to my goal.
• I would spend and extra hour a day in action rather than watching TV.
• I would share my goals with family and friends and ask for accountability.

If I were to take 5% more responsibility for success in my relationships….

• I would plan quality time with my kids and put it in my calendar.
• I would have a date night every week with my spouse
• I would talk less and listen more.

*These sentence completions are based on the work of Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D.

Introduction

The purpose of this exercise is to have the participant reflect on their beliefs regarding the causes for when they don’t have the success they desire in their lives and making the changes needed to get there. This is best completed in pairs but can also be done with small groups of up to six participants. This is a good exercise after the participants have been exposed to the concept of taking 100% responsibility for their results and completed other introductory exercises.

Process

1. Divide the participants in equal groups of two or three if necessary – have participants sit facing each other or in a circle if more than two participants in a group




2. Instruct the participants to make “I can’t…” statements about circumstances in their life they aren’t happy with – this can be targeted for specific topics such as ‘what’s holding you back from losing weight, hitting sales goals or other relevant topics




3. Demonstrate with a volunteer going back and forth




4. Have the participants alternate back and forth for a minute and then stop




5. Instruct the participants to switch to “I won’t…” statements using the same endings they used during the “I can’t…” round




6. Continue for one minute and stop the activity




7. Ask the participants to reflect on how it felt different between the two rounds – Ask a few participants to share their feelings with the group




8. Instruct the participants to write down some of the “I cant’s” in their life and convert them to an “I will…” statement where they take responsibility for making an effective change to the circumstances




9. Encourage them to write the “I will…” statements in positive future condition and not as a negative statement of what they don’t want

Example

First Round: “I can’t” lose weight

Second Round: “I won’t” lose weight

Final “I will” get to under 200 lbs. by exercising five times a week for 30 minutes and eating fast food only once per week (Not “I will” not be overweight…)

Introduction

The purpose of this exercise is to have the participant reflect on their beliefs regarding the causes for when they don’t have the success they desire in their lives and making the changes needed to get there. This is intended to be completed on an individual basis but could be shared with a trusted individual to validate the participants perspective or provide suggested changes.

Process

Instruct the participants with the following steps without providing much guidance beyond what is provided. You don’t want to influence their responses such that they alter how they write them down initially with regards to taking 100% responsibility.

1. Reflect on a current project, goal or relationship in your life that is realizing less than the success you desire.




2. Write the top three to five reasons you believe why this situation is less than successful.




3. Review the reasons you’ve written down and look for wording that indicates or demonstrates not taking 100% responsibility for the results – look for wording that is blaming others or making excuses




4. Rewrite the reasons stated in a manner as actions where you “take 100% responsibility for the results” and not blaming others or making excuses – write these actions in a way that states the positive condition you want to exist and not the absence of a negative condition




5. Begin incorporating the actions into your daily meditation, goal affirmation and action items

Example

Reason: My marriage is strained because my wife doesn’t listen to me and understand my needs

Action (Positive Condition): I need to communicate more effectively with my wife, so she better understands my needs

Action (Absence of Negative Condition): I need to communicate more effectively with my wife, so our marriage isn’t strained

Directions: Read the set of descriptors for each ‘Top Ten’ characteristic and place an ‘x’ on the continuum where you believe you fall. Be honest with yourself and go with the placement that first comes to mind. There is no benefit to over-estimating your real place on the continuum.

Very strong self-concept; Believe you can outperform everyone else

Know exactly what you want to achieve & think about the income in a positive context

Never play the blame game & always take full responsibility for results

Works harder then all others; Stays focused and on task, doesn’t waste time

Burning desire to win, to be successful, and to be the best

Genuine care for the customer & aim for long-term relationships

Know exactly what they want to achieve, need to do & what actions to take

Believe strongly in themselves, their products and the company/brand

Well educated and well versed on techniques and use them to great effect

Continuously developing themselves every way possible even on own time

Post Assessment Evaluation: Review your results and make note of the top 2-3 characteristics and the lowest 2-3 characteristics. Develop strategies for leveraging your top strengths to increase your effectiveness. Select one or two of the lowest characteristics and add a development goal to your Development Plan to strengthen the lowest characteristics selected.

*Source: Top Achiever Self-Assessment is based on “Top Ten Characteristics of Top Achievers” from Close More Deals by Jeff Smith