Oscar Chavez is an industry leader invested in turning sales & marketing into profit. Founder of Growthly Group & The Boardroom Chairman.
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I’ve worked with CEOs who misunderstand sales enablement as simply equipping teams with the latest technology and offering training programs once or twice a year. In reality, sales enablement has the power to grease the wheels of an organization, creating a culture of continuous learning, collaboration and innovation—giving them a distinct advantage over competitors.
Here, I'll explore three crucial elements of sales enablement which, if addressed properly, can help companies drive massive profits.
1. Human connection
Imagine this scenario: You're in the market for a new project management software, but you're frustrated with your current solution. You've been searching for a better alternative, but nothing seems to fit the bill. That is until you come across a sales rep who truly understands your pain points, needs and preferences. They ask the right questions, listen actively and suggest a solution that genuinely addresses your concerns. Suddenly, you feel seen, heard and understood.
That's the power of customer empathy in sales enablement. It's more than just pitching a product or service—it's about building meaningful relationships with customers that foster trust, credibility and loyalty. When sales reps put themselves in the shoes of their customers, they can provide tailored solutions that genuinely solve their problems and meet their needs. But customer empathy isn't just good for customers—it's good for business, too.
By cultivating empathy in their sales teams, businesses can drive customer loyalty, increase sales and ultimately achieve sustainable growth and profitability. In today's competitive marketplace, businesses that prioritize customer empathy in their sales enablement strategies are the ones that stand out from the crowd and win the hearts of their customers.
My company Growthly Group recently ran a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey for an MSP company. We found that whilst many had a relatively high score, they didn’t have an effective referral system in place with their existing clients. While this may sound like a simple fix, you may be surprised at how many companies don’t have an effective referral system as part of their sales enablement strategy.
2. Company-Wide Collaboration
Ultimately, sales enablement and company culture go hand in hand. When sales teams are empowered to succeed, it can have a profound impact on the entire organization, from fostering collaboration and teamwork to driving innovation and growth.
We worked with one company that grew to $3 million in 12 months, but performance started to drop just two months later. Employee turnover and client churn were at an all-time high. They were in dire need of a sales enablement overhaul.
One day of walking in, the energy in the company was completely off: People looked disengaged, and apart from a few account managers, there was no chatter at all. Much to the CEO's dismay, I called for an out-of-office team-building half-day on day two, wherein the task was to prepare meals for people experiencing homelessness. The goal was to have all staff from all departments working toward a common goal to break down the communication barriers that existed between different teams.
By day three of walking into the office, the energy had taken a complete 180. There was chatter once again. We broke out into a brainstorming session to understand what each department thought was working well and what needed improvement.
True to our sales enablement goals, there was finally dialogue and active problem-solving! Sales began communicating with marketing to develop targeted messaging that resonates with customers, while customer service teams provided valuable feedback to inform sales strategies and help identify areas for improvement.
This kind of cross-functional collaboration not only leads to better outcomes for customers but also fosters a sense of shared responsibility and accountability across the organization. When sales, marketing and customer service teams work together seamlessly towards a common goal, it creates a culture of happy and engaged employees, both reducing staff turnover rates and contributing to successful sales enablement outcomes.
3. Sales Coaching
Sales coaching is an often-overlooked aspect of sales enablement, though it can be tantamount to hiring a personal trainer for your sales team. Just like a personal trainer provides guidance and support to help you achieve your fitness goals, a strong sales coaching solution should help sales reps reach their full potential by providing ongoing training and feedback.
Most importantly, proper sales coaching should illuminate one’s blind spots. There’s often a stigma attached to receiving feedback in the workplace because it can make us believe that we’ve failed in our duties.
But in reality, we’re always a "work-in-progress." And striving to better ourselves has more productive outcomes than the desire to stay the same.
There’s only been one instance when a CEO I worked with was resistant to implementing coaching as part of their overall sales enablement strategy. They wanted me to provide general sales training, offering examples of how to handle objections but didn’t want me to personalize the approach by reviewing call recordings or observing sales calls. This was strange to me, as sales coaching is only effective when it relates to the specific challenges the sales team is facing.
After some digging, I found that this CEO linked their sales team’s performance to their own personal identity and self-esteem. The CEO felt vulnerable in allowing me to work one-on-one with the sales reps, knowing this had the potential to highlight their own weaknesses as a CEO. Breakthrough.
What many people don’t realize is that running a business is one of the hardest things any human can do. I helped this CEO realize that sales enablement strategies, like sales coaching, are about elevating company performance and revenue. By investing in the development of their sales reps, companies show that they value their employees and are committed to their success. Apart from increasing revenue, there is no other motive.
The Final Say
Sales enablement is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement and optimization. By staying informed on the latest trends and best practices, including the ones I’ve listed, businesses can ensure that their sales enablement program remains relevant and effective.
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