How to become a stellar sales enablement manager
Sales enablement managers: as critical to sales teams as beans are to toast.
(No, we’re not fighting you on that one. They are essential.).
Properly executed sales enablement strategies lead to an 8% increase in quarterly revenue and a 49% win rate on forecasted deals. And we’re sure you’d all agree that in today’s market, those aren’t results to turn your back on.
What secret sauce actually goes into a stellar sales enablement manager? What turns a good one into a standout player their team cannot be without?
In this blog post, we’ll find out. Whether you’re a sales enablement manager looking to up your game, a sales pro considering a career move, or just really, really interested in reading different job descriptions, we’ve got you:
Understanding sales enablement
In short: sales enablement managers are sales leaders who give sales reps the insights, tools and strategies they need to make sales.
What this actually looks like will vary from organisation to organisation – company size, stage and sales process all contribute to what the role looks like in each unique business.
Essentially, sales enablement managers use data and insights from sales and marketing to define the approach sales pros should take when prospecting, what materials they need to support their activities, and how they should engage with leads right through to the sale.
Done well, a good sales enablement manager will make a sales team:
- More efficient, meaning the sales cycle is as fast as is possible
- More effective, meaning the sales team has a higher win rate
The role isn’t one for those who want to rest on their laurels – they need to continuously keep an eye on market trends, customer data and the competitive landscape, and update their activities accordingly.
What does a sales enablement manager job involve?
Sounds like a cool job, right? But what does it actually look like day to day?
Developing and implementing sales strategies: this means taking data and insights and using them to inform a sales strategy, and then making sure each team member understands and can execute their role in making the strategy a success
Collaborating with sales, marketing and product teams: you already know that sales and marketing should be besties – and it’s important to keep on top of what the product team is working on and how this will benefit customers too. Think of the sales enablement manager as the organiser of the friendship group: they keep the group chat going, make sure everyone meets up regularly and understands what the others are up to.
What skills do sales enablement managers need?
We’re glad you asked. They need a mixture of hard skills, such as:
CRM expertise: CRMs are powerful tools – but they’re also quite complex. Want to know how to get the very best out of them? Your sales enablement manager‘s the one to ask.
Data analysis: you need to be data-driven – that means analysing it, identifying trends and using them to inform your strategies – to do this role well.
Content management and development: sales enablement managers should work cross-functionally across the sales team, marketing team and product team on sales enablement content creation that speaks persuasively and plainly to the prospect.
Knowledge of sales tools: the role also requires a nerd-like appreciation for sales tools. How are the ones we already have working for us? Is there a new kid on the block we should be checking out?
They also need soft skills, like:
Communication skills: sales enablement managers need to be able to communicate cross-functionally, as well as to the people who will be executing their plan and to the people who will be reviewing it. It’s a highly collaborative role, and the ideal manager will be comfortable working as a team rather than as a lone wolf.
Leadership: a lot rests on the sales enablement manager. They need to be comfortable with leading different initiatives and strategies, supporting individuals at every career stage from onboarding through to promotion and have excellent project management skills.
Problem-solving: things are going to go wrong – that’s part and parcel of a sales job. The sales enablement manager will need to swoop in and save the day (or at least figure out what to do next time) with their expert data, customer and tech stack insights.
Adaptability: the world of B2B sales changes. All the time. What works this quarter may not work next quarter – the best in the role will not only recognise this, but thrive on it.
Creating and delivering training programs: if a product is complex, and has been through multiple rounds of iteration and positioning, it’s likely that not every sales team member is singing from the same hymn sheet. Training makes sure that everyone has the same knowledge, delivers it in the same way, and works to the same strategies.
Managing sales content and tools: by sales content, we mean everything from one-pagers to case studies to emails – essentially, anything that gets sent out to prospects. These should (obviously) be accurate and up to date, have messaging that speaks to the pain points of the lead, and help to move the conversation along. Tools could be anything from the CRM system to the email finder – the sales enablement manager needs to make sure they’re used accurately and are worth the spend for the team.
Analysing sales performance data: a sales strategy without data is like toast without beans (nope, still not fighting you on this one). It’s just not going to be very good. By regularly reviewing sales metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), the sales enablement manager can make iterations to improve the team’s output.
Why your team needs a good sales enablement manager
Hopefully you understand by now where a good sales enablement manager fits into the sales team puzzle. Here’s why they’re a really, really essential piece:
Training and development: sales teams need to be continually improving. There’s a lot for sales pros to improve on: their knowledge of the ICP, their product consultancy skills, mastery of the tech and tools, listening skills…the list goes on. Sales enablement managers are the key to making this actually happen, by identifying areas for improvement and also how to improve.
Strategic alignment: working cross-functionally is easier said than done – particularly in an organisation where everyone has a million things to do, it can be easy to slip into siloes. Sales enablement managers are like superglue holding the teams together.
Performance monitoring: rigorous analysis is the only way for sales teams to get better (and for the company to grow). The beauty of the sales enablement role is they have the time to dig into what’s working and what’s not.
Best practices for sales enablement managers
Ok, we’re now going to move onto the nitty-gritty of how to become a great sales enablement manager. If you’re already in the role, we’d recommend focussing on the following key areas:
Know your tools and software: obviously your CRM – like Hubspot or Salesforce – is a biggie here. But you also want to understand what tools will streamline your team’s interactions and make them more effective. Data enrichment tools (like Surfe, if you’ll allow the plus), buyer intent tools and data analysis tools can all play a role here, depending on what your organisation needs.
Define your buyer personas: Your ICP should be defined with key business stakeholders. It should be based on deep market analysis and aligned with overall business revenue and growth roles. Once you have these down, you can create buyer personas to help the sales team really get under the skin of who they’re selling to.
Set SMART goals: that’s specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound objectives, for those not in the know. A quick scan of your initiatives using this framework will keep you on track.
Effective collaboration: focus on building great relationships and efficient processes for collaborating cross-functionally, and within your team as well. Teamwork makes the dreamwork ❤️
Continuous education and coaching: this is important for your team, and for you as well. Get into the mindset that there’s always room for improvement and things to learn, to make sure your business stays ahead of the curve.
Tips for aspiring sales enablement managers
So, you want to be a sales enablement manager? Good choice! Here’s how we’d go about it:
Educational background: hiring managers will usually look for a degree in sales, marketing or a relevant field to show you have the hard and soft skills necessary.
Relevant work experience: worked in a sales, revenue or customer support team before? You’re in luck! If you haven’t, gaining experience in one of these fields first can give you the technical know-how and best practice knowledge to stand out.
Continuous learning: keep abreast of your own development, and ask others for feedback on where you need to improve. Learning is a life-long marathon, not a sprint!
Let’s wrap it up!
Want to become a stellar sales enablement manager? Lucky you: you must have top analytical and technical skills, be an excellent communicator and have a natural flair for leadership. Put these skills to good use, along with a continuous learning and improvement mindset and you’ll nail the role – and be the key to driving your team’s success and company growth.
Just try not to get too big-headed.
Sales enablement managers: tech wizards
You know what tech wizards love using? Surfe! It’s a data enrichment tool that helps you find the contact data you need, keeps your CRM clean and more. Try it for free today, and you’re one step closer to becoming a sales enablement manager.
FAQs about becoming a sales enablement manager
What do sales enablement leaders do?
Sales enablement managers have a varied role that focusses on making the sales team more efficient, and more effective. They will focus on developing and implementing sales strategies, collaborating with sales, marketing and product teams, creating and delivering sales training programmes, managing sales content and tools and analysing sales performance data.
What are the responsibilities of sales enablement?
A sales enablement function is responsible for revenue growth within a business. By giving the sales team the insights, tools and support needed to speed up the sales cycle, and improve their win rates, they make sure that the team is continually successful and the revenue continues to grow.
How much do sales enablement managers make in the UK?
According to Glassdoor, salaries within a sales enablement team can vary from £37,000 to £60,000 a year.
Is sales enablement a promising career path?
A successful sales enablement manager can have a really promising career path. The mixture of soft and hard skills needed to do the role well are highly transferable, and the nature of the job allows the individual to get well-acquainted with strategic and leadership roles. As the sales enablement manager is responsible for revenue growth, a successful person in the role will have specific, measurable results to demonstrate when looking for their next challenge.