Why Your Sales Enablement Plan Needs to Match Your Sales Channel

If you’re only working with a single Sales Enablement plan, you may actually be hampering your Sales team.  

 

Why? Sales operates across multiple distribution channels, and each provides a unique way to engage with consumers. Therefore, each also requires its own strategy for success. To access the latest emerging best practices for sales enablement, review the How to Your Number in 2018 Workbook .

 

In order for the Sales team to truly be effective, you must equip them with the appropriate sales enablement assets for tackling each market. Here’s how to do it.

 

Many markets are too competitive and stratified for a single sales enablement plan. Identify your go-to markets. You should have as many sales enablement plans as you have go-to markets.

 

For example, your go-to markets may be comprised of the following:

 

Direct Sales Force

 

  • Small business
  • Mid-market
  • Enterprise

     

Indirect channel

 

  • Value-added reseller
  • Agencies
  • Distributors

     

Single-Purpose Channels

 

  • Inside Sales Channel
  • Key account management channel
  • E-commerce B2B channel

     

Sales approaches each of these channels differently. Therefore, Sales Enablement must offer a customized plan for each individual situation.

 

Customize Each Plan

 

Consider integrating the following elements into each of your Sales Enablement plans:

 

  • Content related to sales rep training
  • How training content is presented and taught through a learning management system
  • Sales tools to move deals through the pipeline
  • Mobile support and apps that inform each member of that direct channel
  • Collateral used to make the sale, such as case studies, white papers, and videos
  • Onboarding strategies for bringing new people into the company as well as promoting from within

     

Incorporating these items into multiple plans may seem overwhelming. However, for Sales to be effective, it’s crucial. And there are a few tips you can use to streamline the process.

 

Incorporate framework thinking. You may have a lot of work ahead of you, but you don’t have to start each plan from scratch.

 

1. Begin with a framework:

Each plan—though different—will be developed within the same framework. This framework may be a mobile app, onboarding program, or LMS software.

 

2. Find common content across each channel:

There will be a set of common tasks, content, and materials used across different channels. Identify these and incorporate them into your Sales Enablement plans.

 

You’re now 60 percent of the way there.

 

3. Customize for each channel:

Add in the specific elements and customize elements to be effective in each channel. What content is unique to your indirect channel? What do Sales reps need to know for e-commerce distribution? Fill in the missing sections and complete each plan.

 

Once armed with a stock of customized plans, you can anticipate the needs of the Sales team and best enable them to make the number.

 

One Sales Enablement plan may provide for a good framework to start off with. But it won’t do the trick for tapping into several different distribution channels.

 

This will help: A versatile sales enablement plan depends on a well-planned foundation.  Our Sales Enablement Plan Road map will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your plan.  Use this checklist to stress test your new programs and prepare them for deployment.  Download the Sales Enablement Roadmap Checklist.

 

Sales doesn’t always have time to seek out the materials for these varied markets. That’s why they look to you to enable them. Now, you have the tools to most effectively get the job done.

 

Have expectations gone up and left you wondering if you can make your number? Here is a Revenue Growth Diagnostic tool that will help you understand if you have a chance at success. Take the Revenue Growth Diagnostic test and rate yourself against SBI’s sales and marketing strategy to find out if:

 

  • Your revenue goal is realistic
  • You will earn your bonus
  • You will keep your job

     

Sales Revenue Growth

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Drapeau

Makes data and analysis come alive so clients can understand the “what” and “why” and design solutions that fit the environment.
BIO
ALL PEOPLE
Mike has led every function at SBI – Delivery, Sales, Talent, and Technology. Now he is a leader for Account Management, Private Equity Partnership, and long-term business development at SBI.

 

He has personally led over 100 projects for SBI over his decade+ time since its founding in 2006.

 

This starts by earning trust – of clients, of PE firms, of prospects. Mike obtains this by leveraging deep domain expertise, with more than 25 years in sales, competitive intelligence, sales management, marketing enablement, product management, pre-sales and sales operations. Mike relishes the idea of living in the field. So he does.

 

As a founding partner, Mike built out SBI’s library of emerging best practices for sales and marketing, which leads to evidence-based solutions, custom-fit to each client. Mike built himself many of the solutions now part of the Revenue Growth Methodology. And whatever he touches gets adopted. This is part of his commitment to making it happen in the field.
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