Everyone seems to have a different idea of what sales enablement is. So it’s only realistic that the role of sales enablement manager is also ambiguous. Sales enablement professionals’ abilities, experiences, and even remuneration vary widely across companies. Some manage enablement for a big sales organization alone, while others lead a 5-person team. Company size, sector, and ideology all impact what “excellent” sales enablement looks like.
Still, institutionalized sales enablement has benefits. According to CSO Insights, firms with a dedicated enablement department achieve double-digit increases in quota attainment (22%) and win rates (14%). Finding the proper individual to lead your sales enablement initiatives is crucial. This blog will outline everyday tasks, essential abilities, probable interview questions, and pay statistics.
What is an SEM?
The sales enablement manager supports salespeople throughout the buyer’s experience via training, information, procedures, and tools. A sales enablement manager works with sales, marketing, partners, and key stakeholders to improve results. It’s a basic description, yet it covers various tasks, objectives, and activities. This is an “average” day.
- Initiating new product launch sales training material.
- Coaching sales representatives on essential skills.
- Conducting formal or informal training.
- Setting up the sale.
The Sales Enablement Manager’s Skills
Because the function is so varied, no one individual should be hired to oversee sales enablement. Their origins might be as diverse as the position. According to SiriusDecisions, 85% of current sales enablement professionals have sold or managed sales.
Others come from sales operations, sales training, product or industry marketing, while others come from corporate L&D or instructional design jobs. Whatever your experience, delegation and prioritizing are critical abilities.
It’s challenging to be anything other than a tactical executor if you don’t learn to delegate to your team. You must prioritize. As a sales enablement leader, you will want to accomplish 100 things, and others will want you to do 100.
6 Key Sales Enablement Manager Skills
- Excellent communicator. Changes in the organization must be notified to all sales representatives.
- Organized and project management savvy. Professionals in sales enablement generally have many projects on the go and must prioritize their efforts depending on the organization’s ROI.
- Collaboration with diverse teams and personalities. The sales enablement specialist must be convincing enough to get others on board and confident enough to execute. Experience in leadership is a plus.
- A thinker with data. Metrics and observation can improve sales process efficiency and effectiveness.
- Knowledge of adult learning, training content creation, and B2B sales. These aren’t mandatory qualifications, but they may help applicants stand out.
- Empathetic. They can arrange themselves in the shoes of sales representatives and comprehend their daily lives.
According to Daniel West, VP of Oracle’s go-to-market strategy and operations, “having done the work helps because you have empathy for the folks you’re supporting and understand their daily hardships.”
Pay Scale for a Sales Enablement Manager
A sales enablement manager’s basic pay in the US is $92,675. According to Glassdoor. According to ZipRecruiter, the average US income in July 2021 was $106,993, with the top 25% earning over $126,000. Of course, this depends on things like geography, industry, and firm size.
For example, according to Glassdoor, the average base salary in the “Computer Software & Hardware” category is nearly $107,338, with the highest earners exceeding $176,000. How big is the sales enablement job market? According to CSO Insights, over 60% of firms dedicated sales enablement roles or programs in 2018. Among enterprises with over $50 million yearly revenues, the figure exceeds 70%.
What Does a Sales Enablement Manager Do?
Adapt this template for your organization’s recruiting needs:
Role Summaries
The sales enablement manager leads the sales enablement team and collaborates with sales, operations, and marketing to achieve strategic alignment. The selected applicant will be a well-organized sales professional with equivalent project management expertise.
Responsibilities
- Creates and deploys suitable sales training, content/messaging, procedures, practices, forms, and tools.
- Prepares and enables the sales force to comprehend and market our solutions.
- Responsible for creating and delivering on-demand sales training and instructor-led sales training.
- Responsible for courseware and sales enablement content utilization analysis.
- Supports the buying and selling process from lead generation to closing.
- Facilitates effective management practices and develops a sales coaching program for frontline sales managers.
- Manages and organizes sales enablement initiatives.
IQSA = Knowledge, Skill,
- Experienced in enabling sales procedures and technology.
- A clear grasp of sales training methods (analysis, instructional design, delivery, implementation, and evaluation).
- Know contemporary sales processes and buyer’s journey alignment.
- Able to manage pipelines and provide developmental sales coaching.
- Knowledge of successful sales recruiting and selecting methods.
- Expert project management from start to finish.
- Meeting planning and facilitation prowess
- Skills in strategic, intellectual, and analytical decision-making.
- High adaptability and flexibility to deadlines, uncertainty, and change.
- Strong negotiation abilities in a political and opposing interests environment.
- Excellent training, presentation, and writing abilities.
- Expertise in advising non-specialists on complex issues; communicating effectively with senior management.
- Expertise in organizing multiple activities and groups within a team context.
Experience and Education
- Requires a BS degree. A business minor or advanced degree is desired, but experience delivering business results is more important.
- Superior time management, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills.
- 3+ years in sales enablement or sales training necessary.
Preferable B2B sales experience and management experience. Acceptable with less experience provided proven results (increased velocity, increased win rates, decreased rep ramp-up time, improving sales force performance). Multitasking and managing many tasks. Self-driven; results-oriented.