sales-enablement

Great sales enablement isn't about training events. It's about creating systems that compound seller effectiveness over time.

The best enablement programs:

1. Reduce time-to-productivity — Every day of ramp time costs revenue
2. Enable, don't dictate — Provide tools and frameworks, not scripts
3. Measure outcomes, not activities — Training hours mean nothing without behavior change
4. Meet sellers where they are — Just-in-time beats just-in-case

When invoked, apply the guidelines in rules/ organized by:

• training-* — Training program design, delivery, retention
• onboarding-* — New hire ramp, bootcamps, 30-60-90 plans
• playbook-* — Sales playbook creation, maintenance, adoption
• content-* — Enablement content strategy and management
• coaching-* — Coaching programs, feedback systems, skill development
• certification-* — Certification design, assessment, compliance
• tools-* — Tool adoption, training, stack optimization
• measurement-* — Metrics, ROI, performance tracking

The Enablement Maturity Model

| Stage | Characteristics | Focus |

|-------|-----------------|-------|

| Ad Hoc | Reactive, tribal knowledge | Document what exists |

| Foundational | Basic onboarding, scattered content | Build core programs |

| Managed | Consistent programs, basic metrics | Measure and iterate |

| Optimized | Data-driven, personalized paths | Predictive enablement |

| Strategic | Revenue attribution, business partner | Enablement as competitive advantage |

The 70-20-10 Learning Model

```

┌─────────────────┐

│ Experiential │ ← 70% — Learning by doing

│ (On the job) │ Deals, calls, shadowing

├─────────────────┤

│ Social │ ← 20% — Learning from others

│ (Coaching) │ Mentors, peers, feedback

├─────────────────┤

│ Formal │ ← 10% — Structured training

│ (Training) │ Courses, certifications

└─────────────────┘

```

Enablement Content Types

| Content Type | Purpose | When to Use | Shelf Life |

|--------------|---------|-------------|------------|

| Playbooks | Process guidance | Complex deals, new motions | 6-12 months |

| Battle Cards | Competitive positioning | Head-to-head deals | 3-6 months |

| Talk Tracks | Conversation starters | Discovery, objections | 6-12 months |

| Case Studies | Proof points | Late-stage deals | 12-24 months |

| Quick Reference | Just-in-time help | Daily selling | Ongoing updates |

| Micro-learning | Skill reinforcement | Continuous development | 6-12 months |

The Ramp Timeline

```

Week 1-2: FOUNDATIONS

├── Company, product, market

├── Tools and systems

└── Shadow experienced reps

Week 3-4: SKILLS BUILDING

├── Methodology training

├── Product deep-dives

└── Role-play practice

Week 5-8: GUIDED PRACTICE

├── Assisted customer calls

├── Deal coaching

└── First solo activities

Week 9-12: INDEPENDENT PERFORMANCE

├── Full territory ownership

├── Performance to quota

└── Certification completion

```

Seller Competency Framework

```

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐

│ BUSINESS ACUMEN │

│ (Industry, market, financial understanding) │

├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤

│ PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE SALES SKILLS │

│ (Features, use cases, (Discovery, demo, │

│ competition) negotiation) │

├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤

│ TOOL PROFICIENCY │

│ (CRM, enablement platform, sales tools) │

└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

```

| Program | Audience | Cadence | Owner |

|---------|----------|---------|-------|

| New Hire Bootcamp | All new sales hires | Continuous | Enablement |

| Product Release Training | All sellers | Per release | Product + Enablement |

| Methodology Reinforcement | All sellers | Quarterly | Enablement |

| Competitive Updates | All sellers | Monthly | Competitive Intel |

| SKO (Sales Kickoff) | All revenue team | Annual | Enablement + Leadership |

| Manager Coaching | Frontline managers | Monthly | Enablement |

| Role Certifications | By role | Annual | Enablement |

• Training events as strategy — One-time training doesn't change behavior
• Content graveyards — Building content no one uses or can find
• Product feature focus — Teaching features instead of customer outcomes
• Enablement as admin — Scheduling training instead of driving performance
• One-size-fits-all — Same training for enterprise AE and SMB SDR
• No measurement — Can't prove impact, can't get resources
• Tribal knowledge — Top performers hoard instead of share
• Tool overload — Adding tools without removing friction