Dear CRO – Why, and How to, start a Revenue Enablement Program
Why would you want to start a Revenue Enablement program?
As a CRO, you need me to get to the point, and I’ll do that.
Do any of these metrics keep you up at night?
- Sales Efficiency
- Win Rate
- Deal Velocity
- Churn Rate
- Seller Retention
- Discounting Rates
- Quota Consistency
If any of these are on your mind, you need a Revenue Enablement function.
Note: If you have a Revenue Enablement (or Sales Enablement team) and they don’t understand these metrics, share this article with them to help them out.
Dear CRO, which of these describe your current situation?
Those metrics are not keeping you up
Buy that second yacht; you earned it
Those metrics keep you up, and you have a Sales Enablement team
Have your Enablement team read this article on Revenue Enablement and focus on the section on transitioning from Sales to Revenue Enablement.
Those metrics keep you up, and you don’t have a Revenue Enablement team
I thought I would find you here.
Consider reading the article I reference above on Revenue Enablement first.
Before you hire your first Revenue Enablement professional, you need to:
Determine WHY you are hiring them
What business metrics are you looking for them to influence?
Determine WHERE they should report
Depending on the metrics you are looking to them to influence, you may find them reporting into the CRO, Marketing, Sales, or Operations.
Communicate your WHY to the business and the candidates
The Enablement leaders understand that their work must influence business outcomes; others view themselves as trainers or content creators.
You may need both in time, but make sure your first hire can think strategically, even if their role is initially very tactical.
Dig into their experience
If you are a CRO in a large organization, always hire an Enablement Leader with experience running a similar size organization.
This requirement is critical for standing up a new Enablement organization in an organization of any reasonable size.
Don’t rush out to buy technology yet
You will need technology, but you need people and a solid sales enablement strategy first.
Have them paint the picture
There are many ways to start a Revenue Enablement program, some are better than others.
Make sure they can articulate a plan similar to this one.
If you follow the steps you will be on the right path.
Final thought – before you start a Revenue Enablement program
You need to be prepared for a deep partnership with your Revenue Enablement leader. Successful Enablement programs find the CRO and the Enablement Leader working closely and collaboratively. If your work style is more directive than collaborative, you may not find success.