Latest study of more than 500 B2B professionals notes increasing complexity of sales process, plus stronger than ever correlation between sales enablement focus and sales growth
The importance of sales enablement activities on sales growth has never been more evident, and the gap in results between those with and without formal sales enablement programs is widening.
Together, these and other key indicators from the 2017 Highspot/Heinz Marketing State of Sales Enablement Benchmark Report paint a clear picture of the impact formal sales enablement programs are having, and a roadmap for all B2B companies to implement similar measures to achieve similar results.
According to the new research, 53 percent of respondents with a dedicated sales enablement team reported an increase in sales conversion rates. Of those using sales enablement tools, 23 percent reported increases of at least 20 percent. Of those with large sales teams, 27 percent noted increases of greater than 30 percent.
Further, more than 75 percent of respondents using sales enablement tools noted that their sales had increased over the past 12 months, with 35 percent of respondents reporting an increase in sales of greater than 25 percent from the previous year.
Additional highlights from the 2017 report include:
- A majority of respondents (65 percent) are experiencing a more complex sales process, but those with a dedicated sales enablement team are more than twice as likely to report that their sales process has become less complex
- Companies with a sales enablement team are 52 percent more likely to have a sales process that’s tightly aligned with their buyer’s journey
- The widest gap between importance and performance among sales enablement activities focused on training and onboarding (with a 22 percent ratings gap), followed closely by refining the sales process (21 percent) and ensuring the sales team can efficiently find the content they need (19 percent)
- More than 47 percent of respondents noted that sales enablement budgets increased in 2016, with 30 percent of these respondents noting an increase of greater than 11 percent year-over-year
For a full copy of the 2017 Highspot State of Sales Enablement Benchmark Report, please click here.
