Historically, CEOs have treated enablement as a tactical function and support system for sellers rather than a strategic multiplier. Enablement is the backbone of revenue growth.
In a recent conversation with former Revenue Enablement Society president, Gail Behun, she laid out the stark truth: Enablement leaders see the gaps in commercial strategy before CEOs do. Seen as a confidante and having access to qualitative as well as quantitative data, they know where deals are stalling, where sales teams are misfiring, and why pipeline isn’t converting. Gail shares her perspective of how CEOs can leverage the sales enablement function as a strategic growth lever.
Download the research, How Modern Enablement Teams Scale for Growth.
Ditch the Magic Ratio Mindset for Headcount
The idea that there is a universal benchmark for how many enablement professionals should exist per seller is outdated and limiting. Instead, staffing decisions should be based on desired outcomes and responsibilities. Enablement teams are no longer confined to onboarding and training. They now own at least seven core responsibilities, including sales content strategy, coaching, performance analytics, and technology enablement.
By structuring headcount around these responsibilities rather than arbitrary rations, CEOs can ensure enablement is fully equipped to drive revenue impact. This means investing in specialized enablement roles to address commercial execution gaps. The question is no longer, ‘How many enablement professionals do we need?’ but rather, ‘What capabilities do we need to maximize in order to drive seller productivity and revenue growth?’
Sales Leaders are Evaluating the Wrong Enablement Metrics
Similar to benchmarking against an arbitrary ratio for enablement leaders to sellers, too many organizations track enablement effectiveness with action-based metrics like number of trainings delivered and completion rates. Top-performing companies have sales enablement teams that focus on outcome-based metrics to increase the effectiveness of activities , such as:
- Time-to-Productivity
- Pipeline-to-Quota Coverage Ratio
- Lead Conversion Rate
By focusing on both action- and outcome-based metrics, CEOs gain a comprehensive view of enablement effectiveness. While action-based metrics provide visibility into adoption rated and engagement levels, outcome-based metrics predict long-term impact on revenue and sales efficiency. Leaders can assess sales enablement effectiveness prior to the deal cycle close, creating agility to pivot strategies in real-time. When enablement leaders have access to these predictive insights, they can proactively adjust training programs, refine coaching strategies, and ensure sellers are equipped with the right knowledge to accelerate revenue impact.
Expanding Scope Beyond Sales
CEOs who fail to align enablement with broader revenue goals are missing a major lever for growth. Gail reinforced that top-performing companies treat enablement as a force multiplier across the entire customer lifecycle when they equip sellers, frontline managers, and customer success teams with the insights and training they need to improve customer retention and expansion.
In addition, when companies break down silos and embed sales enablement across multiple areas, they drive efficiency, shorten new skill adoption, and ensure a consistent go-to-market approach.
Enablement Must Be Treated as a Strategic Imperative
The best enablement teams shape commercial strategy. They diagnose where sales execution is breaking down and implement solutions that drive measurable impact. CEOs need to move beyond delegating enablement to sales ops or HR. Instead, enablement should be a strategically imbedded within the organization, ensuring alignment with revenue growth objectives and executive decision-making.
The Growth Opportunity CEOs Overlooking
Buyer friction is increasing, sale cycles are lengthening, and traditional sales strategies aren’t delivering results. Developing and leveraging sales enablement more effectively offers an opportunity to address these challenges.
Next Steps:
- Make Enablement an Organizational Priority: High-performing companies have enablement leaders who sit at the table for strategic go-to-market decisions.
- Align Enablement with Growth Objectives: The enablement function should be laser focused on commercial outcomes rather than training completion rates.
- Invest in Enablement Teams: For enablement teams stuck in tactical work, appoint a strategic leader who can drive impact across sales, marketing, and customer success.
