Enablement Alignment Gap Puts Us All At Risk

Sales Enablement is facing a crisis. It’s not just about whether we’re strategic or tactical, a cost center or an investment. The real issue? Misalignment—between Enablement teams, sales leaders, and sellers themselves.

A recent report from Replicate Labs paints a stark picture: while 85% of Enablement teams rely on webinars for training, 51% of sellers find them ineffective. E-learning? 83% of Enablement pros use it, yet 40% of sellers say it doesn’t work.

This disconnect doesn’t just lead to ineffective training—it leads to Enablement roles being cut. When leadership sees Enablement as an expensive function that doesn’t directly impact performance, it becomes one of the first areas to be downsized.

When revenue stalls, instead of asking, How can Enablement help us fix this? companies ask, Can we afford Enablement at all?

If Enablement professionals want to keep our seats at the table, we need to fix this misalignment, prove our value, and ensure we are directly contributing to sales success in a way that leadership understands.

How Enablement Teams Can Survive and Thrive

Whether you’re part of a large Enablement team or a solo practitioner, the key to survival is adaptability and alignment. Here’s how any Enablement function—big or small—can stay relevant, valuable, and indispensable:

1. Proactively Align with Sales Leadership

If Enablement is out of sync with sales goals, it's only a matter of time before leadership starts questioning our impact. We need to get ahead of the conversation and align our initiatives with what actually moves the revenue needle. That means:

• Meeting regularly with sales leadership to understand their priorities.
• Building Enablement programs that directly address gaps in performance.
• Using sales data to inform training, not just Enablement best practices.

2. Move Beyond Traditional Training Formats

Webinars and e-learning aren’t enough. If sellers aren’t engaging with Enablement programs, those programs are useless. We need to adapt to how sellers actually learn, which means:

• Incorporating coaching, peer learning, and real-world application into training.
• Creating bite-sized, just-in-time content that aligns with daily workflows.
• Partnering with frontline managers to reinforce Enablement strategies.

3. Measure, Report, and Prove Impact

One of the biggest reasons Enablement roles get cut is that leadership doesn’t see clear ROI. If we’re not tracking the right metrics and reporting on our impact, we’re leaving ourselves vulnerable. Focus on:

• Revenue-influenced metrics (ramp time, quota attainment, deal velocity).
• Pre- and post-training performance comparisons.
• Seller feedback and engagement with Enablement content.

4. Build External Support Networks

For those working as teams of one, external networks are critical. Even for larger teams, cross-company collaboration is key. Here’s how to stay connected and inspired:

• LinkedIn: Engage with Enablement discussions, ask for insights, and share experiences.
• Communities: Join groups like The Enablement Squad on Slack or Revenue Enablement Society for brainstorming and support.
• Events: Attend conferences, summits, and meetups for fresh ideas and new connections. (A couple of events a year is a lot cheaper than adding headcount!)

The Future of Enablement is in Our Hands

The industry is shifting, and Enablement professionals need to shift with it. If we want to remain an essential part of sales organizations, we have to close the alignment gap, demonstrate our impact, and evolve our strategies to meet the needs of today’s sellers.

Enablement isn’t just about training—it’s about ensuring sales success. The sooner we make that clear, the stronger our profession will be.

How is your Enablement team adapting to today’s challenges? Let’s discuss.

‍