Sales enablement has become a very hot topic this year. So much so that in March 2012 Forrester Research held a Technology Sales Enablement Forum: Bridging The Strategy-To-Execution Gap, in San Francisco.

Forrester touts that to produce sales growth, sales departments must cut costs, improve productivity, and accelerate cross-selling; which all requires a fundamentally different enablement approach from what’s typical today.

CEOs are reigniting their growth strategies while pressing their organizations to do more with less  – and marketers are now responsible for executing on the corporate vision.

So what can marketers do to be a HERO to both their CEO and Sales team? They must utilize a sales enablement tool that takes into account the following…

• Mobility: Select a tool that will allow your entire sales and partner channel to access content anywhere, anytime
• Engagement: Create an interactive sales experience that engages prospects and makes them an active participant in the buying process
• Customization: Develop marketing content that can be personalized for each intimate sales presentation
• Differentiation: Find a demonstration tool that highlights your uniqueness and enhances your product presentations (workflow, process, features, functions)
• Consistency: Message consistency is imperative to brand recognition. Create sales content that can be reused EVERYWHERE sales encounters a customer (websites, trade shows, sales meetings)

Cost efficiency and sales effectiveness are the two most important results you can achieve with any sales enablement tool. That’s why it is imperative to outline ways in which your new tools will save the company money (eliminate product shipping costs with virtual 3D product models) and continuously monitor the changes to your sales cycle, to create justifiable benchmarks of success.

What sales enablement tools have made you a marketing hero?