The Seismic 2023 Value of Enablement Report Shows Companies Increasing Enablement Tech Investment in Response to Economic Turbulence

New research reveals enablement technology drives efficiency despite current market conditions, leading to higher employee retention and improved buyer engagement

Seismic, the global leader in enablement, today released the findings of its new 2023 Value of Enablement Report. More than 600 full-time employees in a sales, enablement, or customer success role at the management level or above in the United States were surveyed, with findings indicating that enablement technology is mission-critical to success in the current economic climate and most companies are looking to increase their investment in enablement.

Enablement technology has become widely adopted in recent years (9 in 10 survey respondents use enablement technology at work), allowing teams the ability to streamline workflows, optimize efficiency and boost productivity. Despite recent economic turbulence and talent gaps in the workforce, these tools continue to save employee time and drive growth. In fact, according to the report, one of the biggest benefits of enablement tech is saving time. A majority (80%) of those that use enablement technology say it frees up time to focus on revenue-generating activities. Beyond that, 78% agree that enablement tech helps them provide a better customer experience.

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In addition to driving efficiency, enablement bridges the knowledge gap that new employees face – setting them up for successful conversations with customers and reducing time to ramp into new roles. Notably, 76% of practitioners reported that having quick access to coaching and training content keeps them from second-guessing themselves during customer engagements, while 8 in 10 respondents said having access to coaching and training helps them prepare for client presentations. What’s more, in a turbulent labor market, job seekers overwhelmingly said that having access to enablement tools is a significant factor when deciding their next career move. Almost all respondents (97%) agree that supportive internal systems and development opportunities are a priority when job searching.

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“As go-to-market teams continue to navigate an uncertain economic landscape, enablement technology proves to be critical to their success,” said Irina Soriano, Vice President of Enablement, Seismic. “The data is clear: enablement empowers teams to produce better results, operate efficiently, and drive smart growth. But it’s also evident from our findings that it’s equally important to invest in your people as it is to invest in your technology. Particularly for members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations, professional development opportunities are significant factors when it comes to their employer of choice – and businesses need to invest accordingly to meet employee demand.”

Additional key report findings include:

• On average, respondents that use enablement technology report that it saves them 15 hours per week.
  • 52% of those that use enablement technology say it saves them time on finding metrics for planning.
  • 48% say that it saves them time on organizing requests and/or addressing training gaps.
  • 47% say that it saves them time on locating information.
• In addition to efficiency gaps, almost all respondents (91%) who do not have access to the correct content when they need it say that spending time on non-revenue generating activities affects their morale.
  • 97% of those who do not use enablement tech say that they often (19%) or sometimes (78%) are unable to locate the content they need when interacting with prospects and/or clients.
  • Along with impacting their employer’s bottom line, lack of enablement tech impacts the individual’s bottom line, with 67% agreeing that lack of access to enablement tech affects their income due to spending more time on non-revenue generating activities.
• Fortunately, many companies are moving to prioritize enablement, with 85% of respondents reporting that testing new enablement tools was a priority for their company in 2022.
  • This trend is set to continue in 2023 with 77% of respondents saying that testing new enablement tools is a priority for their company and 75% saying that implementing new enablement tools is a priority this year.