There’s no single ingredient that drives B2B sales success. Instead, every deal depends on a number of moving parts working in sync, including:
- A strong product at the right price point
- Marketing campaigns that reach the right audience at the right time
- A sales team capable of delivering a standout buyer experiences
- A customer success team ready to help customers realize full value
When even one of these pieces fall out of alignment, the entire go-to-market effort can break down. Deals stall, buyers get frustrated, and revenue slips through the cracks.
Go-to-market (GTM) enablement is what keeps these moving parts working in harmony.
GTM enablement is the strategy that aligns and equips all of your customer-facing teams to execute your go-to-market motion effectively. With the right approach, every team involved has the training, tools, content, and insights they need to drive revenue and deliver value across the entire customer journey.
If you’re not quite sure what GTM enablement is or how to put it into practice, you’re in the right place. Read on as we share a definition, walk through the steps to build a GTM enablement strategy, and share best practices to help your teams collaborate more effectively and drive revenue growth.
What is GTM enablement?
In the world of B2B sales, “enablement” is a term that’s used often. There’s sales enablement, revenue enablement, business enablement, and even customer enablement – each focused on helping teams or individuals to perform better at specific stages of the customer journey.
But where does GTM enablement fit in?
GTM enablement is the practice of equipping all customer-facing teams – including sales, marketing, customer success, and even product – with the tools, training, content, and support they need to engage buyers effectively across the entire customer lifecycle. That includes everything from the first touch to the closed deal to long-term retention and growth.
GTM enablement isn’t just about helping sales close more deals – though that’s certainly part of it. Instead, it’s about helping every team master their role in the buyer journey so your organization can consistently deliver an outstanding customer experience at every stage.
How does GTM enablement relate to sales enablement?
Sales enablement is focused on helping sales reps close more deals. GTM enablement, on the other hand, takes a broader view.
GTM enablement ensures the entire go-to-market team is aligned, prepared, and enabled to drive value at every touchpoint – from generating demand to guiding prospects through evaluation to ensuring customers get the most from your solution after they’ve made a purchase.
When all go-to-market teams are in sync, buyers experience less friction, and your organization is better positioned to build trust, close deals faster, and drive long-term growth.
Traditional vs. modern GTM enablement: What’s the difference?
As the B2B buying journey has evolved, so too has the approach to GTM enablement.
Traditional GTM enablement strategies were largely sales-focused, centered on equipping reps with the tools and training to win more deals. While this approach might still work in simpler selling environments, it falls short in today’s complex B2B landscape, where buyers typically engage with multiple teams, across multiple channels, before (and long after) they make a purchase.
Modern GTM enablement takes a broader view. It recognizes that while sales certainly plays a critical role, they’re not the only team responsible for revenue growth. Focusing solely on sales reps isn’t enough to meet buyer expectations or grow revenue.
For example, a traditional GTM enablement approach might result in a sales team that delivers a great buying experience. But once the ink is signed on the deal, the hand off to customer success is clunky or support is MIA. The result? Dissatisfied customers, increasing churn, and long-term revenue loss.
Not exactly a winning formula for revenue growth, right?
Modern GTM enablement acknowledges that every customer-facing team – including marketing, sales, customer success, and product – plays a key role in shaping the buyer experience and driving revenue. That’s why modern GTM enablement focuses on ensuring these teams are aligned and properly equipped for success.
The table below highlights some of the key differences between traditional and modern GTM enablement in today’s B2B landscape.
Traditional vs. Modern GTM Enablement in B2B
| Traditional | Modern | |
|---|---|---|
|
Goal |
Attracting and winning new customers |
Supporting customers throughout the entire lifecycle, from evaluation through retention |
|
Focus |
Sales-centric |
Cross-functional, including sales, marketing, customer success, and product |
|
Training approach |
Onboarding and static training tied to product launches |
Continuous learning and just-in-time enablement |
|
Team collaboration |
Multiple departments, including sales and marketing, often working in silos. |
Unified GTM teams with shared goals and metrics |
|
Customer interactions |
Sales interactions, including discovery calls and demos |
All interactions a customer has with a company before, during, and after making a purchase |
|
Technology |
– CRM |
Integrated tech stack, including: – CRM – Sales enablement – Analytics – AI |
|
Metrics |
Activities, like: – Calls – Emails – Demos |
Outcomes, like: – Pipeline velocity – Win rates – Customer lifetime value |
|
Scalability |
Hard to replicate or scale across teams |
Designed for repeatability and scalability |
By embracing modern GTM enablement, organizations can break down silos, deliver better buyer experiences, and build an efficient, scalable go-to-market engine.
How to create an effective GTM enablement strategy
An effective GTM enablement plan empowers all customer-facing teams to deliver outstanding experiences throughout the entire customer lifecycle. With the right strategy in place, you’ll be better positioned to win and retain customers and drive predictable, sustainable revenue growth.
That said, building a GTM enablement strategy from scratch can feel overwhelming. The key is to take it one step at a time. Here’s how to get started.
#1 Take stock of your current state
Before you can make any changes, you must first get a clear picture of where things stand today.
Evaluate your existing aisles processes, tech stack, content, and team coordination to determine what’s working well and what’s not. Use data as well as qualitative feedback to identify gaps and opportunities.
#2 Define your goals and objectives
Clarify what you want your GTM enablement strategy to achieve. Your goals should align with broader business objectives – such as accelerating revenue, improving customer retention, and shortening the sales cycle.
Also, identify how you will measure the success of your GTM enablement strategy. Some common metrics include:
- Quota attainment
- Sales cycle length
- Win rates
- Customer satisfaction
- Customer retention
- Customer lifecycle value
#3 Identify your core stakeholders
Effective GTM enablement is a cross-functional effort. Identify the teams that play a role in the customer journey, which typically include:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Customer success
- Product
Assemble a working group with representatives from each area to help shape your strategy. Schedule ongoing check-ins to maintain alignment, share insights, and drive accountability.
#4 Invest in the right GTM enablement technology
Technology is a key piece of any winning GTM enablement strategy. Be sure your tech stack supports your GTM enablement goals.
Start by auditing the tools you already have. Ask questions like:
- Is each tool being used effectively?
- Do all tools integrate well?
- Is there any overlap?
- Are there any gaps?
Look for opportunities to consolidate point solutions and opt for integrated GTM platforms. For example, an all-in-one sales enablement solution can address many GTM enablement pain points from one platform.
Finally, while it’s tempting to invest in new AI tools, be sure to explore the capabilities of your existing stack first. You may have access to AI functionality you don’t know about.
#5 Develop your game plan and roll it out
Translate your GTM enablement strategy into clear, actionable steps. What tools, processes, and content need to be developed or refined to help you achieve your goals? Who is responsible for what?
Develop a communication and change management plan to keep stakeholders informed and engaged. Define key milestones, assign responsibilities, and ensure everyone understands how their work connects to the bigger picture.
#6 Measure, learn, and optimize
GTM enablement isn’t a one-and-done effort. It’s an ongoing process.
Continuously track your progress against your goals, using the KPIs you established earlier on. Use those insights to identify what’s working and what’s not. Then, make data-based optimizations to improve your strategy over time.
Of course, the world of B2B sales is constantly evolving. Be sure to revisit your goals and priorities on a regular basis to ensure your GTM enablement strategy continues to meet the needs of your business and your buyers.
Best practices for GTM enablement
Once you’ve developed your GTM enablement strategy, it’s important to keep the momentum going. Here are 6 best practices to help you drive the most impact from your GTM enablement efforts.
#1 Foster cross-functional collaboration
GTM enablement is most effective when all teams are on the same page. Create regular opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders. This might include:
- Check-in meetings to share wins, discuss challenges, and give feedback.
- Shared Slack or Team channels for real-time communication.
- Joint planning sessions around product launches or campaigns.
These opportunities can help break down silos, improve collaboration, and increase the impact of your go-to-market enablement efforts.
#2 Centralize content and tools
GTM enablement is all about equipping teams with the tools, training, and content they need to be effective and efficient. But your sellers shouldn’t have to waste precious time hunting for the assets they need.
Instead, store and organize all GTM enablement resources in one place. That way, your teams will always know where they can find up-to-date content. They can spend less time searching and more time facilitating great customer experiences.
#3 Tap into AI
It takes a lot of time and effort to deliver experiences that resonate with prospects and customers. But often, customer-facing teams don’t have much time to spare.
Tap into AI-powered tools to streamline and automate parts of the GTM enablement process, like:
- Drafting follow up emails
- Summarizing sales calls and identifying key insights
- Surfacing relevant sales content
By strategically leveraging AI, your GTM teams can focus on what matters most: building relationships and driving revenue.
#4 Deliver continuous, contextual training
GTM enablement shouldn’t stop at onboarding. It’s also important to provide ongoing learning opportunities so your teams are always set up for success – even in the midst of ongoing change.
Live training sessions aren’t always the answer. Instead, make training accessible in the flow of work. That way, your teams can access the information they need, whenever and wherever they need it.
#5 Align GTM enablement to business outcomes
Tracking metrics like training completion and content usage are important. But on their own, these metrics don’t tell you whether or not your GTM enablement efforts are actually driving impact.
Be sure to track impact using metrics like win rates, pipeline velocity, customer retention, and sales cycle length. That way, you can ensure your efforts are driving results – not just activity.
#6 Start small and grow from there
It’s tempting to try to tackle all of your GTM pain points at once. But resist the temptation.
Start small by addressing your most pressing pain point. As you gain traction, optimize and expand your GTM enablement program. Small, early wins can build momentum and help you make the case for further investments.
Power your GTM enablement program with Mindtickle
The B2B customer journey is rarely simple or straightforward. In fact, 77% of B2B customers rated their most recent purchase experience as extremely complex. That complexity makes modern go-to-market enablement more important than ever.
GTM enablement empowers all of your customer facing teams to engage buyers effectively, close more deals, and increase retention. When your go-to-market teams work in harmony, you’ll simplify the buyer experience and drive sustainable revenue growth.
GTM Enablement with Mindtickle
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By Poornima Mohandas
