Editor’s Note: Bill Yetman is a senior director analyst in the Gartner Sales Practice who presented live on this topic and others at the Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, which began on Tuesday and ends today in Las Vegas.
AI is reshaping the sales enablement landscape, driving a significant shift in competencies and skills. With over 80% of traditional sales enablement skills now capable of augmentation or automation by AI, the sector is undergoing a rapid transformation. This evolution calls for enablement professionals to adapt their strategies and embrace new technological tools to enhance their impact.
From Training Individuals to Programming Systems
A major change in the field is the transition from training individuals to programming systems. Sales enablement is moving away from being the center of knowledge to becoming a hub of data connectivity. This shift necessitates proficiency in technology and tools, with system programming becoming an essential skill. Enablement teams must learn to program sophisticated platforms to boost learning and performance. This includes creating personalized learning journeys using machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP), developing interactive learning modules for real-time coaching, and integrating AI-driven onboarding agents across the sales technology stack.
Redefining Content Development and Delivery
Furthermore, the process of content development is fundamentally changing. The traditional manual approach to curriculum development is evolving into system-initiated instructional design augmented through prompt engineering, or through automation where dynamically tailored content is being delivered to sellers.
Organizations are encouraged to shift from one-size-fits-all long-form training to microlearnings delivered in the flow of work. As AI platforms become more capable of generating relevant content, traditional content creation skills are being deprioritized. In its place, AI-driven performance orchestration emerges as a crucial skill. This involves leveraging advanced AI models, particularly customized LLMs, to analyze seller performance data and deliver hyper-personalized feedback. Activities include developing prompt sequences for AI models to extract insights, fine-tuning LLMs for coaching, and using AI tools to highlight specific moments in sales interactions for targeted feedback.
Adapting to New Learning and Retention Methods
The rapid advancement of technology and the immense volume of information have changed how learners consume training and retain knowledge. Reliance on external memory, knowing where information is stored, has surpassed internal memory, challenging the goals of traditional training delivery methods. Enablement strategies must evolve to incorporate in-the-flow-of-work delivery, interleaving for enhanced encoding and storage, and spaced repetition for long-term retention. As instructional design skills diminish in importance due to AI capabilities, learning experience customization emerges as a key skill. This involves building tailored learning experiences that align with evolving buyer insights, sales strategies, and learner needs. Activities include creating AI-powered scenario-based training simulations, using AI for content curation and recommendations, and analyzing performance data to craft personalized learning paths.
The transformative shift in sales enablement driven by GenAI is already underway. To ensure enablement teams achieve greater impact and success in this new landscape, leaders must challenge traditional frameworks, identify risks, and prioritize competencies and skills that leverage AI. Embracing this evolution is crucial for thriving in the age of AI.
Organizations seeking to navigate this transformation and position their sales enablement teams for success can benefit from exploring further insights and research on adapting to this rapidly changing environment.
