Product Enablement

Product Enablement is a term used to describe enabling customers to use all the features of a product. This process can be done in both the marketing and customer support channels, but often starts with marketing, as we are responsible for getting the details of how the product works. Product enablement is done to help large enterprise employees acquire knowledge about the product.

This word comes from the “Sales Enablement” process, which provides sales teams resources to sell more effectively. This concept is developed throughout the company. The team aims to create a specialized learning program for each department and increase the effectiveness of that department.

Product enablement is between product marketing and sales enablement. It means that we do not train our customers, we help them learn how to sell their products to more customers, and they need content that they can use, not “looking good” content. It transforms product characteristics into value, enabling customers to understand how products and solutions help them solve their problems.

Product Enablement Strategy and Tactics Mindset

When a company determines that it is time to add and optimize product enablement, keep the following in mind:

• As always, work with GTM leaders early and often.
• Coordinate between engineering, product management, and product marketing to clarify the roles and responsibilities of this feature.
• Document product enablement strategies and gain buy-in.
• The PEs must participate before developing new features. Finally, the business requires realizing why it is developing something and how it can help its customer support and lead generation team.

When Is It Required?

Product enablement is critical for companies that are looking to release their products. Everyone interested in marketing, deals, and customer support should be appropriately qualified before the product launch date to secure strong launches for the business and the client.

• However, it can also be part of many internal educational programs, including updates to change policies and goals.
• It is necessary to execute all team practices and resources as accessible as possible. It would help if the company made its employees understand concepts and insights quickly. Likewise, it is especially true when companies have to answer quickly in their interactions with customers and other companies.
• The educational resources created for employees in different departments must be relevant to their work. It does not make sense to create general training programs or materials for the whole business.

Benefits of Product Enablement

The primary benefit of Product Enablement is to provide tailor-made training on the products a firm's employees need.

•  It is done in customer-centric roles such as the support department, marketing, logistics, and other areas where knowledge about its products is beneficial.
• Good product enablement clearly understands product concepts, purpose, user personas, and competitive advantages.
• In this process, it performs company-wide flexibility and reduces the risk of mistakes and miscommunications.

How Is It Distinct from Product Marketing?

Product marketing is not compatible with product enablement. One of the responsibilities of the product marketing team is to help the sales department by transforming product information into easy-to-understand resources. It is called a business enabler. Sales enablement is one of the many duties of product marketing.

On the other hand, product enablement plays an independent role. For instance, product marketing designs content for sales and customers. On the other hand, it develops content and resources for each department within the company, including pre-sales, customer support, sales, and marketing.

Verdict

Creating product enablement training can be very complex, depending on the product companies are doing business with.

For example, it can be challenging to convert high-tech products into learning materials that non-technical employees can access. Product enablers can sometimes struggle to understand the details of a complex product, which can be a clear obstacle to educating others.