Firms look to step up enablement but Gen Z wary of AI

8th January 2025 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

Investment in enablement tools such as sales content management and automation, training and coaching, buyer engagement, strategy and planning, and recent research is poised to increase, according to a 2024 survey by Seismic, an enablement firm headquartered in San Diego. Generation Enablement Report: The Rise of Enablement’s Influence found that most organisations (89%) plan to retain or increase investment next year, up from 85% in 2023’s survey.

Surprisingly, Gen Z respondents appeared the least enthusiastic about the promise of AI in the workplace, the survey reveals. Seismic surveyed nearly 2,000 managers and senior leadership professionals in March 2024 across marketing, sales, enablement, and customer success roles within the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Australia.

The report suggests enablement technology is no longer reserved only for sales teams. “Whether you call it sales enablement, revenue enablement, or simply enablement, businesses increasingly deliver enablement across multiple departments, and this trend will ramp up in the coming years.” The report adds: “Of those who plan to increase their investment, they intend to use additional funds to grow/expand enablement programmes and functions (75%) and implement enablement tools in additional departments (57%).”

AI driving enablement uptake

The innovation in AI, particularly generative AI, is one of the most exciting reasons to invest more in enablement technology, claims the report. “A whopping 92% of global respondents say their company plans to increase its investment because of the promise of AI. When AI is enabled as a virtual partner, it has the potential to open the floodgates for more effective enablement.”

Enablement is the catalyst to achieve strategic business initiatives like retaining more employees, attracting new talent, growing their customer base, operating more efficiently, and exceeding revenue targets, the report’s authors suggest.