The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement

As the author of Lean Communication, I appreciate a book that delivers valuable information with few wasted words. Mike Kunkle has done just that with The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement. In less than 150 pages, he manages to be clear, concise and comprehensive—but above all, practical.

In my thirty years as a sales trainer and consultant, I have seen far too many instances of the old school sales “leader”, whose only tools are incentives and intimidation. That approach just won’t cut it anymore, as sales get more complex and competition gets more intense. It reminds me of the old saying that amateurs study tactics, armchair generals study strategy, but professionals study logistics. Just as logistics place the right people with the right equipment in the right places, sales enablement does the same for sales.

This book will show you how to get it done. Whether you are a sales leader or a sales enablement professional, you will find a lot of useful insights and actionable ideas to design and implement a system that will maximize the performance of the sales force. Depending on your own specific situation, some chapters will resonate more than others. I especially appreciated the chapters on buyer acumen, sales methodology, and training, but there is something for everyone, including hiring, compensation, coaching, analytics—fourteen building blocks in all.

So many business books are long magazine articles puffed up with “been there, done that” stories. This is the rare business how-to book that leaves you wanting more. In fact, the only quibble I have is that Kunkle could have used a few more examples and stories from his deep experience to illustrate his points. For example, he cites the importance of having exit criteria in the buying process, but the lack of real-world examples could make it unclear to someone just becoming familiar with the topic. And ironically, the building block that Kunkle says he is least expert in, sales compensation, is the only one enlivened and enlightened by a story from his own experience.

The Building Blocks of Sales Enablement is like a map that you consult once to get your bearings, and then keep at hand for a long time to consult on your sales enablement journey. Although Kunkle reminds us that the map is not the territory, you still need one to envision the destination and plan the most efficient route. This is the best one you will find.