Sales enablement—increasing sales productivity through a systematic approach to supportive content, training and analytics—has for many companies become a growing strategic priority, reports Forbes Insights in its report “The Power of Enablement: Bridging the Sales Productivity Gap.” The study, conducted in association with sales enablement solution provider Brainshark, found that 59 percent of companies that exceeded their revenue targets, and 72 percent of companies that surpassed them by 25 percent or more, had established sales enablement programs.

In its survey of 216 U.S. executives, Forbes Insights found that 71 percent cited sales productivity as “critical” to the growth of their companies. Respondents listed sales content analytics (44 percent) and easy, instant access to content in the field (41 percent) as the top requests in sales enablement technology solutions.

“Put plainly, sales productivity matters to top leaders today—and it should. Results show that it’s the most important management focus for companies, more critical than any other factor,” says Bruce Rogers, chief insights officer and head of the CMO Practice at Forbes Media. “This report outlines what companies need to do to maximize sales productivity, underscoring the power of sales enablement and the key role content plays in helping reps close more deals.”

Brainshark CEO Joe Gustafson adds, “You have to tackle sales productivity from two angles: improving efficiency and improving effectiveness. Through a combination of people, processes and technology, companies can overcome sales challenges, help their ‘B’ and ‘C’ reps perform more like ‘A’ players, and support more valuable sales conversations that drive more results.”

Click here for more information and to download the report.