Conceptualizing an integrative typology of sales enablement strategy

Abstract

Recent conceptualizations of sales enablement (SE) provide a foundation for emerging scholarship yet do not capture the vast complexities of developing an SE strategy. SE is not a singular construct. As a point of departure for future scholarship, the authors conceptualize a framework integrating extant knowledge of SE research and theorizing to develop a typology of SE strategy components. To establish a baseline for the typology, this paper first reviews the theoretical foundations of SE. Next, research domains on the periphery of the phenomenon (go-to-market strategy, organizational learning, change management, technology adoption) are reviewed and organized. Building from extant literature, the emergent typology integrates relevant literature streams with the various perspectives of the organization where SE strategy is devised and utilized (top management, sales management, salesperson). In addition to internal organizational factors, the authors include performance indicators, external contingency factors, and a research agenda associated with each SE typology component area (i.e., SE strategy: people, process, and system components). Ultimately, this work contributes to the sales literature by providing a nuanced view of SE strategy.