You present your Q3 enablement results: "Our battlecard was downloaded 487 times and our demo video has 1,243 views!"
Your VP of Sales asks: "Did win rates improve?"
You don't know.
The vanity metrics trap: Downloads, views, and training attendance feel like progress. But they don't measure what actually matters: Did sales reps change behavior? Did deals close faster? Did win rates improve?
Downloads mean nothing if materials sit unused. Views mean nothing if reps don't apply the learning.
The solution: Track enablement impact through behavior change, deal outcomes, and revenue correlation—not engagement metrics.
The Enablement Impact Framework
Tier 1: Behavior Change Metrics (Did They Learn?)
1. Certification Completion + Pass Rates
What to track:
- % of target audience who completed certification
- Quiz/assessment pass rates
- Time to completion
- Repeat attempts (if failed first try)
Why it matters: Completion ≠ comprehension. Pass rates show actual learning.
Targets:
- Completion: 85%+ within 30 days
- Pass rate: 80%+ on first attempt
- Retake rate: <15%
Example:
- Q2: 73% completion, 68% pass rate
- Q3 (with improved content): 89% completion, 84% pass rate
- Impact: Higher pass rates predicted higher material usage (+18% usage for high performers)
2. Material Usage in Real Deals
What to track:
- % of reps actively using battlecards, demo scripts, pitch decks
- Frequency of usage (per rep per month)
- Which materials are used most/least
- Usage by deal stage (discovery, demo, negotiation)
How to measure:
- CRM custom field: "PMM Material Used" (checkbox)
- Sales enablement platform analytics (Highspot, Seismic usage data)
- Quarterly survey: "Which PMM assets did you use this month?"
- Win/loss interviews: "What resources helped you close this deal?"
Targets:
- Usage rate: 70%+ of reps using materials monthly
- Frequency: 3+ uses per rep per month
- Coverage: Materials used across all deal stages
Example:
- Battlecard A: 82% usage rate, used in 47 competitive deals
- Demo script B: 23% usage rate ← Investigate why low adoption
- Pitch deck C: 91% usage rate, avg 5 uses per rep per month
3. Messaging Adoption (Conversation Intelligence)
What to track:
- % of sales calls including approved messaging (keyword tracking)
- Talk time ratio (rep vs. customer)
- Objection handling consistency
- Discovery question usage
How to measure:
- Gong/Chorus keyword tracking for message pillars
- Call transcript analysis
- Talk track adherence scores
Targets:
- Messaging inclusion: 60%+ of calls include key pillars
- Objection handling: 75%+ use trained responses
- Discovery questions: 50%+ ask 3+ framework questions
Example:
- Message pillar "security-first": Used in 68% of enterprise calls (↑ from 42% pre-training)
- Objection "too expensive": Handled with value framework in 79% of cases (↑ from 51%)
- Discovery framework: 58% of reps ask 3+ qualifying questions (↑ from 34%)
Tier 2: Deal Outcome Metrics (Did It Work?)
4. Win Rate: Enabled vs. Non-Enabled Reps
What to track:
- Win rate for reps who completed certification
- Win rate for reps who didn't
- Delta between groups
- Control for experience, territory, deal size
How to measure:
- CRM data: Certification completion date + deal close date
- Cohort analysis: Certified vs. non-certified performance
- Time-series: Win rate before vs. after certification
Targets:
- 10-20% win rate lift for certified reps
- Statistical significance (p < 0.05 with 30+ deals per cohort)
Example:
- Certified reps (92% of team): 28% win rate
- Non-certified reps (8% of team): 19% win rate
- Lift: +47% relative improvement (9 percentage points)
- Timeline: Impact visible 45-60 days post-certification
5. Deal Velocity (Sales Cycle Length)
What to track:
- Days from opportunity creation → close
- Enabled vs. non-enabled comparison
- By deal stage (discovery → demo → negotiation → close)
How to measure:
- CRM opportunity age reports
- Stage duration analysis
- Cohort comparison (enabled vs. not)
Targets:
- 15-20% faster sales cycles for enabled reps
- Reduced time in "demo" and "negotiation" stages specifically
Example:
- Enabled reps: 67 day avg cycle (↓ from 82 days)
- Non-enabled reps: 81 day avg cycle
- Improvement: 18% faster (14 day reduction)
- Biggest gains: Demo stage (12 days → 8 days)
6. Deal Size & Quality
What to track:
- Average contract value (ACV) for enabled vs. non-enabled
- Multi-product attach rates
- Upsell/cross-sell success
- Discount levels (tighter pricing for confident reps)
How to measure:
- CRM deal value data
- Product mix analysis
- Discount approval frequency
Targets:
- 10-15% higher ACV for enabled reps
- 20-30% higher multi-product attach
- 5-10% lower discount rates
Example:
- Enabled reps: $62K avg ACV, 38% multi-product deals
- Non-enabled reps: $54K avg ACV, 24% multi-product deals
- Lift: +15% ACV, +58% multi-product (relative)
Tier 3: Revenue Impact Metrics (Did It Move the Needle?)
7. Pipeline Influenced by Enablement
What to track:
- Total pipeline where enablement materials were documented as used
- Attribution: Direct (100%), high (75%), medium (50%), low (25%)
- Cohort tracking: Certified rep pipeline vs. total
How to measure:
- CRM custom fields tracking material usage
- Certification completion tied to opportunity ownership
- Attribution model (see PMM Attribution Framework post)
Targets:
- 40-60% of pipeline shows enablement influence
- 3-5x ROI (enablement cost vs. influenced pipeline)
Example:
- Q3 enablement investment: $85K (team time + vendor costs)
- Influenced pipeline: $12.4M (documented usage attribution)
- ROI: 146x (influenced pipeline / cost)
8. Competitive Win Rate Improvement
What to track:
- Win rate vs. each major competitor (before/after enablement)
- Battlecard usage correlation with competitive wins
- Loss reason shifts (fewer "lost to competitor X")
How to measure:
- CRM competitor tracking
- Win/loss interview data
- Battlecard usage in competitive deals
Targets:
- 5-10% competitive win rate improvement per quarter
- 80%+ battlecard usage in competitive deals
Example:
- Competitor A: 18% win rate (Q2) → 32% win rate (Q3)
- Improvement: +78% relative lift
- Battlecard usage: 88% of competitive deals (up from 31%)
- Win/loss insight: "Better objection handling" cited in 67% of wins
9. Revenue Per Rep (Productivity)
What to track:
- Total bookings per rep (enabled vs. non-enabled)
- Time to first deal (new rep ramp)
- Quota attainment rates
How to measure:
- CRM bookings reports by rep
- Hire date → first close tracking
- Quota vs. actual performance
Targets:
- 20-30% higher bookings for enabled reps
- 30-45 day faster time to first deal
- 15-20% higher quota attainment
Example:
- Enabled reps: $380K avg quarterly bookings, 87% quota attainment
- Non-enabled reps: $290K avg quarterly bookings, 68% quota attainment
- Lift: +31% bookings, +28% quota attainment
Measurement Implementation Roadmap
Month 1: Baseline & Infrastructure
Set up tracking:
- Add CRM custom fields: "PMM Material Used," "Certification Date"
- Enable sales enablement platform analytics
- Document current win rates, cycle times, deal sizes
Establish baselines:
- Current win rate by rep cohort
- Current material usage (survey 20 reps)
- Current messaging adoption (analyze 50 calls if using Gong/Chorus)
Month 2: Pilot & Validate
Run controlled pilot:
- Certify 50% of team first, hold 50% as control group
- Track behavior differences (usage, messaging adoption)
- Measure early indicators (call quality, opportunity creation)
Validate leading indicators:
- Does certification predict usage? (Yes/No)
- Does usage predict better calls? (Gong scores)
- Does better calls predict more opps? (Pipeline creation)
Month 3: Scale & Report
Scale to full team:
- Certify remaining 50%
- Continue tracking both cohorts for comparison
- Measure deal outcomes (60-90 day lag)
Build reporting:
- Monthly dashboard: Usage, win rates, deal velocity
- Quarterly deep dive: ROI analysis, competitive win rates
- Executive storytelling: Tie enablement to revenue
Dashboard Structure
Monthly Enablement Dashboard
Top Section: Behavior Change
- Certification completion: 89% (↑ Green)
- Material usage rate: 74% (↑ Green)
- Messaging adoption: 62% of calls (→ Yellow, stable)
Middle Section: Deal Outcomes
- Win rate (certified reps): 28% vs. 19% non-certified (↑ +47%)
- Deal velocity: 67 days vs. 81 days (↓ 18% faster)
- Avg deal size: $62K vs. $54K (↑ +15%)
Bottom Section: Revenue Impact
- Influenced pipeline: $12.4M
- Competitive win rate: 32% (↑ from 18%)
- ROI: 146x (investment vs. influenced revenue)
Common Measurement Challenges
Challenge 1: "We can't track material usage in CRM"
- Solution: Start with monthly surveys (Google Form to all reps)
- Ask: "Which PMM materials did you use this month? In how many deals?"
- Graduate to CRM fields once you prove value
Challenge 2: "Control groups aren't realistic"
- Solution: Use time-based comparison instead
- Before enablement (Q1-Q2) vs. after enablement (Q3-Q4)
- Acknowledge confounding factors, but show trends
Challenge 3: "Too many variables affect win rates"
- Solution: Control for what you can
- Segment by rep experience, territory, deal size, industry
- Use regression analysis to isolate enablement impact
Challenge 4: "Executives don't believe the correlation"
- Solution: Build compelling narrative with multiple data points
- Behavior change (usage up) → Outcomes (win rate up) → Revenue (pipeline up)
- Show mechanism, not just correlation
Key Takeaways
Stop measuring enablement by views and downloads:
- Track behavior change first - Certification pass rates, material usage, messaging adoption
- Measure deal outcomes - Win rates, deal velocity, deal quality (enabled vs. non-enabled)
- Connect to revenue - Pipeline influenced, competitive wins, revenue per rep
- Use control groups or before/after - Isolate enablement impact from other factors
- Report transparently - Show methodology, acknowledge limitations, celebrate wins
Enablement isn't about creating assets. It's about changing behavior and driving revenue.