If you’re running go-to-market (GTM) enablement—think sales training, onboarding, or ongoing rep coaching—you’ve probably been asked the dreaded question: “So, what’s the ROI on all this?” Proving that your efforts move the needle isn’t easy, especially when everyone wants numbers yesterday. This guide is here to cut through the noise and show you, step by step, how to measure the real impact of your GTM enablement efforts using Secondnature analytics. If you’re tired of fluffy metrics and want to tie enablement to actual business outcomes, you’re in the right place.
Why Bother Measuring ROI at All?
Let’s be honest: enablement often gets lumped in with “nice-to-haves.” If you can’t prove your work actually drives revenue, budget cuts are always lurking. But with the right data, you can show—plainly—that your enablement efforts are more than just box-checking. You’re here to help your reps close more deals, faster. If you can’t measure that, you’re guessing.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Want to Improve
Before you dive into analytics, figure out what “ROI” even means for your team. Here’s what’s worth tracking (and what’s just noise):
What Matters: - Ramp time: Are new reps getting up to speed faster? - Quota attainment: Are more reps hitting their numbers? - Win rates: Are deals closing at a higher rate? - Deal size: Are reps selling bigger deals? - Sales cycle length: Are deals closing faster? - Rep productivity: Are reps running more (quality) meetings?
What Doesn’t: - Vanity metrics, like “number of trainings completed” or “hours spent in platform.” These are activity metrics, not outcome metrics.
Pro Tip: Pick 2–3 outcomes to focus on. If you try to measure everything, you’ll end up convincing no one.
Step 2: Set Your Baseline—Know Where You’re Starting
It’s tempting to jump right into the analytics, but if you don’t know your starting point, you can’t prove you moved the needle. Here’s how to get a clean baseline:
- Pull historical data. Get the last 6–12 months of the metrics you chose (ramp time, win rates, etc.).
- Segment by cohort. If you can, break it out by rep tenure, region, team, or whatever makes sense for your org. This will help you spot patterns later.
- Note the context. Any big changes (new product launch, comp plan changes, etc.)? Make a note—these things muddy the data.
Don’t have perfect data? That’s normal. Get as close as you can. It’s better to start rough than never start at all.
Step 3: Roll Out Enablement—But Track Engagement, Not Just Attendance
This is where tools like Secondnature come in. Secondnature offers AI-powered simulations, roleplays, and analytics that show how reps are actually practicing. But don’t just look at who shows up.
Track: - Engagement: Are reps actually using the platform, or just logging in and clicking around? - Skill improvement: Is there measurable growth in core competencies (pitching, objection handling, etc.)? - Feedback quality: Are managers giving real feedback, or just rubber-stamping?
What to ignore: Participation rates alone. 100% of reps logging in means nothing if nobody’s improving.
Step 4: Dig Into Secondnature Analytics—The Metrics That Matter
Here’s the meat and potatoes. Secondnature analytics can spit out a lot of data, but only a few things really help you prove ROI.
1. Skill Progress Over Time
Look for metrics like: - Pitch scores improvement: Are reps getting better at delivering key messages? - Objection handling: Are they more confident and accurate under pressure? - Roleplay frequency: Are high performers practicing more (hint: they usually are)?
How to use it: Tie improvements to your baseline business outcomes. For example, did reps who improved their objection skills also close more deals?
2. Cohort Comparisons
Compare: - Reps who complete enablement vs. those who don’t - New hires before and after enablement rollout - Teams using Secondnature vs. teams that aren’t
Beware false positives: Sometimes, top reps engage more with enablement simply because they’re already motivated. Try to compare apples to apples.
3. Correlation With Business Outcomes
This is where you’ll earn your keep. Pull data on: - Reps’ skill improvement in Secondnature - Their actual sales performance (from your CRM)
Run simple correlations: - Did reps who improved most in Secondnature also ramp faster? - Did win rates go up in teams using the tool?
Don’t overstate causality: Just because two things rise together doesn’t mean one caused the other. But if you see a strong pattern across a big group, you’re onto something.
Step 5: Calculate the Actual ROI (Math, But Not Too Much)
ROI doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a simple approach:
ROI = (Net Benefit from Enablement – Cost of Enablement) / Cost of Enablement
- Net benefit: This could be increased revenue, faster ramp time (which saves money), or more deals closed.
- Cost: Add up direct costs (platform fees, program time, people hours, etc.).
Example:
Let’s say after rolling out Secondnature, your average new hire ramps in 3 months instead of 4. If each new rep generates $20,000/month, and you hire 10 reps per year, that’s $200,000 in extra revenue. If your total enablement program costs $40,000, your ROI is ($200,000 – $40,000) / $40,000 = 4 (or 400%).
What not to do: Don’t try to pin every uptick in revenue to enablement. Be conservative and focus on what you can actually measure.
Step 6: Tell a Simple, Honest Story With Your Data
When you present your ROI, keep it clear and real. No need for a 40-slide deck. Summarize:
- What you measured
- What changed after enablement
- How you know enablement played a role
- What you’d tweak next time
If results are mixed: Say so. Maybe skill scores went up but win rates didn’t budge. That’s still valuable. It means you need to dig deeper or adjust the training.
What to Watch Out For (and Ignore)
Don’t chase every shiny metric. Stick to the ones that connect to revenue or productivity.
Expect some noise. There will always be factors outside your control—market shifts, leadership changes, seasonality. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Beware “activity theater.” Lots of logins or trainings don’t mean much if you’re not seeing business results.
Don’t fudge the numbers. If enablement isn’t moving the needle yet, that’s OK. Better to know and fix it than to pretend everything’s rosy.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Get Better Every Quarter
Measuring the ROI of GTM enablement isn’t about finding a magic number—it’s about showing you’re moving in the right direction. With Secondnature analytics, you can connect skill development to real business outcomes, as long as you focus on what matters and don’t get lost in the weeds.
Start simple, track what counts, and don’t be afraid to adjust. The teams that win are the ones that keep learning—not just the ones who can build the fanciest dashboards.