Companies have been talking about sales enablement for some time now, but in many ways the definition still remains open for interpretation. To some, it still may be nothing more than a portfolio of PowerPoint decks, while, to others, it's support from marketing or other areas of the company in order to have the knowledge to deliver the message a sales person thinks the customer wants. In my mind, the true definition of sales enablement is giving sales everything possible to effectively solve their customers' challenges. It may sound simple, but it isn't. Today, enhancing and accelerating the sales process requires a new level of engagement and access to knowledge between the organization and its field agents, and more importantly, between the agent and the customer.

Related: Insurance needs technology: Here's how to move the needle starting today

Achieving true sales enablement ensures that an agent has everything needed to optimize the interaction with the customer. First, then, it requires a true "excavation" prior to the sales process. That involves a great deal of investigating, digging and understanding of a prospective customer's needs in order to weave the right KPIs and metrics into your presentation. However, it also requires having to perform that type of excavation in real time to keep the conversation going in the direction the prospective customer wants it to go and connect your content directly to their goals.