Effective Work Samples for Hiring a Sales Enablement Manager

The Sales Enablement Manager serves as the critical bridge between sales strategy and execution, directly impacting revenue growth and team performance. This pivotal role requires a unique blend of instructional design expertise, analytical capabilities, collaboration skills, and a deep understanding of sales methodologies. Traditional interviews often fail to reveal whether candidates truly possess these multifaceted abilities.

Work samples and role plays provide tangible evidence of a candidate's capabilities in real-world scenarios they'll face daily. By observing how candidates approach training development, sales collateral creation, performance analysis, and coaching, you gain invaluable insights into their problem-solving approach, communication style, and strategic thinking. These practical exercises reveal skills that might otherwise remain hidden in a conventional interview.

For Sales Enablement Managers specifically, practical exercises help evaluate their ability to simplify complex information, create engaging learning experiences, analyze performance data, and coach effectively—all essential functions of the role. The exercises below are designed to assess candidates across the full spectrum of responsibilities they'll encounter, from tactical execution to strategic planning.

Implementing these work samples will dramatically improve your hiring success rate by revealing which candidates can truly drive sales effectiveness in your organization. The exercises are structured to evaluate both technical competencies and the soft skills necessary for cross-functional collaboration and change management.

Activity #1: Sales Onboarding Module Design

This exercise evaluates the candidate's instructional design capabilities and ability to create effective training materials—a core responsibility for any Sales Enablement Manager. It reveals their approach to knowledge transfer, understanding of adult learning principles, and ability to structure information logically.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with a brief overview of your product/service and target customer.
• Include information about your sales process stages and typical objections salespeople encounter.
• Share a sample of an existing onboarding document or training material (if available).
• Allow candidates 24-48 hours to prepare their submission.
• During the interview, give them 15 minutes to present their module, followed by 10 minutes of questions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Design a 1-hour training module that would be part of a new sales hire onboarding program.
• Focus on teaching new sales hires how to effectively handle the top 3 customer objections for the product/service.
• Create a detailed outline including learning objectives, content structure, interactive elements, and assessment methods.
• Prepare a sample slide deck (5-7 slides) that would be used during this training.
• Be prepared to explain your instructional design choices and how you would measure the effectiveness of this training.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide one piece of positive feedback about their instructional approach.
• Offer one suggestion for improvement regarding content structure or engagement techniques.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5 minutes revising one element of their training based on your feedback.
• Observe how receptive they are to feedback and their ability to quickly incorporate suggestions.

Activity #2: Sales Performance Analysis and Recommendation

This exercise assesses the candidate's analytical thinking and ability to translate data into actionable insights—critical skills for identifying gaps in sales performance and developing targeted enablement initiatives.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a mock sales performance dashboard with 3-6 months of data for a fictional sales team (8-10 reps).
• Include metrics such as win rates, sales cycle length, deal size, activity metrics, and stage conversion rates.
• Intentionally build in 2-3 performance issues that could be addressed through enablement initiatives.
• Provide this data to candidates 24 hours before the interview.
• Allocate 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for questions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided sales performance data to identify key trends, strengths, and areas for improvement.
• Develop 2-3 specific sales enablement initiatives that would address the performance gaps you've identified.
• For each initiative, outline:
• The specific performance issue it addresses
• Implementation approach and timeline
• Resources required
• How you would measure success
• Prepare a brief presentation (5-7 slides) summarizing your analysis and recommendations.
• Be prepared to explain your analytical process and prioritization decisions.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their analytical approach or recommendations.
• Offer constructive feedback on one area where their analysis could be strengthened or a recommendation refined.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5 minutes revising or expanding on one of their recommendations based on your feedback.
• Evaluate their ability to incorporate new perspectives and refine their thinking.

Activity #3: Sales Coaching Role Play

This exercise evaluates the candidate's coaching abilities and interpersonal skills—essential for developing sales representatives and improving their performance through one-on-one guidance.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario involving a sales representative who is struggling with a specific aspect of the sales process (e.g., discovery calls, handling objections, closing).
• Provide a brief profile of the fictional sales rep, including experience level, performance history, and specific challenges.
• If possible, provide a recording of a mock sales call that demonstrates the issue.
• Have an interviewer play the role of the sales representative.
• Allow 15 minutes for the coaching session and 10 minutes for debrief.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the sales representative profile and any call recordings provided.
• Prepare for a 15-minute coaching session with the sales representative.
• During the session:
• Establish rapport and set the context for the coaching conversation
• Ask questions to understand the rep's perspective on their challenges
• Provide specific, actionable feedback
• Collaborate on developing improvement strategies
• Establish next steps and accountability measures
• Focus on being constructive, specific, and actionable in your coaching approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one effective coaching technique the candidate demonstrated.
• Offer one suggestion for how they could improve their coaching approach.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5 minutes demonstrating how they would adjust their coaching based on this feedback.
• Evaluate their receptiveness to feedback and ability to adapt their coaching style.

Activity #4: Cross-Functional Collaboration Exercise

This exercise assesses the candidate's ability to collaborate with other departments—a crucial skill for a Sales Enablement Manager who must work with marketing, product, and sales teams to create effective enablement resources.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where the sales team needs new collateral to support a product launch or new market entry.
• Provide background information on the product/service, target audience, and sales challenges.
• Assemble a panel of 2-3 interviewers representing different departments (e.g., marketing, product, sales).
• Allow 20 minutes for the collaborative discussion and 10 minutes for debrief.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the scenario information provided.
• Prepare to facilitate a 20-minute cross-functional discussion to:
• Identify the specific sales collateral needed
• Determine key messaging and content requirements
• Establish roles and responsibilities for development
• Create a timeline for completion
• Define success metrics
• During the discussion, demonstrate your ability to:
• Ask clarifying questions to understand different perspectives
• Synthesize input from various stakeholders
• Manage potential conflicts or competing priorities
• Drive toward concrete action items and decisions

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their facilitation or collaboration approach.
• Offer one suggestion for how they could improve their cross-functional leadership.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5 minutes explaining how they would implement this feedback in a future cross-functional meeting.
• Evaluate their ability to incorporate feedback and adapt their collaboration style.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

Each exercise requires approximately 30-45 minutes, including presentation, questions, and feedback. We recommend selecting 1-2 exercises that align most closely with your specific needs rather than attempting all four. The Sales Onboarding Module Design and Sales Performance Analysis exercises work well as take-home assignments with in-person presentations, while the Coaching Role Play and Cross-Functional Collaboration exercises are best conducted live.

Should we provide candidates with our actual sales data for these exercises?

No, we recommend creating mock data that resembles your actual sales patterns but doesn't reveal confidential information. The mock data should include enough detail to make the exercise realistic while protecting your business information. This approach also creates a level playing field for all candidates.

How should we evaluate candidates who have experience in different industries?

Focus on the candidate's approach and methodology rather than industry-specific knowledge. A strong Sales Enablement Manager can apply their skills across industries, even if the specific content differs. Look for candidates who ask insightful questions about your industry and demonstrate adaptability in their approach.

What if a candidate performs well in some exercises but poorly in others?

This is valuable information about the candidate's strengths and potential development areas. Consider which exercises most closely align with your immediate needs. For example, if you urgently need to improve your onboarding program, prioritize performance on the Onboarding Module Design exercise. Also consider whether you have team members who can complement the candidate's weaker areas.

How can we make these exercises inclusive for candidates from diverse backgrounds?

Provide clear instructions and background information to ensure all candidates have equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their familiarity with your specific industry. Allow adequate preparation time, especially for take-home assignments. Be mindful of potential biases in your evaluation and use structured scoring criteria based on predefined competencies rather than subjective impressions.

Should we compensate candidates for time spent on take-home assignments?

For extensive take-home assignments (requiring more than 2-3 hours), consider offering compensation, especially for more senior roles. This demonstrates respect for candidates' time and expertise while ensuring you receive thoughtful, quality submissions.

Finding the right Sales Enablement Manager can dramatically impact your sales team's performance and ultimately your company's revenue growth. By incorporating these practical work samples into your interview process, you'll gain deeper insights into candidates' capabilities and significantly improve your hiring decisions.

Ready to take your hiring process to the next level? Yardstick offers AI-powered tools to help you create customized job descriptions, interview questions, and comprehensive interview guides. Check out our Sales Enablement Manager job description for more insights into this critical role.

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