Putting Humans Back at the Center of Sales Enablement: Lessons from Britta Lorenz
Technology has transformed the way we sell. CRMs, enablement platforms, automation, and AI promise productivity, predictability, and scale. But there’s a growing realization in high-performing sales organizations: the more digital we become, the more human we need to be.
That belief sits at the heart of Britta Lorenz’s philosophy on human-first sales enablement. Instead of treating enablement as a collection of tools, content, and training, she challenges leaders to approach it as a people-centric discipline: one that respects the complexity of humans and the uniqueness of every customer interaction.
In this article, we’ll unpack key ideas from her approach and explore how you can build a human-first sales enablement strategy that drives performance, not just activity.
What Human-First Sales Enablement Really Means
Many teams say they care about people, but their processes tell a different story. Reps are buried in content, forced through generic training, and expected to follow rigid sales processes that don’t reflect how buyers actually buy.
Human-first sales enablement flips that script. At its core, it means designing your enablement programs around the real needs, motivations, and limitations of the people involved:
- Salespeople – with different experience levels, learning styles, and strengths.
- Sales managers – who are often promoted for performance but not trained to lead or coach.
- Customers – who want to be understood, not pitched at.
Instead of asking, “What tools should we roll out this quarter?” human-first leaders ask, “What do our people need to succeed in the real world?” That shift in thinking changes everything: how you train, how you coach, how you measure success, and even how you choose technology.
The Missing Foundation: Clarity Before Content
One of the most common mistakes in sales enablement is jumping straight into content creation or tool purchases without first creating clarity. Organizations roll out new playbooks, cadences, or product decks, only to discover that reps still don’t know what ‘good’ looks like.
A human-first approach starts with questions like:
- Who exactly are we enabling – and what do they struggle with today?
- Which moments in the sales process matter most for our buyers?
- What behaviors do we want to see more (or less) of in the field?
Once you have those answers, your sales enablement efforts become sharper and more relevant. You’re not just pushing out information; you’re designing support around critical moments – from discovery calls to negotiations to handoffs to customer success.
Why Change Management Belongs in Every Enablement Strategy
Another powerful theme in Britta Lorenz’s work is the importance of change management. Sales enablement often introduces new methodologies, tools, and processes – all of which require people to change how they think and act. Yet in many companies, change is treated as an announcement, not a journey.
A human-first approach recognizes that:
- People need to understand why change is happening before they will embrace what to do differently.
- Resistance is normal – and usually a sign of fear, not laziness.
- Managers are the linchpin of change; if they don’t model new behaviors, the team won’t either.
Practical change management in sales enablement includes:
- Involving sales reps early when designing new programs or processes.
- Equipping frontline managers with talking points, coaching tools, and clear expectations.
- Creating space for feedback, not just compliance – so reps can voice concerns and ideas.
- Celebrating early wins that show the new way of working creates real results.
When change is handled thoughtfully, your salespeople stop seeing enablement as “one more thing” and start experiencing it as real support.
Coaching: Where Human-First Sales Enablement Comes Alive
Most sales organizations say they value coaching, but very few do it consistently. Fewer still connect their coaching to a coherent enablement strategy. Human-first enablement treats coaching as the bridge between learning and performance.
Instead of flooding reps with information and hoping something sticks, you:
- Break down key skills and behaviors into clear, coachable elements.
- Use sales conversations, pipeline reviews, and deal strategy sessions as coaching opportunities.
- Focus on progress over perfection – reinforcing small behavior changes over time.
In this model, the role of the sales manager changes. They’re no longer just administrators of forecasts and dashboards; they become true people leaders. Human-first enablement supports them with frameworks, conversation guides, and ongoing development so they can coach with confidence, not guesswork.
Technology as an Enabler, Not a Replacement
Modern sales enablement platforms, CRMs, and AI tools are incredibly powerful – but they’re often misused. Too many organizations expect technology to fix what is fundamentally a people and process problem.
Britta’s human-first lens doesn’t reject technology; it reframes its role. The right tools should:
- Make it easier for sellers to do the right things at the right time.
- Reduce friction – fewer clicks, clearer workflows, smarter prompts.
- Surface insights that support better coaching conversations.
- Align with your sales methodology instead of fighting against it.
When you design your tech stack around your people, adoption stops being an uphill battle. Reps use the tools because they actually help them sell better, not just because leadership says they have to.
Designing a Human-First Sales Enablement Program
If you’re inspired to move toward a more human-centric model, here’s a simple way to think about your next steps. You can use this as a checklist to assess where you are today and what to prioritize next.
1. Start with Listening
Talk to your sales reps, managers, and even a few customers. Ask open questions like:
- “What part of the sales process feels hardest right now?”
- “Where do you feel least prepared in customer conversations?”
- “What enablement resources do you actually use – and why?”
Look for patterns. These insights will give you a human-centered starting point that no dashboard alone can provide.
2. Define Clear, Behavior-Based Outcomes
Instead of vague goals like “better discovery” or “improve win rates,” define specific behaviors you want to see. For example:
- Every discovery call includes at least three open-ended questions about business impact.
- Reps co-create next steps with the buyer before every meeting ends.
Once you know the behaviors, you can design enablement content, training, and coaching around them.
3. Build for Practice, Not Just Knowledge
Human-first sales enablement recognizes that people don’t change just because they’ve read something. They change when they’ve practiced it enough to feel confident.
That means incorporating:
- Role plays and simulations based on real deals.
- Peer learning sessions where reps share what’s working.
- Short, focused enablement sessions instead of day-long training marathons.
4. Empower Managers as Change Leaders
Enablement will stall if managers are not on board. Invest in them. Give them:
- Simple coaching frameworks aligned with your sales methodology.
- Guides for running effective one-on-ones and deal reviews.
- Support in developing their own leadership and communication skills.
When managers lead by example, new behaviors spread quickly – and sustainably.
5. Measure What Matters
Finally, tie your sales enablement strategy to meaningful outcomes. Go beyond completion rates and logins. Track:
- Changes in selling behavior (e.g., better discovery notes, stronger qualification).
- Pipeline quality and deal progression, not just total volume.
- Customer feedback on sales conversations.
Use your data to refine programs, not to punish people. When sales teams see that measurement is about improvement, not inspection, they’re far more open to engaging with enablement.
Bringing Humanity Back to Revenue Growth
In a world obsessed with automation and scale, human-first sales enablement is a refreshing – and highly effective – alternative. By focusing on people, behavior, and thoughtful change, you create an environment where sellers feel supported, customers feel understood, and revenue growth becomes a byproduct of doing the right things well.
Britta Lorenz’s perspective is a timely reminder: tools and processes matter, but they are not the heroes of your sales story – your people are. When you design your enablement strategy around that simple truth, everything else starts to fall into place.
If you’re rethinking your approach to sales enablement, start small. Pick one team, one behavior, or one moment in the sales process and redesign it with humans at the center. Then learn, iterate, and expand. Over time, you won’t just have better enablement; you’ll have a healthier, more resilient sales organization.
How are you currently enabling your salespeople – and where could a more human-first approach make the biggest difference? Start that conversation with your team today.
