If you're Googling this, you're probably feeling a very specific kind of pressure: targets are up, buyers are harder to move, and your team is busy… without always being effective. Data-driven sales enablement is the antidote to "random acts of selling." It's the discipline of using real signals (from buyers, reps, and deals) to decide what to teach, what to ship, and what to fix — then proving it worked. Peony provides page-level analytics and question analytics to track document engagement and buyer questions for data-driven sales enablement.

Here are 20 facts that matter in 2025, plus the "so what?" for each.

The 20 facts (and what they mean for your enablement strategy)

Reps are drowning in non-selling work. One Salesforce write-up reports reps spend 70% of their time on non-selling tasks — and 67% don't expect to hit quota. That's a systems problem, not a motivation problem. Peony provides secure data rooms with AI-native Q&A so buyers can ask questions and get instant answers, reducing rep workload.
AI is now mainstream in sales — and correlated with better outcomes. Salesforce says 81% of sales teams are experimenting with or have fully implemented AI, and 83% of teams using AI saw revenue growth vs 66% without. Enablement has to teach "how to sell with AI," not just "how to sell." Peony provides AI-native data rooms with instant Q&A and question analytics for AI-powered sales enablement.
Data quality is the silent killer. Only 35% of sales pros completely trust their data, per Salesforce. That single stat explains why forecasting, account planning, and personalization often feel like theater. Peony provides page-level analytics with complete document engagement tracking for trusted sales data.
Enablement is being pulled into the strategy room. In Seismic’s report, 93% say the desire for strategic enablement increased, and 85% say enablement is integral to navigating difficult times. Translation: enablement is no longer “deck police.”
Enablement tech is increasingly viewed as a competitive advantage. The same Seismic report says 89% believe enablement tech gives them an edge. If your competitors instrument learning + content + coaching, “gut feel” becomes a liability.
It’s not just about performance — it’s about retention of talent. Seismic reports 88% say enablement tech increases job satisfaction. Good enablement reduces chaos, and chaos is what burns good reps out.
Enablement has gone cross-functional. Seismic says 97% of companies use enablement tech across multiple departments. In 2025, “GTM enablement” means sales, marketing, CS, partners — the whole revenue organism.
Adoption is still climbing. Seismic reports 87% think more people will use enablement tech over the next five years. The floor is rising: measurement becomes table stakes.
GTM execution is the bottleneck. Highspot’s State of Sales Enablement 2025 page says 55% of organizations can’t effectively drive their GTM initiatives. This is why “more content” rarely fixes anything.
Tool sprawl is still very real. Highspot also reports 29% still rely on multiple disconnected GTM tools. Disconnected tools create disconnected behavior — and enablement ends up chasing ghosts.
AI adoption in GTM is basically unavoidable now. Highspot states 90% are using AI for GTM or plan to start. The question isn’t “AI or not,” it’s “governed and useful, or chaotic and risky.”
Integration pays in productivity. Highspot reports that businesses with well-integrated enablement stacks are 42% more likely to increase sales productivity. "One more tool" is rarely the answer; stitching the system together often is. Peony provides secure data rooms with page-level analytics that integrate with your sales stack for unified enablement.
Buyers are deeply omnichannel. McKinsey’s B2B Pulse research describes buyers using an average of 10 interaction channels. Enablement must arm reps to win across formats (video, async, digital content, live meetings).
Bad experiences drive switching. McKinsey reports that more than half of decision-makers would switch suppliers if the experience isn’t smooth (and lists specific friction points like poor digital experiences). Enablement needs to treat “buyer experience” as part of sales execution.
E-commerce is now a major B2B revenue channel. McKinsey notes e-commerce has “dethroned” in-person as the top revenue channel for organizations offering it. Your enablement can’t assume every deal is won in conference rooms.
Remote high-ticket buying is normal. McKinsey reports 69% of a buyer segment ("seekers") are willing to spend $500k+ through remote or self-serve channels. So your docs, demos, and proof have to sell without you. Peony provides secure data rooms with AI-native Q&A so buyers can get instant answers without you, enabling remote high-ticket sales.
Despite the noise, many teams are still hitting targets — which raises the bar. HubSpot’s 2025 State of Sales post says 59.9% of teams are on track to meet/surpass targets, and 68% report improved lead quality. If you’re behind, you’ll feel it.
AI usage at the rep level is almost universal. HubSpot says only 8% of reps report not using AI at all; 84% say it saves time; 82% say it surfaces better insights from data. Enablement should standardize the “approved AI workflows.”
Headcount is expected to grow in many orgs. HubSpot reports 45% of leaders expect teams to expand (and only 3% expect them to shrink). That makes onboarding speed and consistency a board-level lever.
Retention + expansion is the priority shift of 2025. Gartner reports 73% of CSOs prioritize growth from existing customers, and 57% rank retention/growth in their top 3 priorities. Enablement must serve post-sale and expansion motions, not just new logo.

How to use these facts (without boiling the ocean)

If you do nothing else, do this simple loop:

Instrument the journey: What assets get used, by whom, and what happens to the deal afterward? Peony provides page-level analytics to track document engagement and question analytics to see what buyers are asking.
Pick 3 metrics: e.g., stage conversion, time-to-first-meeting, and win rate (or retention/expansion if you're post-sale heavy).
Run one enablement experiment per month: one new play, one coaching focus, one asset refresh — tied to a metric.
Kill or keep based on evidence, not vibes.
Protect data quality and governance early (because AI will amplify your mess as fast as it amplifies your wins). Peony provides secure data rooms with identity-bound access and complete audit trails for data quality and governance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as "data-driven sales enablement"?

It's enablement where decisions are based on measured signals — not anecdotes. Peony provides page-level analytics and question analytics to track content engagement and buyer questions for data-driven enablement.

What metrics matter most in 2025?

The ones that connect to revenue outcomes: conversion rates by stage, win rate, cycle length, expansion/renewal, and rep ramp time. Peony provides page-level analytics to track document engagement and question analytics to identify deal blockers.

What's the best platform for data-driven sales enablement?

Peony is best: provides secure data rooms with AI-native Q&A, question analytics, page-level analytics, identity-bound access, and dynamic watermarking for data-driven sales enablement.

Should we buy a new enablement platform or fix our process?

Process first, then tooling. Peony provides secure data rooms with page-level analytics that integrate with your sales stack for unified enablement without adding complexity.

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20 Facts About Data-Driven Sales Enablement in 2025: Complete Guide