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Submitted URL: https://t.sidekickopen21.com/Ctc/OO+23284/cyFZ104/Jll2-6q7W7Y8-PT6lZ3mqW1Cj7M3662F61W8dtM5N9kcw3cW2xHqrb5z6QfLW8-v2dv8QnBXsN8...
Effective URL: https://www.lxahub.com/sales-enablement-and-sales-operations-best-practice-guide
Submission: On July 18 via manual from DE — Scanned from DE
Effective URL: https://www.lxahub.com/sales-enablement-and-sales-operations-best-practice-guide
Submission: On July 18 via manual from DE — Scanned from DE
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
POST https://forms.hsforms.com/submissions/v3/public/submit/formsnext/multipart/4668355/5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d
<form id="hsForm_5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" method="POST" accept-charset="UTF-8" enctype="multipart/form-data" novalidate=""
action="https://forms.hsforms.com/submissions/v3/public/submit/formsnext/multipart/4668355/5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d"
class="hs-form-private hsForm_5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d hs-form-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d hs-form-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_490da1fb-c9c3-4406-a112-40a234f8b702 hs-form stacked hs-custom-form"
target="target_iframe_5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" data-instance-id="490da1fb-c9c3-4406-a112-40a234f8b702" data-form-id="5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d" data-portal-id="4668355">
<fieldset class="form-columns-0">
<div class="hs-richtext hs-main-font-element">
<h2>Download</h2>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-2">
<div class="hs_firstname hs-firstname hs-fieldtype-text field hs-form-field"><label id="label-firstname-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your First name"
for="firstname-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>First name</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><input id="firstname-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" name="firstname" required="" placeholder="" type="text" class="hs-input" inputmode="text" autocomplete="given-name" value=""></div>
</div>
<div class="hs_lastname hs-lastname hs-fieldtype-text field hs-form-field"><label id="label-lastname-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Last name"
for="lastname-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Last name</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><input id="lastname-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" name="lastname" required="" placeholder="" type="text" class="hs-input" inputmode="text" autocomplete="family-name" value=""></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="hs_jobtitle hs-jobtitle hs-fieldtype-text field hs-form-field"><label id="label-jobtitle-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Job title"
for="jobtitle-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Job title</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><input id="jobtitle-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" name="jobtitle" required="" placeholder="" type="text" class="hs-input" inputmode="text" autocomplete="organization-title" value=""></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="hs_company hs-company hs-fieldtype-text field hs-form-field"><label id="label-company-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Company name"
for="company-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Company name</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><input id="company-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" name="company" required="" placeholder="" type="text" class="hs-input" inputmode="text" autocomplete="organization" value=""></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="hs_email hs-email hs-fieldtype-text field hs-form-field"><label id="label-email-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Business email"
for="email-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Business email</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><input id="email-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" name="email" required="" placeholder="" type="email" class="hs-input" inputmode="email" autocomplete="email" value=""></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="hs_mobilephone hs-mobilephone hs-fieldtype-phonenumber field hs-form-field"><label id="label-mobilephone-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Mobile phone number"
for="mobilephone-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Mobile phone number</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><input id="mobilephone-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" name="mobilephone" required="" placeholder="" type="text" class="hs-input" inputmode="text" autocomplete="tel" value=""></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="hs_country_ma hs-country_ma hs-fieldtype-select field hs-form-field"><label id="label-country_ma-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Country"
for="country_ma-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Country</span><span class="hs-form-required">*</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><select id="country_ma-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" required="" class="hs-input is-placeholder" name="country_ma">
<option disabled="" value="">Please Select</option>
<option value="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</option>
<option value="United States">United States of America</option>
<option value="Australia">Australia</option>
<option value="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</option>
<option value="Åland Islands">Åland Islands</option>
<option value="Albania">Albania</option>
<option value="Algeria">Algeria</option>
<option value="American Samoa">American Samoa</option>
<option value="Andorra">Andorra</option>
<option value="Angola">Angola</option>
<option value="Anguilla">Anguilla</option>
<option value="Antarctica">Antarctica</option>
<option value="Antigua and Barbuda">Antigua and Barbuda</option>
<option value="Argentina">Argentina</option>
<option value="Armenia">Armenia</option>
<option value="Aruba">Aruba</option>
<option value="Austria">Austria</option>
<option value="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</option>
<option value="Bahamas">Bahamas</option>
<option value="Bahrain">Bahrain</option>
<option value="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</option>
<option value="Barbados">Barbados</option>
<option value="Belarus">Belarus</option>
<option value="Belgium">Belgium</option>
<option value="Belize">Belize</option>
<option value="Benin">Benin</option>
<option value="Bermuda">Bermuda</option>
<option value="Bhutan">Bhutan</option>
<option value="Bolivia">Bolivia</option>
<option value="Bosnia and Herzegovina">Bosnia and Herzegovina</option>
<option value="Botswana">Botswana</option>
<option value="Bouvet Island">Bouvet Island</option>
<option value="Brazil">Brazil</option>
<option value="Brunei">Brunei</option>
<option value="Bulgaria">Bulgaria</option>
<option value="Burkina Faso">Burkina Faso</option>
<option value="Burundi">Burundi</option>
<option value="Cambodia">Cambodia</option>
<option value="Cameroon">Cameroon</option>
<option value="Canada">Canada</option>
<option value="Cape Verde">Cape Verde</option>
<option value="Caribbean Netherlands">Caribbean Netherlands</option>
<option value="Cayman Islands">Cayman Islands</option>
<option value="Central African Republic">Central African Republic</option>
<option value="Chad">Chad</option>
<option value="Chile">Chile</option>
<option value="China">China</option>
<option value="Christmas Island">Christmas Island</option>
<option value="Colombia">Colombia</option>
<option value="Comoros">Comoros</option>
<option value="Congo">Congo</option>
<option value="Cook Islands">Cook Islands</option>
<option value="Costa Rica">Costa Rica</option>
<option value="Cote d'Ivoire">Cote d'Ivoire</option>
<option value="Croatia">Croatia</option>
<option value="Cuba">Cuba</option>
<option value="Curaçao">Curaçao</option>
<option value="Cyprus">Cyprus</option>
<option value="Czech Republic">Czech Republic</option>
<option value="Democratic Republic of the Congo">Democratic Republic of the Congo</option>
<option value="Denmark">Denmark</option>
<option value="Djibouti">Djibouti</option>
<option value="Dominica">Dominica</option>
<option value="Dominican Republic">Dominican Republic</option>
<option value="East Timor">East Timor</option>
<option value="Ecuador">Ecuador</option>
<option value="Egypt">Egypt</option>
<option value="El Salvador">El Salvador</option>
<option value="Equatorial Guinea">Equatorial Guinea</option>
<option value="Eritrea">Eritrea</option>
<option value="Estonia">Estonia</option>
<option value="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</option>
<option value="Falkland Islands">Falkland Islands</option>
<option value="Faroe Islands">Faroe Islands</option>
<option value="Fiji">Fiji</option>
<option value="Finland">Finland</option>
<option value="France">France</option>
<option value="Gabon">Gabon</option>
<option value="Gambia">Gambia</option>
<option value="Georgia">Georgia</option>
<option value="Germany">Germany</option>
<option value="Ghana">Ghana</option>
<option value="Gibraltar">Gibraltar</option>
<option value="Greece">Greece</option>
<option value="Greenland">Greenland</option>
<option value="Grenada">Grenada</option>
<option value="Guadeloupe">Guadeloupe</option>
<option value="Guam">Guam</option>
<option value="Guatemala">Guatemala</option>
<option value="Guernsey">Guernsey</option>
<option value="Guinea">Guinea</option>
<option value="Guinea-Bissau">Guinea-Bissau</option>
<option value="Guyana">Guyana</option>
<option value="Haiti">Haiti</option>
<option value="Honduras">Honduras</option>
<option value="Hong Kong">Hong Kong</option>
<option value="Hungary">Hungary</option>
<option value="Iceland">Iceland</option>
<option value="India">India</option>
<option value="Indonesia">Indonesia</option>
<option value="Iran">Iran</option>
<option value="Iraq">Iraq</option>
<option value="Ireland">Ireland</option>
<option value="Isle of Man">Isle of Man</option>
<option value="Israel">Israel</option>
<option value="Italy">Italy</option>
<option value="Jamaica">Jamaica</option>
<option value="Japan">Japan</option>
<option value="Jersey">Jersey</option>
<option value="Jordan">Jordan</option>
<option value="Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</option>
<option value="Kenya">Kenya</option>
<option value="Kiribati">Kiribati</option>
<option value="Kuwait">Kuwait</option>
<option value="Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan</option>
<option value="Laos">Laos</option>
<option value="Latvia">Latvia</option>
<option value="Lebanon">Lebanon</option>
<option value="Lesotho">Lesotho</option>
<option value="Liberia">Liberia</option>
<option value="Libya">Libya</option>
<option value="Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein</option>
<option value="Lithuania">Lithuania</option>
<option value="Luxembourg">Luxembourg</option>
<option value="Macau">Macau</option>
<option value="Macedonia (FYROM)">North Macedonia</option>
<option value="Madagascar">Madagascar</option>
<option value="Malawi">Malawi</option>
<option value="Malaysia">Malaysia</option>
<option value="Maldives">Maldives</option>
<option value="Mali">Mali</option>
<option value="Malta">Malta</option>
<option value="Marshall Islands">Marshall Islands</option>
<option value="Mauritania">Mauritania</option>
<option value="Mauritius">Mauritius</option>
<option value="Mexico">Mexico</option>
<option value="Micronesia">Micronesia</option>
<option value="Moldova">Moldova</option>
<option value="Monaco">Monaco</option>
<option value="Mongolia">Mongolia</option>
<option value="Montenegro">Montenegro</option>
<option value="Montserrat">Montserrat</option>
<option value="Morocco">Morocco</option>
<option value="Mozambique">Mozambique</option>
<option value="Myanmar (Burma)">Myanmar (Burma)</option>
<option value="Namibia">Namibia</option>
<option value="Nauru">Nauru</option>
<option value="Nepal">Nepal</option>
<option value="Netherlands">Netherlands</option>
<option value="Netherlands Antilles">Netherlands Antilles</option>
<option value="New Zealand">New Zealand</option>
<option value="Nicaragua">Nicaragua</option>
<option value="Niger">Niger</option>
<option value="Nigeria">Nigeria</option>
<option value="Niue">Niue</option>
<option value="North Korea">North Korea</option>
<option value="Northern Mariana Islands">Northern Mariana Islands</option>
<option value="Norway">Norway</option>
<option value="Oman">Oman</option>
<option value="Pakistan">Pakistan</option>
<option value="Palau">Palau</option>
<option value="Palestine">Palestine</option>
<option value="Panama">Panama</option>
<option value="Papua New Guinea">Papua New Guinea</option>
<option value="Paraguay">Paraguay</option>
<option value="Peru">Peru</option>
<option value="Philippines">Philippines</option>
<option value="Pitcairn Islands">Pitcairn Islands</option>
<option value="Poland">Poland</option>
<option value="Portugal">Portugal</option>
<option value="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</option>
<option value="Qatar">Qatar</option>
<option value="Réunion">Réunion</option>
<option value="Romania">Romania</option>
<option value="Russia">Russian Federation</option>
<option value="Rwanda">Rwanda</option>
<option value="Saint Barthélemy">Saint Barthélemy</option>
<option value="Saint Helena">Saint Helena</option>
<option value="Saint Kitts and Nevis">Saint Kitts and Nevis</option>
<option value="Saint Lucia">Saint Lucia</option>
<option value="Saint Martin">Saint Martin</option>
<option value="Saint Vincent and the Grenadines">Saint Vincent and the Grenadines</option>
<option value="Samoa">Samoa</option>
<option value="San Marino">San Marino</option>
<option value="Sao Tome and Principe">Sao Tome and Principe</option>
<option value="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</option>
<option value="Senegal">Senegal</option>
<option value="Serbia">Serbia</option>
<option value="Seychelles">Seychelles</option>
<option value="Sierra Leone">Sierra Leone</option>
<option value="Singapore">Singapore</option>
<option value="Slovakia">Slovakia</option>
<option value="Slovenia">Slovenia</option>
<option value="Solomon Islands">Solomon Islands</option>
<option value="Somalia">Somalia</option>
<option value="South Africa">South Africa</option>
<option value="South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</option>
<option value="South Korea">South Korea</option>
<option value="South Sudan">South Sudan</option>
<option value="Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka</option>
<option value="Spain">Spain</option>
<option value="Sudan">Sudan</option>
<option value="Suriname">Suriname</option>
<option value="Sweden">Sweden</option>
<option value="Switzerland">Switzerland</option>
<option value="Syria">Syria</option>
<option value="Taiwan">Taiwan</option>
<option value="Tajikistan">Tajikistan</option>
<option value="Tanzania">Tanzania</option>
<option value="Thailand">Thailand</option>
<option value="Togo">Togo</option>
<option value="Tokelau">Tokelau</option>
<option value="Tonga">Tonga</option>
<option value="Trinidad and Tobago">Trinidad and Tobago</option>
<option value="Tunisia">Tunisia</option>
<option value="Turkey">Turkey</option>
<option value="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</option>
<option value="Turks and Caicos Islands">Turks and Caicos Islands</option>
<option value="Tuvalu">Tuvalu</option>
<option value="Uganda">Uganda</option>
<option value="Ukraine">Ukraine</option>
<option value="United Arab Emirates">United Arab Emirates</option>
<option value="Uruguay">Uruguay</option>
<option value="Uzbekistan">Uzbekistan</option>
<option value="Vanuatu">Vanuatu</option>
<option value="Vatican City">Vatican City</option>
<option value="Venezuela">Venezuela</option>
<option value="Vietnam">Vietnam</option>
<option value="Wallis and Futuna">Wallis and Futuna</option>
<option value="Western Sahara">Western Sahara</option>
<option value="Yemen">Yemen</option>
<option value="Zambia">Zambia</option>
<option value="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</option>
<option value="Virgin Islands, British">Virgin Islands, British</option>
</select></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="hs_business_type hs-business_type hs-fieldtype-select field hs-form-field"><label id="label-business_type-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="" placeholder="Enter your Business Type"
for="business_type-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"><span>Business Type</span></label>
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input"><select id="business_type-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="hs-input is-placeholder" name="business_type">
<option disabled="" value="">Please Select</option>
<option value="B2B">B2B</option>
<option value="B2C">B2C</option>
<option value="Hybrid">Equal split of both</option>
</select></div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<fieldset class="form-columns-1">
<div class="legal-consent-container">
<div class="hs-richtext hidden">
<p> </p>
</div>
<div>
<div class="hs-dependent-field">
<div class="hs_LEGAL_CONSENT.subscription_type_44119471 hs-LEGAL_CONSENT.subscription_type_44119471 hs-fieldtype-booleancheckbox field hs-form-field">
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input">
<ul class="inputs-list">
<li class="hs-form-booleancheckbox"><label for="LEGAL_CONSENT.subscription_type_44119471-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="hs-form-booleancheckbox-display"><input
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<p>I agree to receive other communications from LXA (formerly MarTech Allicance).</p>
</span></label></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<legend class="hs-field-desc checkbox-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
</div>
<div>
<div class="hs-dependent-field">
<div class="hs_LEGAL_CONSENT.processing hs-LEGAL_CONSENT.processing hs-fieldtype-booleancheckbox field hs-form-field">
<legend class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
<div class="input">
<ul class="inputs-list" required="">
<li class="hs-form-booleancheckbox"><label for="LEGAL_CONSENT.processing-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838" class="hs-form-booleancheckbox-display"><input id="LEGAL_CONSENT.processing-5d889495-f232-4762-a329-0cfa3fd8ea7d_9838"
class="hs-input" type="checkbox" name="LEGAL_CONSENT.processing" value="true"><span>
<p>I agree to allow LXA to store and process my personal data.</p><span class="hs-form-required">*</span>
</span></label></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<legend class="hs-field-desc checkbox-desc" style="display: none;"></legend>
</div>
<div class="hs-richtext">
<p>In order to provide you with the content requested/event registered for, LXA (formerly MarTech Alliance) needs to store & process your personal data. Please tick the checkbox if you consent to LXA storing your personal data for this
purpose.</p>
<p>Please note your data will be shared with our trusted sponsor partners. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time.</p>
<p>For more information on how to unsubscribe & our privacy practices please review our <a href="https://www.martechalliance.com/privacy-policy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">privacy policy</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<div class="hs_submit hs-submit">
<div class="hs-field-desc" style="display: none;"></div>
<div class="actions"><input type="submit" class="hs-button primary large" value="Submit"></div>
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THE MARTECH REPORT 22/23
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THE MARTECH REPORT 22/23
Martech is more important than ever, and despite a more challenging economic
situation in 2022, martech budgets are continuing to grow. The global market for
Martech and Salestech is estimated to be worth $508.9bn.
As our latest State of Martech report finds organisations face a number of
challenges around marketing technology. The biggest one is finding the skills
and talent needed to drive martech initiatives.
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SALES ENABLEMENT & SALES OPERATIONS BEST PRACTICE GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
Sales enablement and sales operations are vital components of modern business
strategy, particularly in the context of B2B marketing. Sales enablement and
sales operations are empowering sales teams to have better conversations with
customers, resulting in more closed deals, and a higher ROI. They’re more
efficient, and more effective.
The modern sales environment is increasingly complex, with customers demanding
more personalised experiences and sales teams facing greater competition.
Sales enablement helps to address these challenges by ensuring that sales teams
have the support they need to succeed. This includes providing them with the
right content and messaging, as well as training and coaching to help them
develop their skills.
By providing sales teams with the support they need, businesses can not only
drive revenue growth but also improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In this guide, we will explore the key components of effective sales enablement
and efficient sales operations, and provide practical advice for those looking
to implement a sales enablement strategy.
It looks at sales enablement and sales operations using LXA’s five pillars
model, explaining the role of sales enablement, sales operations, and the areas
in which organisations need to improve to ensure maximum impact.
WHAT IS SALES ENABLEMENT?
There is no widely accepted definition of sales enablement. Some may define it
as providing sales professionals with tech, tools, templates and great processes
to help them to succeed. Others see it as the onboarding of new sales executives
– building the skills and knowledge to improve their long-term sales success.
It may also be the process of ensuring that a company’s content, messaging, and
positioning is deployed consistently to prospects and customers.
The reality is that sales enablement is a combination of all these components,
and more
Sales enablement is not a single position within a company, but an ecosystem
that crosses all functional and hierarchical boundaries. It’s the process and
best practice that breaks down department silos and builds alignment between
departments from Sales, Marketing, HR and Operations, to Customer Success,
Professional Services and the leadership team.
It isn’t a single tool or a one-off initiative, but a strategic discipline that
improves the longterm effectiveness of sales, which involves training and
coaching processes as well as the use of tools to improve sales intelligence and
performance, and to automate tasks and processes which don’t generate revenue.
Sales enablement isn’t a task for just one person, it’s something that requires
the efforts of individuals and teams across the organisation.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SALES ENABLEMENT?
A well-implemented sales enablement function will get sales teams into the right
conversations, with the right decision makers, at the right time, and in the
right way.
By doing this, sales enablement helps increase conversion rates, drives speed to
a deal, and grows deal size by selling more intelligently.
And ultimately, that means increased revenue, achieving business goals, and
greater success for organisations.
A best-in-class sales enablement programme can deliver benefits such as:
* More effective sales recruitment. Sales enablement plays a central role in
the sales recruitment process by defining the candidate competencies and
traits needed for success. Better recruits achieve better results.
* Improved sales training. From designing and implementing team-wide training
initiatives to providing managers with coaching material, sales enablement
can help to deliver more effective sales training.
* Improved tech implementation. Sales enablement helps to integrate and
configure the sales stack to optimise the sales team’s ways of working. This
means tools are adopted and used by sales professionals to drive their
efficiency
and effectiveness.
* Improved content performance. Sales enablement helps to align various
departments to produce the sales content that prospects require at each stage
of the sales cycle.
* Increased customer loyalty. Sales enablement is about creating more
meaningful customer engagement which boosts overall satisfaction scores. When
customers are helped to make well-informed buying decisions, sales teams are
more likely to secure repeat business and referrals.
* Retaining top performers. Sales enablement programs can help to retain top
talent through coaching and support to keep developing their skills, career
and pipeline, and increasing their potential commissionable earnings.
* Reducing risk. Employees have access to updated support resources regarding
company policy, rules, protocols and legislation. This reduces risk -
especially in highly-regulated industries.
* Improve training ROI. A more effective training resource can upskill and
reskill team members and ensure that investment in training is repaid.
* Better qualified leads. Sales enablement helps to qualify leads and improve
speed, relevance, and intent.
* Improved conversions and speed to deal. Ultimately, sales enablement improves
conversion rates and speed to deal.
Sales enablement success is achieved through creating repeatable, scalable,
predictable ways of modern selling. A sales playbook that is documented,
understood, implemented and adopted.
WHY DO YOU NEED SALES ENABLEMENT?
Technological advancements and shifts in customer journeys have significantly
transformed the purchase process, making it more complex than ever before.
Today’s B2B buyers demand quick access to information and require a higher level
of engagement before making purchasing decisions. Personalisation is expected in
every interaction, and self-service plays a big role in the buying cycle.
According to research, there is an average of 9.2 sales interactions before a
deal is closed, indicating that buyers are taking their time to inform
themselves about products. This highlights the need for sales teams to have an
advanced understanding of the market, their product, client pain points and
industry competitors to effectively engage with buyers.(1)
The number of people involved in complex B2B purchasing decisions has also
increased over time, with typically six to ten decision makers, each armed with
different pieces of information. This has made decision-making more challenging
for buyers, creating more problems for sales teams to manage. They need to
develop more complex messaging and content to engage prospects effectively.
Sales representatives now require greater technical knowledge to engage with
buyers effectively, making it essential for sales enablement functions to be
agile in supporting sellers as the buyer’s needs change. In addition to these
challenges, global market downturns have led to increased employee churn, which
creates more pressure on organisations to manage their workforce effectively.
The best B2B sales organisations are utilising sales enablement to operate more
efficiently and effectively. By leveraging sales enablement and operations, they
can better manage the complexities of the modern buying journey and improve
their overall sales performance.
THE SALES ENABLEMENT ECOSYSTEM
Sales enablement sits across the organisation. It’s a complex network of
interconnected systems, a community of interacting departments - a sales
enablement ecosystem, demanding alignment and collaboration with every
department.
* Sales enablement and operations: Sales enablement and sales operations is at
the centre of the ecosystem. This may be an individual, or a team, or maybe
even a sales enablement platform.
* Sales: The sales team must commit to the processes and technology that make
the ecosystem work.
* Marketing: Marketing must be on the hook for achieving high engagement and
better-than-benchmark ROI. They may be responsible for the go-to-market
strategy, or to develop effective content across the buyer journey.
* HR: Personnel or HR may own recruitment, onboarding and training of the sales
team.
* Customer Success: Customer Success will own the onboarding and management of
key accounts, driving greater retention.
* IT: IT may still take ownership of the sales technology stack and aligning it
with other tech within the organisation.
* Senior Leadership: Will drive the sales culture and methodology.
Sales enablement roles, responsibilities, strategies, tech and processes will
vary based on the size of the company, the sales model, and the geographical
regions in which a
business operates.
THE 5PS OF SALES ENABLEMENT, SALES OPERATIONS AND SALESTECH
LXA’s 5Ps cover all aspects of sales enablement and sales operations. These
pillars are interconnected. For example, if an organisation has the planning in
place which is aligned to customers, then they are more able to select and use
the technology to deliver on
business goals.
1. Planning & Strategy: The extent to which an organisation’s sales enablement
strategy, initiatives and roadmap align to its customers, buyer journeys &
business goals.
2. People & Teams: The extent to which an organisation is well resourced to
deliver sales enablement initiatives. And the extent to which an
organisation can support sales enablement expertise development;
recruitment, agency selection and training.
3. Platforms, Apps & Ecosystems: The extent to which an organisation has the
technology and tools needed to deliver the sales strategy. As well as the
level to which the sales stack is integrated, managed and tools are adopted
by the team.
4. Process & Operations: The extent to which an organisation has the sales and
data governance, measurability, content planning, sales messaging and
campaign process that underpins an organisation’s sales strategy and sales
enablement activities.
5. Pioneer & Pilot: The extent to which an organisation is up to date on market
trends, able to react to changes in buyer behaviour, customer trends, able
to assess and experiment with new sales technologies, and has the agility to
adapt rapidly to new sales patterns.
PLANNING & STRATEGY
Planning is the cornerstone of a sales enablement strategy. It will ensure we
have the foundations in place on which we build the Process, Platforms and
People, and it’s the core from which new initiatives will be pioneered.
Sales enablement adoption is being driven partly by the increasing complexity of
the customer buyer journey. The way sales teams operate has to evolve to adapt
to customer behaviour.
Indeed, 65% of respondents to LXA’s recent State of Sales Enablement report
agree that customer journeys have become more complex, and that new ways of
selling are required to survive and thrive.(2)
This is why effective planning starts with knowing the customer. Without being
customer centric, everything else fails.
Everyone in sales, marketing, and customer facing roles, should know each type
of buyer inside and out, what they do, their pain points, and how to win their
business.
The more time and effort invested in defining the ideal customer and buyer
personas at the beginning, the better the results further down the line.
ICPS (IDEAL CUSTOMER PROFILE)
ICPs are the companies that have all the qualities required to make them a
perfect fit for the products and solutions being sold.
Consider these characteristics to identify the perfect fit:
* Budget, revenue or company size: What is the lowest cost threshold that a
customer would have to pay for a product or service?
* Industry: Are there specific verticals our solution matches?
* Geography: The particular regions a product or service can be sold to.
* Product or service fit: Does a service or product match the prospect’s
technology base, or business model? For example, this could be an SaaS
product that relies on the prospective client having Salesforce and Hubspot
CRM already installed.
For example, a sales team may be looking for prospects with more than 100 people
in their marketing team, operating in financial services, based in Europe or
North America, and that are currently using Salesforce or HubSpot.
This information provides a customer profile to target, and allows sales teams
to narrow their focus and save time spent chasing irrelevant leads.
BUYER PERSONAS
While ICPs focus on the company, personas drill down into the individuals
involved with the buying decision.
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional, generalised representation of customers. It
describes the demographics, goals, motivators, and challenges they are facing.
Using the example of a financial services organisation based in North America or
Europe, using SalesForce or HubSpot - within that organisation, those involved
in the buying process may include the Chief Marketing Officer, Head of
Compliance, Head of IT, and Head of Marketing Operations. Each of these is an
individual, with different unique hopes and fears.
The CMO might be more driven by results and return on investment on the
purchase, while the Head of Compliance may be driven by a fear of making the
wrong software choices.
Each of these roles will need different messages through the buying journey, and
a clear persona profile is needed for each of these.
This profile may include answers to the following questions:
* What are their goals?
* What keeps them up at night?
* What is the average age of the buyer?
* What is the average salary?
* What will cause them to earn a promotion?
* What business events do they attend?
* What events might cause them to lose their job?
* What is their tech competency?
* What is their media consumption?
* What hobbies do they have?
UNDERSTANDING COMPETITORS
The majority of sales deals are competitive. Most organisations don’t have a
monopoly, so sales teams will find themselves competing with a company offering
similar products or services.
Competitor analysis is the process of evaluating and analysing a business’s
competitors. It involves gathering information on the strengths and weaknesses
of competing businesses, their products or services, pricing strategies,
marketing tactics, and other factors that impact the market.
The goal of competitor analysis is to gain insights into how competitors operate
and how they position themselves in the market, in order to make strategic
decisions that can help the business gain a competitive advantage.
Competitor analysis can help give a sales team the right competitor information,
the right ammunition in content, messaging and training, to make them more
effective in dealing with particular situations.
UNDERSTANDING SALES METHODOLOGIES, PIPELINES AND PROCESS
It’s important to consider the approach of sales methodologies and processes.
The two are interconnected and help to bring sales enablement plans to life.
A sales methodology is a set of guiding principles that define how a sales
organisation wants the team to approach sales conversations. It’s a common,
understood, repeatable, and scalable way of selling.
It ensures that sales operate as a team, repeating what works, learning from
each other, and keep optimising this repeatable selling technique.
A well defined sales methodology has a number of benefits:
* New salespeople can be hired based on how well they align with this
methodology.
* Salespeople can be trained more efficiently and effectively.
* Repeatable processes ensure sales teams are more powerful.
* Sales performance can be assessed more effectively as the baseline for those
metrics is common.
* It’s easier to articulate how sales teams operate, making it simpler to align
other
departments like marketing and customer success.
* It can deliver a consistent high quality customer experience.
Which sales methodology should an organisation adopt? There is no
one-size-fits-all answer, but there are a number of established methodologies to
choose from, each of which can be adapted, or combined with the best features of
others.
* The Challenger Sales model. Built around a sales process that focuses on
teaching, tailoring and taking control of a sales experience.
* SNAP selling. A methodology designed to help overwhelmed buyers navigate a
complex B2B landscape with too many options, distractions, and conflicting
ideas.
* SPIN selling. Based around identifying problems the buyer faces that a
product solves, and showing why the product is worth the investment.
* The Sandler system. This strategy concentrates on asking the right questions
during the qualifying process instead of pushing a product on someone who
doesn’t need it.
* Solution selling. A sales approach that focuses on the customers’ needs and
pain points, and provides products and services that address the underlying
business problems.
* MEDDIC. A framework used by sales teams to help qualify their sales
opportunities.
Although closely related, a sales process or pipeline, and sales methodology,
are two different things.
A sales process refers to a series of repeatable steps a sales team takes to
move a prospect from an early-stage lead to a closed customer.
A strong sales process helps reps consistently close deals by giving them a
framework to follow. Repeatable and scalable procesess enable sales teams to
replicate the most effective and efficient ways of selling.
There are several different ways to conceptualise the sales process.
1. Prospecting & qualifying: In this stage, sales teams find potential
customers and determine whether they have a need for the product or service,
and whether they can afford it. Evaluating whether the prospects need and
can afford a product or service is known as qualifying.
2. Preparation and pre-approach: Preparing for initial contact with a potential
customer, researching the market and collecting all relevant information
regarding a product or service. Tailoring a sales presentation to the
potential client’s particular needs. Preparation is key to success. The
better prospects and their needs are understood, the better sales reps can
address their objections and set themselves apart from the competition.
3. Approach: Making first contact with the client. Sometimes this is a
face-to-face meeting, sometimes it’s over the phone.
4. Presentation: Demonstrating how the product or service meets the needs of a
potential customer. It’s about actively listening to a customer’s needs and
responding accordingly.
5. Objection handling: Perhaps the most underrated step of the sales process.
This is where sales reps listen to a prospect’s concerns and address them.
It’s also where many unsuccessful salespeople drop out of the process.
Successfully handling objections and alleviating concerns separates good
salespeople from bad, and great from the good.
6. Closing: The closing stage is a decision from the client to move forward.
7. Follow-up: The job is not done once a sale has been closed. The follow-up
stage maintains contact with customers that have been closed, not only for
potential repeat business but also for referrals and advocacy.
Once this seven step process has been laid out, it’s vital to ensure it’s
application is consistent, from one sales person to another, from one customer
to another.
BUYER JOURNEYS
While the sales process relates to the internal steps a sales team will take,
the buyer journey (or sales funnel) is very much driven by the buyer or decision
maker. However, as shown in the chart above, stages can be closely aligned.
The customer, and their buying journey, sit at the very heart of great sales
enablement, sales operations, and sales technology strategy.
Content should be created, training provided, and technology implemented with
customer experience and the buying journey in mind.
Key stages of the buyer journey include:
* Awareness: The buyer realises they have a problem to resolve. The buyer
journey begins when a potential customer becomes aware that they need or want
a product or service. In theory, they’re ‘open’ to various solutions and
advice.
* Consideration: The buyer defines their problem and researches options to
solve it. We enter the consideration phase when the customer realises that
their need must be met. Following initial research, the user has a clearer
idea of what they want to achieve and is committed to finding the right
solution. However, they are yet to identify what that solution is.
* Decision: The buyer chooses a solution. The decision stage is crunch time.
It’s the moment when the hard work will hopefully pay off with a conversion.
The prospective customer has chosen which solution is best suited to their
needs and they make the purchase.
* Retention: The buyer continues to use the product or service.
* Advocacy: The buyer starts to spread the word about the product, whether
positive
or negative.
There are a few important points to keep in mind:
* Buyer journeys range in complexity.
* Buying behaviours, therefore buyer journeys, change.
* Buyer journeys are not linear.
* Buyer journeys include many decision makes.
* Buyer journey stages of progress are often unclear.
* Only buyers are in charge of their buyer journey
It will not only ensure better customer success levels are offered but will also
increase opportunities for cross and upsell, as well as gaining possible
referrals.
Only by understanding customers, competitors, markets, sales process and buyer
journeys will a business be able to develop a best-in-class sales enablement and
operations function.
Effective sales enablement is really about combining this knowledge of target
customers through ICPs and personas, understanding their journey, and creating
and executing effective sales methodologies and processes to put this knowledge
into practice.
PROCESS: CONTENT, MESSAGING,
OPERATIONS & DATA
Sales enablement and sales operations work together to drive sales productivity
and revenue growth. While they have distinct roles, they are closely intertwined
and collaborate to achieve common goals. This is particularly important in the
sales process.
Sales enablement focuses on providing sales teams with the tools, training, and
content they need to effectively engage with customers and close deals -
everything they need to be successful in their role. This can include creating
sales collateral, developing sales messaging and positioning, and providing
training and coaching to sales reps.
Sales operations is focused on the day-to-day management and optimisation of the
sales process. This can include managing the sales pipeline, forecasting
revenue, setting sales targets. It is also responsible for creating the
infrastructure and processes that allow the sales team to work efficiently.
Despite their distinct roles, sales enablement and sales operations are closely
aligned in their objectives.
One way that sales enablement and sales operations work together is by
collaborating on sales strategy. Sales enablement can provide insights into the
needs of the sales team, while sales operations can provide data on sales
performance and market trends.
By working together, these functions can develop a sales strategy that is
aligned with the business objectives and optimised for success.
CONTENT STRATEGY
Content is a core pillar of sales enablement as it plays a crucial role in
empowering customers to make informed purchase decisions, pushing them further
down the buyer journey.
It is a common misconception that content is solely the responsibility of
marketing - a strong content strategy is necessary for effective sales
enablement.
A strong content strategy will provide a plan to develop, draft, revise and
organise the production of content that aligns with the sales funnel, and
converts prospects in each stage of the buyer journey or sales process.
An integrated content strategy should align the traditional ‘broadcast’
marketing content at the early awareness stages with the 1:1 content for sales
at the latter stages.
Marketing material will get the attention and generate leads of potential
customers. Sales content will help convert prospects and close deals.
The five parts of the sales enablement content strategy are:
1. Documenting the customer profile and their journey.
2. Auditing the existing content that fits with each stage of the journey.
3. Evaluating sales goals.
4. Filling the gaps in content, or replacing outdated content, to deliver our
sales
goals.
5. Evaluating and updating the strategy and content on a regular basis.
This formal approach will allow the sales enablement function to prioritise
content and select content formats which have the most impact on an audience.
CONTENT FORMATS
The different content formats that can be used in a content strategy include:
* Case studies: Stories about how other customers have used a product or
service to solve a particular business challenge help to build trust with
prospects...
* Ebooks & whitepapers: Gated content is used for lead generation and
qualification, but it can also be used throughout the sales process to inform
prospects.
* Product sheets: Product sheets provide an at-a-glance reference tool to help
make a great first impression. Product sheets also help salespeople to build
their own product knowledge.
* Competitive analysis: Competitor analysis documents are easy-to-reference
content that help a prospect understand a brand’s distinctive competencies,
and help sales teams understand potential objections so they can overcome
them.
* Blog posts: Thought-leadership posts can illustrate how problems can be
solved. They’re also easy for sales teams to share to continue an initial
conversation with a prospect or to support a buying decision.
* Video demos: Video is a highly-engaging format that can drive new life, and
interest, in existing content. Video content can also easily support all the
steps in the customer journey, from initial explainer productions for
top-of-funnel leads to product tutorials for new customers.
* Social content: It’s important to reach customers where they spend their
time. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social channels offer
an important opportunity to share sales-focused content and move prospects
toward a conversion.
* Email workflows: Pre-rolled email workflows matched to the buyer’s journey
and triggered by certain buyer behaviours can nurture prospects from initial
interest through to completion.
* Interactive content: Interactive content such as calculators, polls, and
clickthrough infographics can boost content engagement and drive curiosity
and learning.
* Brochures: Brochures are still an integral piece of sales collateral that
communicates unique benefits of products.
* Events: Events can be an important part of the content strategy. This may be
webinars, online events, breakfast briefings, VIP dinners and conferences.
CONTENT FOR THE INTERNAL AUDIENCE
Content is also required to support the sales team, as well as external
audiences. This will help build their knowledge and update them on market
changes or product improvements.
That material may include
* Sales scripts & talking points: Sales scripts can help teams ‘tick all the
boxes’ in their conversations.
* One-pagers & product sheets: One-pagers are also important in educating sales
teams about company products. Sales teams can use them to efficiently
communicate the benefits of their services.
* Sales training documents: Sales training and onboarding documents are also an
integral piece of internal content. New salespeople need to know how content
can be used, when it should be used and where to find it.
* Competitor research: Competitor analysis and research pieces inform sales
teams of their company’s strengths, weaknesses, and position in the market.
* Micro-content: Mini-decks of a few slides, micro demos of less than a few
minutes, client testimonials that can be shared, links to positive client
posts on social media and killer one liners for emails and chats.
* Content battle cards: Battlecards are effective for that all important deal
close stage. Having this information on a product’s advantages and
disadvantages readily available to sales will ensure they can best respond to
questions on
competitors.
SALES ENABLEMENT & OPERATIONAL GOVERNANCE
Sales operations will align closely with sales enablement to enable
organisations to create a strong foundation of efficiency.
Define clear and measurable sales goals and objectives that align with the
overall business strategy.
* Create standardised sales processes and workflows that are consistently
followed by the sales team.
* Develop and enforce sales policies and procedures that ensure compliance with
regulations, laws, and industry best practices. Establish a system for
monitoring and reporting sales performance, including key performance
indicators (KPIs) and metrics that are regularly reviewed and analysed.
* Provide ongoing training and support to the sales team.
* Use data and analytics to gain insights into customer behaviour and
preferences.
* Collaborate with other departments, such as marketing and customer service,
to ensure a seamless customer experience.
* Continuously review and optimise sales processes and strategies to adapt to
changing market conditions and customer needs.
LEAD GENERATION, DEMAND GENERATION & ABM
Sales enablement and sales operations should understand the fundamentals of lead
generation, demand generation, and account-based marketing (ABM) to drive sales
success.
Lead generation is focused on inbound marketing, while demand generation is
about driving leads from specific industries or markets that fit a product. ABM
is a precisionbased demand generation approach focused on driving leads from
specific accounts that perfectly fit a product.
Content is essential for demand gen success. In both lead gen and ABM
approaches, content must be relevant and personalised to the target audience.
The customer moves from awareness to consideration to decision, and then
retention and advocacy in both approaches.
Content strategy must be informed by demand gen and ABM strategy, and sales
enablement and sales operations should be part of the conversation.
Marketing and sales teams should collaborate to determine which channels to use
for content outreach.
A wide range of marketing channels can be used, such as email marketing, search,
organic and paid social media, SMS, events, and more.
Sales teams can also distribute content through one-on-one emails, social
messages, SMS messages, website live chat interactions, calls, face-to-face
interactions, and videos.
LEAD ROUTING, ENGAGEMENT, COVERAGE & CONVERSION
Lead routing, engagement, coverage, and conversion are critical components of
the sales operations process and have a significant impact on the success of a
business’s sales efforts.
* Lead routing: directs leads to the appropriate sales rep based on specific
criteria using automated lead routing software. This ensures leads are
handled quickly and efficiently, improving the chances of conversion.
* Engagement: involves identifying the best engagement channels and creating
messaging that resonates with potential customers. Effective engagement
requires a deep understanding of the target audience and personalised
messaging at the right time.
* Coverage: includes identifying the right number of sales reps and determining
which sales channels are most effective for engaging with potential
customers.
* Optimising sales coverage ensures that no leads are left behind and that the
sales team can handle the volume of leads generated.
* Conversion: is the process of turning leads into paying customers, requiring
engaging messaging, personalised outreach, and a deep understanding of the
customer’s needs. An optimised sales process moves potential customers
through the sales funnel quickly and efficiently.
To ensure effective lead routing, engagement, coverage, and conversion, sales
operations teams must understand the sales process and the target audience.
They must also have access to the right technology and tools to manage leads
effectively and optimise the sales process.
Lead scoring assigns scores to leads based on their level of engagement and
likelihood to convert, prioritising outreach efforts. Sales automation
streamlines the sales process and increases efficiency, allowing sales teams to
focus on engaging with potential customers and closing deals.
DATA & ANALYTICS
Data quality underpins effective sales enablement, and therefore data audits are
necessary. This may include deleting low relevance contacts, reviewing and
removing old data, and reviewing email reputation and performance.
Data governance enables us to address the common challenges faced with datasets
and their root causes. It is essential to standardise the approach across
systems, avoid duplicate field creation and mismatching, and use structured data
field collection where possible.
Technology plays a key role in tackling duplicate data issues and achieving a
single customer view.
Customer data platforms (CDPs) and specialist data consultancies can help in
cleansing and connecting records, defining data taxonomy, and governance.
A martech tool can also be used for data cleansing, appending, and enrichment.
It is essential to prioritise contact points and append firmographic data for
B2B records to improve data collection ongoing.
* Database Systems: Software programs that allow for the storage, organisation,
and retrieval of data. They are commonly used in various industries, such as
finance, healthcare, and retail, to manage large volumes of data.
* Data Collection: The process of gathering information from various sources
and storing it in a structured format for further analysis. There are
different methods of data collection, such as surveys, interviews,
observations, and experiments.
* Data Cleaning: Also known as data cleansing, this is the process of
identifying and correcting or removing errors, inconsistencies, and
inaccuracies in collected data. This process is essential in ensuring the
quality and reliability of the data. This involves tasks such as removing
duplicates, correcting spelling errors, and identifying and handling missing
data
SALES ENABLEMENT METRICS & MEASURABILITY
In an ever-changing sales environment, sales enablement leaders and sales
managers need to be able to read the signals that tell them what sort of results
they can expect, sometimes months before they happen.
If accurate measurement isn’t in place, businesses are potentially missing
valuable opportunities for sales growth, not to mention lost revenue in terms of
investing in inadequate sales enablement strategies.
It’s important to work with the sales leadership team to define the metrics that
are of highest value to them.
Revenue is important and, for most C-suite executives, it’s the metric they care
most about. That’s because it’s the top line of the company, the one metric that
keeps the company in business.
This is not the only metric to focus on though Others can provide insight into
sales enablement performance.
* Length of sales cycle: Measuring the length of the sales cycle facilitates a
better understanding of the cycle as a whole, and where there is friction in
the sales process.
* Key funnel conversion rates: Setting up in the CRM allows sales teams to
track conversion rates from stage to stage, and to identify parts of the
pipeline which could be improved.
* Quota attainment: This is the percentage of sales closed by each sales rep in
a specific time period. This can be measured weekly, monthly or quarterly. If
quota attainment is on the rise, it means everyone is being empowered to do
their job more effectively.
* Marketing collateral performance: Monitoring the performance of marketing
collateral enables sales teams to see if the resources are effective in
training teams and delivering great customer experiences.
* Adoption rate: If sales reps are skipping important steps of the sales
process, they may not be providing customers with essential information,
causing friction further down the line.
* Sales closing ratio: The number of proposals generated against customer
conversions. If the closing ratio is falling, it’s time to review sales
enablement strategies.
* Employee net promoter score: The eNPS helps to give a sense of the overall
satisfaction of a sales team. After all, if sales reps are happy and
motivated to work, sales enablement strategies will be more effective.
* Win/loss rate: The percentage of leads that become paying customers.
* Onboarding time: How fast do employees complete onboarding? How can sales
enablement speed up the transition? This saves time and money when managers
need to oversee new employees on fewer occasions.
* Deal size: One clear sign that a sales process is working is that the average
amount of each closed sale starts to increase. Wins are wonderful, but by
measuring the size of closed deals, the potential for higher-value
opportunities can also be measured.
* Sales forecast accuracy: Sales forecasting is the process of estimating
future revenue. At its simplest, a sales forecast is a projected measure of
how a market will respond to sales and marketing efforts.
* Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate: This metric is the percentage of leads
that are converting into opportunities. This metric provides a sign that
sellers are getting better at delivering the right messages to the right
people
PLATFORMS, APPS & ECOSYSTEMS
The salestech tools a business needs will depend completely on business use
cases, organisation size, industry, the size of team and profile users we have,
and so much more. One core function of sales enablement and sales operations is
selecting and implementing tech the right way.
Salestech and martech are intrinsically connected. It makes sense to have a
truly holistic view of the tools available.
KEY SALES ENABLEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
Those five categories of salestech shown in the chart above can improve
efficiency and effectiveness through every stage of the buyer journey,
accelerating performance through a range of different scenarios and use cases.
* Engagement tools help teams to deliver the right message, at the right time,
to the right person.
* Productivity & enablement tools allow salespeople to streamline, automate,
and coordinate their activity. Freeing up time with these tools means more
output, ultimately leading to closing more deals.
* Sales intelligence tools put key information in the hands of salespeople,
helping them to turn up to pitches better prepared, drive better engagement,
and propose better solutions.
* Pipeline and analytics tools help managers understand exactly what’s
happening across the sales process at all times.
* People management tools such as learning management systems (LMS) ensure that
the correct level of information and training gets to the right person, in a
specific role, and at the right time.
SALES ENABLEMENT PLATFORMS (SEPS)
Much of the functionality of a pure sales enablement platform has been covered
in previous tools, such as a repository for marketing content used by sales
executives, or the ability to track prospect and customer engagement on sales
and content pitches, or the collection and distribution of training resources.
Sales enablement platform solutions bundle multiple tools into a single
all-in-one solution. The best of breed versus best of suite discussion is as old
as the salestech and martech industries themselves, but it’s important to make
the distinction between sales enablement tools and sales enablement platforms.
Whatever the choice, all the tools should unite sales enablement functions and
sales execution. It’s important to ensure that all the fundamentals of great
sales enablement are covered before relying on technological advances.
SELECTING TECH THE RIGHT WAY
The tech selection process can be broken down into two parts:
* Business case building & research.
* Shopping.
For the business case, it’s important to consider:
* The business and sales goals that tech will be aligned to.
* Is this a priority initiative? Is it a good use of budget and time?
* How can the impact of the new tech be measured?
For example, the business goal may be to increase customer acquisition by 11%,
and the sales enablement goal will be to increase the speed to lead by routing
leads to reps based on their strengths and areas of specialisation.
After considering the business case, internal requirement gathering can be
carried out to find out what outputs are needed from the proposed tech.
The next step is to research the market to understand the key providers that
deliver the required solution, and the functionality and features they offer.
There are a number of sources to gain an understanding of the technology
available:
* Peer recommendation: Work colleagues and industry connections are a fantastic
source to chat to on advice and feedback of their experience of platforms.
* Buyer guides, awards, analyst reports & rankings: Buyer guides and analyst
reports can provide a solid grounding in tech features and functionality.
* Feedback engine sites: G2 Crowd, TrustRadius provide helpful reviews of
technology from the customers that use it.
* Agency partners: These are helpful for recommending key tech too, though it’s
important to ask if they are vendor agnostic.
* Physical and virtual events: Events help to build knowledge and connections
and gain some insight into the tools people are using.
* Online sales enablement, salestech and martech forums: As well as vendor
communities on Slack and Facebook.
After this thorough research, the next step is to create a request for
information (RFI) short list of vendors to find out more about.
SHOPPING
It’s important to assess vendors relative to use case fit, functional fit, and
architecture fit. It’s also important to look at areas such as product roadmap,
training and support, and their partnership network.
With use cases documented, vendor scorecard defined, and RFI/RFP created it’s
time to start connecting with vendors.
Before chatting with vendors, it’s important to:
* Run a custom demo: Make sure vendors have business use cases and business
background weeks before a demo so they can sufficiently prepare and tailor
what they present.
* Get into the nuts and bolts of needs and goals
* Review vendor case studies: It’s important to ask for customer case studies
showing key results of their platform.
* Assess direct and indirect vendor costs: Obtain costs from vendors for data
hygiene and onboarding, custom integrations, consulting, training and any
other area beyond the platform licensing itself. If the vendor doesn’t cover
all areas, ensure then it’s important to forecast what additional investment
is needed.
* Get vendor customer references: Compliance due diligence and negotiating
contract terms.
PEOPLE & TEAMS
A sales strategy alone isn’t enough in today’s complex business environment, nor
is simply having great content, or the best sales technology
Bringing all these elements together is the work of a strong sales enablement
function, including leadership and a skilled, knowledgeable, and motivated sales
team.
A mature sales enablement organisation will be one with a clearly defined team
structure, with roles and responsibilities in place.
They will have a clearly defined, comprehensive training and coaching program
for all roles. The program will be standardised, so everyone gets the same
training materials.
SALES ENABLEMENT LEADERSHIP
Sales enablement roles and responsibilities will vary based on the size of an
organisation, the sales and distribution model, and the markets served.
Ownership may sit with one person - a sales enablement manager - or it may sit
with a team of salespeople who make up an enablement department within the
greater sales organisation.
In smaller companies, sales enablement may be a part of the Sales Director’s
role. That person might juggle the sales enablement requirements alongside
recruitment and their own sales targets.
Whatever the structure, the sales enablement leader must hold themselves
accountable for delivering success in content strategy, platform capabilities,
customer engagement, analytics and sales training.
SALES ENABLEMENT TEAMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Successful sales enablement is a team effort, involving several key job roles
that work together. Depending on the size of the organisation, the structure of
the team, its position alongside other functions, the positions within sales
enablement and sales operations will vary.
Some may be more focused towards sales enablement, with others more aligned to
sales operations. Some may be focused towards internal tasks, while some may be
focused on external relationships.
Within the overall structure some key job titles or responsibilities will
include:
SALES ENABLEMENT MANAGER
Responsible for overseeing the overall sales enablement strategy and ensuring
that the sales team has access to the necessary tools and resources. This role
is critical in identifying and addressing gaps in the sales process and
providing guidance to the sales team on how to improve their performance.
The sales enablement manager works closely with other departments such as
marketing, product management, and sales operations to ensure that the sales
team has the support they need.
SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER
Responsible for managing the sales process. This includes managing the sales
pipeline, providing sales analytics and metrics, and identifying areas of
improvement in the sales process. The sales operations manager works closely
with the sales enablement manager
and the sales team to ensure that the sales process is optimised for success.
CRM MANAGER
Responsible for managing the organisation’s customer relationship management
(CRM) system - a critical tool to manage leads, track sales activities, and
monitor sales performance.
The CRM manager works closely with the sales enablement manager and the sales
operations manager to ensure that the CRM system is optimised for the sales
team’s needs.
SALES TRAINER
Responsible for developing and delivering sales training programs. The training
programs cover various topics such as product knowledge, sales techniques, and
customer service.
The sales trainer works closely with the sales enablement manager and the sales
operations team to identify the training needs of the sales team and to ensure
that the training programs align with the overall sales enablement strategy.
CONTENT MANAGER
Responsible for creating and managing the content that is used by the sales team
during the sales process. This includes sales collateral, product sheets, case
studies, and other materials that help the sales team engage with customers and
close deals.
The content manager works closely with the marketing department to ensure that
the content is aligned with the marketing strategy and brand guidelines.
CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER
Responsible for ensuring that customers are satisfied with their purchase and
that they continue to use the product or service. The customer success manager
works closely with the sales team to ensure that customers have a positive
experience and that their needs are being met.
BUILDING A SALES TRAINING PROGRAM
Salespeople need to be prepared to work with buyers who are more sophisticated
and more informed than ever. They must show expertise of the product or service
they’re selling, as well as demonstrating knowledge of the wider industry.
Most important of all, they must have complete knowledge of customers, their
profiles and personas, and their pain points.This, more than anything, will help
them to create meaningful buyer engagements.
Business objectives and sales enablement goals should drive the strategy and
detail of the training roadmap.
Many respondents in our State of Sales Enablement report were more focused on
the customer and the seller, but it’s also important to ensure that sales teams
know products inside out, and are competent in using the tech tools they’ll need
on a day to day basis. (2)
Some of the key components for creating or updating a sales training program
should incorporate:
* The customer: Sales Reps need to know who they are selling to, the ICPs and
customer personas, the patterns of their typical behaviour, the journey they
make before a purchase decision, and the most common sales objections. The
most successful sales representatives empathise with what customers are
feeling at every stage of the buyer journey.
* The product: Sales reps should have no gaps in their product knowledge and be
able to answer any question about it. This knowledge should be broad and firm
enough to empower them and inspire confidence.
* The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) should be emphasised during training, so
that sales representatives can explain how they are differentiated from
competitors.
* The market: Sales team should be provided with facts and figures about the
market and competitive situation - competitors, their pricing, the pros and
cons of their product. B2B customers will come already armed with market
analytics, so teams need to be able to respond.
* Essential selling skills: Even for experienced sales reps, training presents
an opportunity to refresh basic sales skills. These could include finding
prospects, writing cold emails, giving sales demonstrations, closing deals,
and onboarding clients.
* To teach these skills most effectively, use role play or demonstrations.
Include video examples. By catering towards multiple styles of learning,
sales representatives will internalise what they’ve learned.
* Content: Sales reps should become familiar with the complete content library.
This will allow them to connect prospective customers with the right
resources during the sales process.
* The sales process: If a new recruit has previous sales experience, it’s
likely that they’re using different sales processes. Make sure everyone
leaves training with a comprehensive understanding of processes, including:
•Preferred methods of lead generation
• Methods for qualifying prospects
• Understanding of different stages of the sales funnel
• How to guide prospects through the sales process
• Creating a proposal
• Closing a deal
• Up-selling and cross-selling
• Delivering a great customer experience once the deal is signed
* Technology training: Knowing how to use your CRM system is critical for
modern sales representatives. Provide CRM training that is specific to your
company’s processes and highlights any customisations you’ve made to the
software. Most people learn software best by doing, so provide trainees with
multiple opportunities to use the software first-hand. Make sure full
training is provided for all the technology used by the team.
A successful training program is not static. A practitioner needs to know if the
training is working and how to refine it.
RECRUITMENT & ONBOARDING
Great recruitment and onboarding is another sign of sales enablement maturity.
The way new sales reps are onboarded will improve the ROI of sales training.
Research shows companies with onboarding strategies have 10% greater sales
growth rates, and 14% better sales and profit objective achievement.
There are a few reasons for this:
* Savings on recruitment costs by identifying and hiring the right individuals
at the
very start.
* Onboarding new reps quickly and efficiently so they’re able to start selling
earlier.
* Reducing the time it takes to get sales reps to full velocity.
* Improved staff retention.
The first few months after a new rep is hired are the most critical to their
retention, their performance, and their long-term success.
It’s important to get the sales onboarding process right:
1. Start the onboarding process before day one: Part of an effective onboarding
process is preparing new sales hires to hit the ground running on their
first day. That won’t mean their picking up the phone and selling on day
one, but receiving their welcome pack and resources in advance of a start
date gives them a head start.
2. Group new recruits together: This strategy can breed cooperation and
competition. New reps will have the shared experience of the onboarding
process, providing an opportunity for team camaraderie, unity, and growth.
3. Follow a formal onboarding process: Build a formal, milestone-based
onboarding process and provide a clear picture of their sales ramp-up plan.
It’s a framework to give them everything they need to succeed within your
sales organisation.
4. Establish expectations: Make sure reps understand exactly what success in
your organisation means. Set expectations and goals early on, and enforce
them on a regular basis.
5. Have new reps shadow senior colleagues: Include time for new recruits to
shadow experienced reps. Allow them to see processes and systems in action.
6. Evaluate performance early: Know relatively quickly whether a new sales rep
is meeting expectations. If they’re not, intervene early and help them to
improve.
7. Invest in continuous improvement: The most successful sales teams have a
mindset of continuous improvement. Keep upgrading. Maintain the investment
in them by providing more advanced training. It will increase the likelihood
that they stay and grow with the business.
THE FUTURE OF SALES ENABLEMENT & OPERATIONS
In an increasingly digital world, the ability to conduct business virtually is a
necessity - across an organisation and individual functions. Sales enablement
and operations is no exception.
Digital transformation has already had an impact across all the key pillars of
sales enablement. In order to drive enablement across the whole ecosystem, many
sales enablement and operations pioneers have already discovered the importance
of delivering virtual enablement programs.
This goes far beyond a simple shift to an online environment. It demands an
understanding of the common challenges that virtual conditions create and
learning how best to resolve them. Effective virtual enablement can promote
scalability, flexibility, and diversity within sales teams.
Key areas already in play include:
Virtual sales training sessions: Remote learning presents unique challenges,
especially in maintaining engagement, interaction, and focus. Sales enablement
practitioners are starting to incorporate a greater variety of teaching
techniques to avoid fatigue among trainees. Gamification is one key area that’s
raising engagement levels within the sales training space.
Onboarding remote sales forces: With sales teams increasingly working across
multiple sites or working remotely, sales enablement must ensure new sales reps
are warmly welcomed to the remote teams. When teams are unable to meet in
person, it is even more important to keep new hires engaged, excited, and
prepared for success through remote onboarding. Virtual sales onboarding and
training efforts require a fresh, creative mindset to be successful and
memorable.
Remote sales coaching: Coaching for the purpose of continual improvement is at
the heart of a strategic virtual enablement program. Maintaining a strong
coaching program in virtual environments is critical to help sellers continually
refine their skills and keep pace with change.
Digital tools and solutions: All sellers should be equipped with the tools
necessary to self-learn, interact with their peers, and efficiently engage with
their customers. Sales enablement leaders are building a complete digital
toolkit that includes social networking, content distribution, and video
acceleration.
Digital selling: As buyers are becoming increasingly more reliant on digital
communication, mature virtual selling techniques are quickly becoming table
stakes for success in the modern sales climate.
Sales teams need to develop expertise on how to sell in remote environments, and
sales enablement is critical to driving these best practices among the teams
they support. Hard skills should encompass proficiency in the tools and
technology required to sell on digital channels, while soft skills should
include mastery of advanced interpersonal techniques, as communication formats
are drastically changing.
Tailored digital content: Sales teams are having more frequent online and
digital engagements with customers. They need to be equipped with new and
relevant content in order to maximise the efficiency of their engagements. Sales
enablement should tailor this content to meet the unique and evolving needs of
their sellers and customers.
In addition to these key areas, there are three significant tech trends that
sales enablement professionals should track closely:
Digital experience: The primary experience will continue to evolve and
accelerate as remote digital working, online learning, digital buyer
engagements, and journeys continue to grow. This transformation will impact
digital selling and sales enablement. It requires a focus on learning design to
drive engagement and real learning, effective sales onboarding for remote teams,
and stronger digital engagement, online communication, and selling techniques
and skills.
Data-driven marketing: With an abundance of data on companies and personas,
there is a rich opportunity to access, organise, and extract customer intent and
insights. Sales enablement can leverage sales intelligence to shape prospecting
strategies, personalise messaging, and enhance effectiveness.
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning: This isn't a new technology. The
first AI program was written in 1951. However, the astronomical rate of
advancement in capabilities and new use cases being formed tells us that AI will
be a trend to stay.
Many powerful sales tech tools have AI solutions already under the bonnet
performing sophisticated modelling well beyond human capabilities. AI is already
available for sales enablement, with more powerful capabilities on the
horizon.
Research carried out for our State of Sales Enablement report 2022/23 found that
sales leaders were planning to invest in AI tools for meeting scheduling,
forecasting and sales coaching.
AI and ML can enable sales teams to target prospects with hyper-personalise
messaging, content, and channel mix at scale. It also allows sales teams to
analyse large volumes of data to extract key insights to help understand
customers and improve forecasting accuracy.
Moreover, through a machine learning loop, AI will only get smarter. AI is being
democratised through cheap and readily available access to powerful algorithms.
This points to a rapid advancement in adoption and capabilities, which will lead
to new sales use cases, new digital selling techniques, and new digital buyer
journeys.
While these three trends are crucial to sales enablement and sales operations,
it's important to note that more trends will likely play out in the future.
As sales continues to evolve, LXA will develop more resources, courses, and
events to ensure professionals can stay current on the latest sales trends and
predictions. Check the platform for recent market research reports and upcoming
events on sales enablement and sales operations.
By staying informed and adapting to these trends, sales enablement professionals
can effectively navigate the ever-changing landscape of sales in the digital
era.
SUMMARY
Sales enablement and sales operations are key to provide sales teams with the
skills, knowledge, and tools they need to succeed.
It’s become a necessary function thanks to the increasingly complex modern B2B
sales environment, where clued-up customers research and buy on their own terms,
and at their own speed, and expect a better customer experience than ever
before.
Sales enablement and sales operations is about arming sales teams with the tools
they need to connect with these buyers, to increase their understanding of
customers and the customer journey, to deliver content at the right time, and to
be knowledgeable enough to sell to well-informed customers who have carried out
their own research.
Providing sales teams with the support they need helps businesses to drive
revenue growth, and also improves customer satisfaction and loyalty.
As LXA’s five pillars model suggests, each component is vital for the overall
success of the sales function. It takes that combination of the right people,
detailed planning, the right technology, and process to support successful sales
teams.
It’s also about collaboration and co-operation across the business - a close
relationship with marketing, buy-in from leadership teams, and an understanding
of how sales enablement and sales operations benefits the business as a whole.
CITATIONS
1 Source: Gartner, ‘New B2B Buying Journey & its Implication for Sales’,
Gartner, 2020.
(https://www.gartner.co.uk/en/sales/insights/b2b-buying-journey)
2 Source: LXA, ‘The State of Sales Enablement: Sales Operations & Salestech
report
2022/23’. LXA, November 2022.
(https://www.lxahub.com/state-of-sales-enablement-2022/23)
Want more sales enablement and sales tech? Want the down-low from a download?
Check out our State of Sales Enablement: Sales Operations and Salestech Report
2022/23, here!
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