The overall concept of sales enablement isn’t complex.
It makes sure that every member of your sales team understands each customer’s hot buttons and has the ability, tools and behaviour to optimise that customer’s experience at every touch-point so it leads inexorably to a sale. And not only a one-off sale, but a long-term, profitable relationship.
It’s a key ingredient in any successful sales operation, especially in the current crisis where relationships are more difficult to cultivate, and even loyal customers are doing business at arm’s length. Sales enablement empowers both parties: your customer has easy access to your sales collateral, whilst you have better customer intelligence and the ability to create a value proposition that’s relevant to their needs, providing a compelling reason to buy now. And buy from you.
Sales enablement is your customer engagement programme, and SalesPro is your sales enablement toolkit.
WHAT IS SALES ENABLEMENT AND WHAT VALUE DOES IT ADD?
SALES ENABLEMENT BENEFITS
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You’ll capture invaluable customer data and establish their hot buttons
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You’ll give your team real-time customer intelligence so they impress buyers right from initial contact
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Every member of your team will have easy access to the most relevant material for every buyer engagement or touch-point
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You’ll be able to easily customise material to a customer’s specific needs
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Your team will benefit from real-time feedback on content and pitches so they can constantly flex your offer to optimise its appeal
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Ultimately, you’ll improve engagement, conversion levels and lifetime customer value
SALES ENABLEMENT HAS A NUMBER OF DEFINING PRINCIPLES
#1: Think agile.
The current pandemic serves as further proof that it isn’t the fittest that survive. It’s those who can best adapt to change.
And that agility has to be fundamental to your sales structure and process. You need clear lines of reporting, communication and great collaboration across the organisation, but you need to constantly challenge the status quo and think like a start-up. Such agile thinking and behaviour will help you stay abreast of your buyers’ changing needs and stay ahead of your competition.
#2: Walk in your customer’s shoes
Customers have a far higher propensity to buy from vendors that know, understand and visibly demonstrate empathy with their business challenges. And gathering that information isn’t a one-off: it’s an ongoing process where every customer interaction is an opportunity to gather information to make sure your value proposition is relevant and compelling.
What’s a salesperson’s key skill? Listening. The old adage about two ears and one mouth, use them in the same order is more relevant now than ever. Customers now demand easy and transparent access to your information, and if you’re selling a relative commodity, your understanding of their challenges and ability to articulate a relevant proposition may be your key differentiator. It may be your only differentiator.
#3: Empower your sales team
Sales teams are the essential stakeholders in your sales enablement programme. They’re your internal customer that’s focused on identifying, pursuing and closing deals and generating profitable revenue at the lowest possible cost of sale.
They need to be able to think and act agile and flex your value proposition on the hoof, based on good market intelligence and the ability to ask the right questions and listen.
If they don’t feel like your most valued customer, they won’t feel empowered and won’t optimise your investment in the sales enablement process.
#4: Equip your sales team
So you have the right culture, organisation and knowledge. Finally, you need to give your team the tools to do the job.
A job that’s being transformed by sales enablement data, software, content and material which builds on the team’s skills so they engage more effectively with buyers and maximise profitability.
SalesPro provides that toolkit.