Almost all of them will say something along the lines of…
“Sure, of course, I want to help my sales team function at a higher level. I mean, who wouldn’t when the benefits are so clear? By helping my reps prepare for interactions with customers and giving them the tools they need, I’m getting them one step closer to winning the deal.”
But, frequently when I ask these same execs exactly how they’re enabling their sales force to meet the demands of their Internet savvy, social media using customers – I’m met with some confusing responses.
You see, we’re living in an era where evolving technology is changing the sales landscape. The tried and true methods that used to work for you aren’t cutting it today.
We’ve seen firsthand that with new technology comes a change in customer behavior. This includes everything from where customers congregate, their expectations of the sales process and their resistance to previous sales techniques.
Good sales managers set themselves apart by how well they adapt in ways that enable their reps to succeed.
Sales Enablement Trends
Streamline Your Processes
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder (and arguably one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet), has this to say about business trends:
“Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to keep things simple.”
Obviously, you don’t want to be the fool who makes things complicated for your sales reps. If your goal is higher sales, then you need a streamlined process that enables your reps to get their jobs done quickly and seamlessly.
The truth is many companies don’t provide their sales force with easy-to-use processes. According to a recent study on sales performance optimization, salespeople spend only 37% of their time actually engaging with prospects and selling. The majority of their time is spent performing administrative duties. This includes tasks like gathering data, researching pricing manuals, and reviewing product update memos.
A key way to boost sales performance is to implement technology that reduces the time your sales reps spend on administrative tasks.
Consider the CRM-CPQ integration process – it does just that. Sales reps can go from reviewing account information to proposal creation in a single click. All the information they need is at their fingertips to create customized, accurate quotes.
Be More Responsive
One of the biggest sales enablement trends for 2015 is the configuration of sales messages for a fast-paced, mobile world. Your customers are on their laptops, tablets, and smartphones. They’re viewing your messages from anywhere in the world, at any time day or night.
Online customers expect a quick response to their inquiries. And why shouldn’t they? Google has trained them to expect instant gratification with their press-of-a-button response to online searches.
So, if your company isn’t providing your sales reps with a CPQ solution that allows them to respond to customers quickly, how much revenue do you think you’re losing? Just how important is quick response time? Well, according to a recent survey, 35-50% of sales are won by the vendor that responds first.
Expand Social Media
It’s no secret marketers are using social media to build their brands and engage their prospects. Unfortunately, many executives complain about the difficulty in bridging the gap between social media and actual sales conversion.
So, how do you get all those “likes” and “Tweets” to translate into big sales and cold, hard cash?
The answer lies in enabling your sales team to participate in your company’s social media and marketing strategies. In order to do this, choose sales enablement solutions that integrate with your CRM and other sales software.
But Eyal, social media is the marketing department’s domain! Sales has little if any input.
Now we’re seeing this could be a huge mistake. The numbers tell a compelling story: 78% of sales reps who use social media outsell reps who don’t.
A company’s social media effort represents a resource for both sales and marketing to use collaboratively. This means collaboration in both content creation and the sharing of social media feedback.
The takeaway for all of these sales enablement trends is that your company must remain flexible in adopting new solutions as the sales environment changes. Just as Richard Branson pointed out, customers flock to vendors that offer quick and easy interactions. Embrace the new technology that provides your customers with just this experience and you’ll earn their respect and their business.
Is your sales team achieving the level of success that you know they are capable of? It may be time to take a look at your sales process.
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