Where companies fall short

A survey by the Sales Management Association covered 111 companies and more than 80,000 salespeople. It discovered that as little as 43% feel that their sales training and development programmes are effective.

A core component of effective sales enablement is content, and many companies are doing a poor job here too. Reps must have quick and easy access to relevant content such as white papers, case studies, battlecards and updated playbooks if they are to maximise their effectiveness.

A study by CSO Insights found that only around 1/3 of organisations have a genuine content strategy.

Preparation is key

This poor preparation means trouble for the customer experience. The modern enterprise buyer arrives having already done a depth of research, and their expectation will be speed and convenience. If a sales rep lacks the necessary preparation to answer questions or provide essential information, the customer will be unimpressed and move on, and your company loses an opportunity.

For your sales reps to provide the best customer experience possible, there must be a comprehensive approach to sales enablement. The traditional sales ‘boot camp’ simply isn’t enough; you need ongoing digital training that accelerates the ramp up for new sales reps. Sales processes are imparted through personalised learning paths, virtual training and videos to shorten the sales cycle and enhance win rates.

Looking more broadly

In addition to improving enablement for your internal sales force, your partners need to be enabled through a role-based platform that gives them access to material. And you need to integrate these tools with your own sales performance goals to be truly effective. You need common points of contact throughout the lead-to-cash process, ensuring that enablement doesn’t slip through the net.

By improving sales enablement for your reps, you will ensure that your sales people have everything they need to deliver an excellent customer experience.