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Sales Enablement Platforms: Choosing the Right Solution for Your Organization 2023

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Sales Enablement Platforms: Choosing the Right Solution for Your Organization 2023

Sales Enablement Platforms: Choosing the Right Solution for Your Organization 2023

Explore key factors in selecting the ideal sales enablement platform for 2023 to drive efficiency and amplify your team’s success.

If you’ve been following business news over the last decade, you’ve probably heard the term “sales enablement.” Sales enablement is essential as more companies move to a digital-first approach. With the use of a standard set of resources and processes, this initiative aims to improve lead generation, sales pipeline management, and sale closing. The sales industry will have fully embraced the digital age by the end of 2023. Sales teams can no longer succeed with just cold calling and proposals. Tools like customer relationship management applications, sales management systems, and comprehensive sales enablement platforms are available to them. In this article, we’ll take a look at sales enablement tools, highlighting their benefits and outlining the elements that matter most.

The Evolution of Sales Enablement

You may be wondering why your company needs a sales enablement platform. Well, these systems aren’t simply about keeping up with technologically adept rivals. They present a novel approach to handling sales, boosting productivity, and meeting objectives.

With good sales enablement software, you can see every aspect of the selling cycle. It consolidates the features of numerous sales apps into a single user-friendly interface. It reduces mundane administrative work so your sales teams can concentrate on closing deals.

Furthermore, these platforms provide a novel setting in which to onboard and educate sales staff. Your staff will be ready to wow potential consumers with cutting-edge sales techniques and information thanks to their efforts. Successful sales strategies always include a sales enablement platform.

Why Use a Sales Enablement Platforms ?

How often have you found a useful product or appliance and thought to yourself, “How did I ever get by without this?” If you have this question, you might want to learn more about sales enablement tools. The sales landscape has always been complicated because of the constant need to balance a variety of resources, pieces of information, and methods. This is where sales enablement platforms are most useful.

All Your Tools in One Place

The sales enablement platform is the equivalent of a Swiss Army knife for your sales force. The days of juggling different tools, losing track of information across multiple tabs, and generally feeling disorganized are over. Now picture all of your resources—customer relationship management, lead management, and analytics—in a single, convenient bundle. The goal is to ensure that your staff complements rather than fights against technology, so it’s not simply about ease of use.

Get More Done, Faster

According to Hubspot, over 50% of the salespeople’s time is lost on ineffective prospecting. Time is more than just money in the sales business; it’s also the currency of building rapport, learning about customers’ wants and requirements, and ultimately making a sale. Using a sales enablement platform, you can streamline or automate activities like data input and email follow-up that used to take hours but now take minutes. It’s like having a reliable assistant who understands exactly when to step in, allowing you to focus on things like cultivating relationships with clients.

Quick and Easy Training

Think back to your first week or so on the job. Information overload, worried about making mistakes, and excitement before making a sale for the first time all at once? These days are precisely why sales enablement solutions exist.

Recent studies show that over half of all sales managers report feeling too busy to invest in employee training and development. For this purpose, these platforms are ideal.

Training modules, knowledge bases, and interactive sessions help new team members get up to speed quickly and confidently. But what about the seasoned pros? Well, they can always benefit from a refresher course or familiarization with the latest developments in the field.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

This classic saying holds truer than ever for modern marketing and sales departments. Sales enablement platforms mediate between marketing and sales by providing a central hub for the exchange of information and insight. It’s not simply about pooling resources; it’s also about establishing a cadence, a coordinated effort in which both groups move in step with one another, coordinating their messages to the client at all times.

Let the Numbers Talk

If you ever find yourself in a position where you need to defend a strategy or direction in a meeting, you will quickly realize the significance of statistics. It’s not all about the numbers; the stories they convey are crucial, too. Sales enablement tools equip you with analytics you can use to back your decisions, anticipate trends, and adjust course as needed. In an era where data is the new gold, you might think of these services as your own private vault.

What Should You Look for in a Sales Enablement Platform?

Keeping up with the competition in today’s sales environment requires sales teams to have access to resources designed specifically for them. When it comes to assisting salespeople in their interactions with customers and prospects, a sales enablement platform is invaluable. You must take into account the following criteria while assessing a sales enablement platform:

  • Ease of Integration: It is crucial that your sales enablement platform easily connects to your current CRM and other digital tools. Your sales staff will always have instant, complete access to the relevant information thanks to this streamlined communication system.
  • Content Management: Implementing a powerful content management system equips your sales staff with the means to quickly identify, organize, and share relevant content with prospective clients. In addition to helping you track the success of your material, this instrument can shed light on the tastes of your niche demographic.
  • Training and Onboarding: Finding a system with good training and onboarding options is crucial. Everyone in the company can benefit from this training strategy since it helps new hires learn quickly and promotes consistency.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Having a reliable analytics and reporting system in place is crucial for keeping track of your leads, opportunities, and deals. Sales managers could utilize this data to provide tailored training to their staff.
  • Collaboration Tools: In today’s fast-paced world, you want your team to be on the same page, always. To do this, it is necessary to use a medium that goes beyond simple communication to promote actual collaboration.
  • Personalization and Automation: A platform that not only lets users tailor their interactions with customers but also simplifies and automates the mundane, time-consuming tasks that might get in the way is the one you should look out for. This results in less time spent on monotonous administrative activities and more time spent on meaningful interactions with clients.
  • Compliance and Security: In an age where data breaches make headlines, robust security isn’t optional; it’s vital. Not only is there value in preventing damage, but also in preventing violations of the law and other regulations.

  • Scalability: Pick your platform with an eye toward the future as well as the present. Make sure your platform can handle, and even thrive with future business expansion.
  • Technical support: problems can arise with even the best equipment. This may be an issue with the platform itself or with the way your team is attempting to use it. If you or your team ever hit a snag, you should be able to reach out to the platform’s helpful customer support staff at any time of day or night.
  • Cost: The price of the platform is obviously a key factor. However, the most important thing is the value the platform provides. Seek out a system that offers first-rate functionality at a price that doesn’t break the bank.

Conclusion

We anticipate sales enablement platforms to reach even greater heights of success in the coming year of 2023. Therefore, now is the time to make an investment in them and locate one that is a good fit for your company. You should be on the lookout for a sales enablement platform that incorporates analytical, collaborative, and flexible capabilities to help you expand your organization. Having a solid foundation in place can help your business run smoothly and quickly expand into other areas.

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Sales Enablement Trends for 2023

Sales Enablement Trends for 2023

The future of B2B sales is hybrid. Since B2B buyers are using more channels, B2B sellers must, too.

Sales Enablement Trends

Over the past few years, the B2B purchasing journey has undergone a significant transformation and become more intricate. With customers now having more power, they prefer conducting their own digital research while multiple parties are frequently involved in making purchasing decisions.

Over the past few years, the B2B purchasing journey has significantly transformed and become more intricate. Customers now have more power, so they prefer conducting their own digital research while multiple parties are frequently involved in purchasing decisions.

Introduction

As you embark on your journey to devise your company’s sales enablement strategies for 2023, you may be curious about the expected outcomes of your current sales plan.

AI and machine learning are now prevalent, and with tools like ChatGPT leading the way, more sales organizations are incorporating these technologies into their selling procedures. A Press Release by Gartner predicts that by 2025, 75% of business-to-business (B2B) sales organizations will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) guided selling solutions into their traditional sales strategies. AI technology will play an essential role in understanding their customers’ needs and behaviours to make more informed sales decisions.

By implementing an effective sales enablement program, you can empower your sellers to consistently meet prospects’ and customers’ demands and meet their targets.

Buckle up for the advent of the latest sales enablement trends in 2023

As the corporate terrain transforms rapidly, you must keep abreast of the latest sales enablement trends to promote revenue growth.

According to a Salesforce report, an overwhelming 82% of vendors have had to expeditiously adjust their selling approaches in response to global challenges such as inflation, supply chain disruption, and health safety measures. These trials and tribulations have necessitated expeditious modifications to their standard operating procedures.

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This year, companies will confront fresh challenges and opportunities within the sales sphere, from fluctuating customer expectations to nascent technologies. Here are some of the most salient trends that are poised to make a significant impact in 2023.

The rise of AI-enabled selling

Sales enablement is no longer just a functional process or focusing on distributing the right content to the reps at the right time. We see an increased interest in the marketplace in utilizing artificial intelligence as part of sales enablement. 

AI-powered solutions will help further streamline the process of driving successful sales conversations. Ultimately, it’s all about enabling all those incredible sellers out there, so they can act truly customer-centric and drive top-line revenue.

This can include automating repetitive tasks, providing real-time data and insights, and helping salespeople identify new opportunities. Buyers anticipate brands to support their research on multiple channels, including— email, social media, or other budding channels. The Salesforce report also indicates that 57% of purchasers prefer communicating with enterprises through digital channels. Companies have disclosed that approximately one-third of the agreements they seal is entirely virtual.

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Some examples of AI-enabled selling tools include:
  • Chatbots and virtual assistants that help qualify leads and schedule appointments
  • Predictive analytics tools that enable sales teams to forecast sales and identify high value prospects
  • Personalization and recommendation engines that help salespeople tailor messaging and personalize product offerings for individual customers.

Focused engagement while improving retention

In the contemporary B2B world that has been altered by the pandemic and current economic turmoil, obtaining and retaining talented sales professionals has become a persistent challenge. 

A report indicates that in many organizations, the sales enablement function is under the jurisdiction of the Chief Sales Officer (CSO). In contrast, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and Chief Growth Officer (CGO) share the responsibility for 25% of organizations. This shift signifies a larger trend towards a more cohesive relationship between sales and marketing.

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Although the most significant proportion of responses (38%) suggested that sales manage the sales enablement function, with some input from marketing, 77% noted some degree of cooperation between the two divisions, indicating an encouraging shift towards greater collaboration.

One of the most effective ways of maintaining sales representatives’ motivation and involvement is by crafting a sales enablement program that fosters a positive seller experience. A sales advisory council may be established to encourage team feedback, give voice to your representatives and gain insight into building a solid sales culture.

Sales enablement must also evolve to shift to virtual work environments and the growing customer preference for online sales.

Sales playbooks and training sessions should include remote selling techniques and educate reps on using digital tools effectively. Employees must be trained and developed to increase their confidence in their job performance, ultimately maximizing their productivity. Regular coaching should be provided to help salespeople allocate their time and resources, and best practices from top performers should be shared.

Furthermore, enablement-led onboarding procedures may strengthen your sales team by minimizing ramp time and increasing engagement levels for new representatives.

Hybrid Selling: The New Norm for Sales Enablement

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the game for sales. Remote selling has become the norm, and a hybrid approach that combines in-person and remote interactions is the new standard. Dubbed “Hybrid Selling,” this approach has gained traction due to customer demand for remote-first engagement and the preference of sales reps for this flexible format.

Modern B2B customers seek a balance between the personal touch of in-person interactions and the convenience of remote contact via phone or video. According to an Mckinsey article, over 90% of companies are adopting hybrid selling as their go-to approach, focusing on remote-first engagement. This omnichannel approach offers greater flexibility, scalability, real-time engagement, and profitability than traditional methods.

In today’s world, where remote work is becoming more and more prevalent, hybrid selling is the way forward for sales enablement. By embracing a mix of in-person and remote interactions, companies can connect with prospects more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

Thanks to advanced technology and seamless connectivity, digital engagement is now on par with an in-person meeting. Hybrid selling is here to stay because it simply works. Remote sales reps can reach up to four times more prospects than traditional face-to-face interaction, generating up to 50% more revenue.

Editor’s note

Investing in AI-aided sales enablement platforms has long been considered an additional business expense. However, this mindset may require reconsideration. Sales enablement solutions allow high-performing sales teams to stay ahead of the curve. These technological tools seamlessly integrate with pre-existing enterprise systems, ensuring ease, effectiveness, and use efficiency. Data-driven decision-making boosts revenue growth, and this is particularly significant when customers are cautious about their spending habits in anticipation of an impending global economic downturn. They require unequivocal proof of the value of a company’s products and services before committing to a purchase. You just cannot stay still in enablement. You require constant drive and pure innovation to adapt sales methods to current realities for staying ahead.