We’re coming up on the New Year, and you know what that means – New Year’s resolutions. We make them with the best intentions of making positive changes in our lives, but often find there’s a disparity between expectation and reality.
The same goes for Sales Enablement programs – there’s expectations, and then… there’s reality. Here are some resolutions to make in the New Year that can help transform your expectations into reality.
Expectation 1: I bought a Sales Enablement platform, so it will solve all of my problems!
Reality: Without set processes, goals, feedback loops, and organizational change, your Sales Enablement platform won’t revolutionize your business one bit.
It’s a tale as old as time – kid gets a new toy for Christmas, uses it for a few days, loses interest, and it collects dust until it gets donated or thrown out. Sales Enablement platforms can be game changing pieces of technology, but only when implemented and managed properly.
Resolve to: Find a Sales Enablement platform that truly fits your business’s needs (Do you need it to be mobile-first? Do you need it available offline? Do you need certain integrations with existing systems? Do you need a system that’s customizable, or is out-of-the-box more your style?). Once you have it, resolve to do a content audit and determine what you have that’s worth keeping, what needs updating, and what needs to be retired. Resolve to set boundaries on who can post content and when, resolve to organize it logically, resolve to train your sales and marketing teams on how to properly use it, and resolve to continuously optimize.
Expectation 2: I’ve made a ton of great content, so it will definitely get used!
Reality: If your content isn’t easily accessible and shareable, it won’t get used – no matter how stellar it is.
Content is one of the most powerful tools in your Sales Enablement arsenal, but it’s only as good as its actual usage. Over 65% of content goes unused by sales for various reasons, but some of the most prevalent culprits for low usage are that reps don’t know what content actually already exists, it’s not easy to find, not easy to share, or doesn’t fit their specific need.
Resolve to: Create the most impactful content possible (working in tandem with sales), and once you have created it, resolve to set up a content repository that is designed with the salesperson’s daily life in mind. Even better, bring in an AI-Powered platform (like Bigtincan!) that will surface recommended content to sales reps so it’s available at their fingertips, on or offline, on any device.
Expectation 3: I put dozens of hours into creating new sales trainings – sales will be eager to use them!
Reality: Trainings that are inconvenient to take and don’t encourage engagement will remain unused, and won’t get you the retention you’re looking for.
The New Year is often the time for Sales Kickoffs and classroom-style trainings. Salespeople spend a day, or two, or three, sitting in a classroom, and are given trainings on everything from product updates to new selling strategies. The problem is, 87% of training content is forgotten within 30 days. Without the right approach to training delivery, training content won’t drive long-term value.
Resolve to: Make learning fun! Modern sales learning and coaching platforms, like Bigtincan Zunos, can deliver training to reps in easy-to-digest chunks – often referred to as microlearning – and can turn learning into a competitive, enjoyable process through gamification. Skeptical? Check out some more information on the effects of gamification here.
Just like your personal New Year’s resolutions, sustainable change in your business requires realistic expectations, goal setting, and consistent work – no fad diets and quick fixes here.
Have you resolved this year to help salespeople win more and be more productive, and foster stronger Sales and Marketing alignment? If so, ring in the New Year with a demo of Bigtincan!
