10 Ways to Drive Revenue with Sales Enablement

#1: Recruiting Sales RepsFast Fact: The sales rep position was the 2nd hardest job to fill in 2015

(Source: Manpower Group)

Problem: Sales reps play a critical role for US businesses, yet as the economy continues to grow and the number of sales jobs increases, many organizations struggle to fill these openings.

Solution: Companies with sales enablement demonstrate that they are investing in the success of their sales teams and enable reps to hit higher quotas (with higher salaries and commissions).

#2: Onboarding & TrainingFast Fact: It takes 7 months & ~$30k to recruit and onboard a new sales rep

(Source: Aberdeen)

Problem: With “one-and-done” training, 87% of training content is forgotten within rates. Ineffective onboarding and training programs are also directly correlated to employee turnover.

Solution: Sales reps need ongoing training to reinforce what they have learned. With tech such as sales enablement in place, organizations can decrease ramp-up time by 30 - 40%, as well as reduce mistakes and boost job satisfaction.

#3: Coaching the Sales TeamFast Fact: Reps who receive 3 hours of coaching a month boost revenue by 25%

(Source: CEB)

Problem: Sales reps need ongoing training so that they can stay current on sales processes, industry trends, and messaging.

Solution: Sales enablement tools such as playbooks allow sales leaders to give reps guidance about prioritizing sales activities, building customer relationships, advancing prospects, and using content effectively. With just-in-time coaching, sales leaders can ensure reps have the instruction needed to further deals.

#4: Enabling Sales RepsFast Fact: 58% of pipeline stalls because reps are unable to add value

(Source: Alinean)

Problem: Sales teams that challenge and engage prospects are twice as likely to hit quota, but a majority of reps are unable to add value to the sales conversation.

Solution: Sales enablement empowers reps by making it easy for them to quickly learn about complex products / services and with the level of knowledge deep enough to make a sale. And it surfaces relevant content, from pitch decks and sales scripts to blog articles, ebooks, and videos.

#5: Managing RiskFast Fact: 65% of sales reps are unable to find content to share with prospects

(Source: Salesforce)

Problem: 20 - 40% of a sales rep’s time is spent looking for or creating their own content to share with prospects. That’s up to 2 entire workdays per week.

Solution: Sales enablement tools streamline the process of finding and sharing content, empowering sales reps to quickly locate the most effective and relevant content for every sales situation. The right content is pushed to reps where they work - in their CRM or email.

#6: Evaluating PerformanceFast Fact: Sales productivity is the #1 challenge for almost 2/3 of B2B companies

(Source: Top Sales World)

Problem: Over half of executives say their employees don’t know their individual goals or understand the company’s strategy.

Solution: Sales enablement uses data science to determine which content and sales tools top performers rely on and gives insight into info such as which content generates the highest ROI and which talking points progress deals the most effectively. This feedback helps leadership replicate best practices across the organization.

#7: Improving & OptimizingFast Fact: Reps who use analytics increase quota attainment 4x faster

(Source: CIO Insights)

Problem: 56% of sales executives are dissatisfied with their ability to offer valuable insights into rep performance

Solution: Sales enablement helps organizations determine which factors advance sales throughout the sales cycle and optimize theirsales processes. This means that organizations can meaningfully refine their strategy in order to continually improve and become more effective.

#8: Making Data-Driven DecisionsFast Fact: Only 44% of marketers know what successful content looks like

(Source: Content Marketing Institute)

Problem: Over half of B2B companies face the challenge of measuring the effectiveness of content creation and management.

Solution: Sales enablement offers actionable insights into what content is most effective in advancing deals, as well as highlights gaps in the content portfolio. Marketers can leverage this information to make better-informed decisions about content creation and to understand content ROI.

#9: Increasing AlignmentFast Fact: Companies with strong alignment can achieve 20% growth rates

(Source: Aberdeen)

Problem: Only 8% of B2B organizations have tight sales and marketing alignment. But thosecompanies with poor alignment have been shown to experience declines in revenue.

Solution: With sales enablement, sales and marketing teams work in-step, with a unified approach, shared goals, and a built-in feed-back loop. Marketing can arm sales with the latest content, research, and industry info so that sales can then add value to engagements.

#10: Adapting to Buyer JourneyFast Fact: Today’s B2B buyers demand more content now than ever before

(Source: Demand Gen)

Problem: B2B sales have become more complex as more decision-makers get involved in the buying decision. Thus, a one-size-fits all approach no longer cuts it.

Solution: Sales enablement ensures that every sales rep has the required knowledge, insights, and content to optimize each prospect engagement and advance the deal. It provides relevant content to prospects based on their stage in the sales process, helping to drive leads through the funnel.

Want to Learn More?Download the eBook:

http://www2.knowledgetree.com/drive-revenue/

About KnowledgeTree

KnowledgeTree is a sales enablement technology that predicts what to pitch to prospects. It surfaces relevant content based on sales situation and proactively pushes that winning content to sales people in Salesforce.com and email. Companies get 80% of their content used by sales and boost rep effectiveness by 20% and more.

www.KnowledgeTree.com