3 Reasons to Invest in a Sales Enablement Solution [Research]
Every day, sales enablement teams rely on technology to help their reps and managers succeed.
In fact, more than 50% companies have either a sales coaching or sales content management solution in place, according to CSO Insights. And with the sales enablement software market growing so quickly, that number is expected to rise in 2020.
In other words, sales enablement solutions have become table stakes for modern businesses, and those that don’t invest risk falling behind.
If your business hasn’t made sales enablement technology a priority yet, consider this point from Forrester Research’s recent report, “Building the Business Case for a Modern Sales Enablement Tool Set.” The research firm found that “the cost of inaction is higher than the financial investment in [sales enablement] tools.”
The good news? A strong technology business case can persuade your company to invest in a sales enablement solution sooner than later. Read on for 3 key benefits of sales enablement tech worth knowing!
1. More Time Spent Selling
It’s a simple concept: the more time reps spend dealing with buyers, the more value they’ll create for the business.
Sellers, unfortunately, spend a lot of time on other tasks – such as entering notes into the CRM, searching for relevant content, or dealing with internal meetings and emails.
Sales enablement technology reduces the time reps spend on these low-value, repetitive activities by 23%, Forrester reports, allowing them to focus more on buyer research, prospecting, ROI discussions, and other areas that directly lead to revenue.
How much more could your sellers accomplish if they got 1/4 of their day back?
2. Accelerated Sales Productivity
Sales enablement tools prepare reps to achieve results sooner, with Forrester finding that they reduce ramp time for the average sales hire by 24%.
With the right solution, this number can be even higher. Tactile Medical, for instance, cut ramp up times in half by using a sales readiness platform to create learning paths and video coaching assessments for new sellers.
With faster onboarding, sellers can learn the ropes faster, which means they can spend more time contributing to the business.
A smoother ramp-up process also leads to better retention rates. After all, successful reps are happy reps. And happy reps are less likely to leave for another job when they’re productive – which helps companies avoid the costs of Year 2-3 seller turnover.
3. More Meaningful Sales Interactions
Obviously, you want reps to spend more time selling and get up to speed faster. But it’s just as important for reps to master the key activities that lead to new business. In other words, you want to make sure sellers are equipped to excel at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
Sales readiness platforms – a major type of sales enablement solution – help reps stay prepared for these critical moments by validating that they possess the knowledge and skills to succeed before they ever engage a buyer.
Platforms with video coaching assessments and AI-powered machine scoring, for example, can help sales teams evaluate reps’ ability to deliver an elevator pitch, handle common buyer objections, and conduct effective follow-up.
Once they’ve been certified as “ready,” your reps will be able to provide the kind of highly relevant and consultative sales experience that today’s buyers have come to expect.
A Sales Enablement Solution That’s Right for You
Different types of sales enablement technology support reps in different ways. Forrester’s report highlights 3 solutions that are “rapidly becoming foundational to the 21st century sales enablement tech stack.”
- Sales readiness tools, which are focused on equipping reps with the training, coaching, and content reps need to maximize every buyer interaction. Brainshark is one such platform.
- Sales engagement tools, which are focused on managing, measuring, and optimizing how sellers interact with your buyers. These include platforms like SalesLoft and Outreach.
- Sales enablement automation tools, which help companies organize, find and promote the right sales assets. Examples include our integration partners at Highspot and Seismic.
Which solution is right for you? That depends on your business goals and challenges. Forrester recommends having clear vendor evaluation criteria, a plan to promote seller adoption of the tool(s), and adequate resources to manage any new sales enablement initiatives.
To learn more about the benefits of these sales enablement tools, check out the full Forrester report or our short primer on the sales enablement tools market.