Focusing on your average producers to get the most out of a Sales Enablement deployment
If you have been considering implementing Sales Enablement Software for your organization, then you probably know that there is a lot to consider when implementing any technology solution to help your sales team. One very significant implementation issue is the human factor. After all, technology is only ever as good as those who use it. As with any implementation, understanding how to fold new technology into an organization is at least as important as the technology you choose. Whether you are looking at basic Marketing Automation, or a full-fledged Playbook and Personalization effort, planning is a key component and should be taken very seriously to get the most out of any initiative. This blog article is aimed at helping you understand who on your team should be getting which kind of attention, and making sure that you put your energy in the right place.
So, let’s talk about what Sales Enablement is for just a second and set the stage for our discussion. At Mindmatrix, we define sales enablement as any technology that helps to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and results of an organization’s sales and/or marketing efforts. As an expert in Sales Enablement implementations, I often see customers who think that in order to get the most out of technology, they must roll it out across the board and insist that it be used by everyone. They believe this approach will yield maximum benefits. In short, they take a “one size fits all” implementation strategy.
While this approach has some merit, it is not always the best way to look at a sales enablement implementation.
Most organizations don’t stop to think about dividing the members of their sales organization into “performance segments” when considering a sales technology implementation. However, doing this can set better expectations and help you get the full benefits of Sales Enablement.
Let’s take a look at a few segments of a typical sales team and how we approach these groups during a Sales Enablement Implementation
Group 1. Your top performers
The reality is that those members of your sales team who are the top performers will undoubtedly get a lot out of sales enablement. But let’s face it, we don’t want to disrupt their flow and cost the organization money. For this group, you probably want to educate them on the technology and then, as much as you can, let them decide how they want to fold the technology into their selling regimen. Let them see the fruits of sales enablement and work with them to make sure that the implementation itself does not slow them down.
Group 2. Your average performers
This should be the focus of your deployment. These are the people who typically make up the bulk of any sales team. Most importantly, this is the group that normally gets the most out of an implementation and really finds the greatest value in leveraging the technology to increase their efficiency and performance. When you are thinking about your rollout plan, you should have this group in the crosshairs of your implementation goals. Start with this group and work your way out towards the best and the worst.
Group 3. Your worst performers
There will always be a set of worst performers, and it is a mistake to think that sales enablement technology will magically turn them around. While you certainly want to include them in the rollout and give them the attention they deserve, keep your expectations lower for this segment in terms of seeing major results. Take it slow and make sure that you are not only addressing the technology needs but any individual performance shortcomings that need attention.
In addition, you should take care in how you present these ideas so as not to alienate the team. You might want to present it as a pilot that you are rolling out and only include the middle group at first to make sure that morale is not affected. While there is no absolute wrong or right in any implementation strategy, these considerations should help when you are designing your sales enablement rollout.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to Sales Enablement Software implementation. However, you should look at your planning from several angles and consider all the necessary variables before jumping in.
