Analysis from LinkedIn discovered that 47% of gross sales professionals declare that they use expertise in gross sales at the very least as soon as a day. So how can enablement groups guarantee they’re giving their reps the proper instruments to optimize productiveness?

Shawnna Sumaoang: Hello and welcome to the Win Win Podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Be part of us as we dive into altering developments within the office and navigate them efficiently. Right here to debate this matter is Jesse Potter, the Director of Subject Enablement at Docusign. Thanks for becoming a member of, Jesse! I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your function. 

Jesse Potter: Thanks for having me. I began out my profession in gross sales, each in {hardware} and SaaS gross sales. I spent numerous years at Apple after which after that, I did a short stint at a very small startup, form of seed-level startup, after which got here to DocuSign about seven years in the past. I began out in gross sales right here at DocuSign after which rapidly moved into enablement. Throughout my time right here I’ve worn nearly each hat inside the enablement operate. Now, I at present handle the workforce that’s targeted on any of the worldwide packages that we do right here at DocuSign that actually have an effect on everybody within the area. It could possibly be the whole lot from product enablement to course of and expertise, new rent onboarding, and the whole lot in between. We even have an in-house tutorial design workforce inside my group and we deal with enablement platform administration, akin to Highspot. 

SS: Thanks a lot for giving us a bit little bit of that perception in your background, Jesse. I’d love to start out with simply understanding how Highspot has helped your reps with their productiveness, particularly within the present financial local weather the place groups are actually wanted to do extra with much less.

JP: Properly, you’re spot on about effectivity. That’s actually the secret, particularly proper now. It’s been an enormous focus for us for some time, particularly throughout Covid. Actually, the whole lot that we do as enablement ought to be making an attempt to assist the sector spend extra time with their clients and fewer time on non-revenue producing exercise. 

I believe from the attitude of how we will attempt to clear up that, it’s crucial to have that single supply of reality the place individuals go to search out info, coaching, content material, and the whole lot that they want, and attempt to floor it for them within the locations that they’re doing their work. How will we get our reps to search out that content material extra effectively with out them having to seek for it, navigate to it, bookmark it, obtain it, etcetera. 

We’re actually targeted on issues like focusing on the proper content material in Salesforce in order that I can provide a rep the precise aggressive battle card that they want for his or her alternative primarily based on the product they’re promoting, the business that they’re promoting into, the competitor they’re up towards and so they can floor the precise proper content material for them, so long as the rep retains Salesforce up to date. With that, we’ve been in a position to shave over two hours per week off of the typical period of time {that a} rep has needed to spend looking for content material or info, which is a large win and clearly that may be a large focus for us proper now. Within the present local weather, the main target is on ensuring that we’re making our reps as productive and environment friendly as doable.

SS: Earlier than highspot, what had been some widespread obstacles your reps had been experiencing when it got here to discovering and sharing the proper content material and the way has Highspot helped to unravel this to enhance your gross sales workforce’s productiveness?

JP: I believe we had the identical challenges that almost all firms have. The content material was in so many alternative locations, and reps had been by no means positive what was actually updated or if it was the official model. This results in the reps having to determine it out themselves, and typically meaning they make their very own content material or use stuff that they’ve saved to their desktop. That they had no concept of the model or how up-to-date it’s. Extra importantly, that they had no engagement or understanding of how the purchasers are viewing or utilizing that content material. Actually it’s simply form of a black field.

Advertising and marketing is working exhausting to create actually compelling supplies and enablement is working actually exhausting to construct the coaching and the data that they want, however with out a software like Highspot, or the flexibility to measure that, it’s limiting. That’s actually been the large factor for us, is making an attempt to standardize that single supply of reality.

I’d say the opposite factor that’s actually past simply being that repository and that central supply is then including within the pitching and with the ability to observe the engagement and really making it a gross sales engagement platform. A terrific instance is we have now a number of SMB sellers. They clearly don’t have the sources of our enterprise workforce to have the proposal writers construct out customized proposal decks for every deal. One of many large wins with Highspot has been standardizing our proposal template, making it simple for reps to clone that, add within the particulars for his or her buyer, after which pitch it out and get real-time knowledge on how a buyer is interacting with their proposal. 

We had an ideal testimonial from a rep who closed the deal proper on the finish of the 12 months, a real-time crunch situation. He despatched over the shopper a proposal with just a few choices, possibility A, possibility B, and possibility C. He was in a position to see that the shopper spent just some seconds actually possibility A and possibility C, however over an hour possibility B over a number of periods of viewing. That enabled the rep to know precisely which means the shopper was leaning and speed up the deal cycle by really having the quotes authorised, the order type generated, and able to go for possibility B earlier than they even obtained on the decision with the purchasers. That form of acceleration and effectivity has been an enormous win for us.

SS: I really like that. You and your workforce at DocuSign actually interact your executives, which I believe is one thing that our viewers would like to get some finest practices round. How have you ever gone about guaranteeing that the enablement workforce stays essential within the eyes of the executives at DocuSign?

JP: That’s a great query. It’s a relentless course of and I wouldn’t say that we’re even masters of it ourselves always. I believe that’s the true danger that enablement groups can face. You can begin and set up actually nice relationships and partnerships together with your executives and particularly your gross sales leaders, however like every relationship, you must preserve investing in it and you must preserve checking in commonly to see how issues are going. We are able to’t simply assume that as a result of we aligned with the pinnacle of gross sales at the start of the 12 months that we’re nonetheless on the identical web page in Q2 and Q3. 

Generally, I believe for enablement, we’re hesitant or a bit afraid to verify in with these executives and see if we’re nonetheless on the identical web page, perhaps as a result of we’re afraid of the reply or perhaps as a result of we simply don’t give it some thought. That fixed realignment is de facto essential. On high of that, I believe particularly in these loopy instances, there’s all the time a number of turnover and alter from new leaders coming in or altering their function, remit, or technique. It’s actually all about making an attempt to determine that belief and partnership early on. That’s primary, getting your foot within the door with a brand new government as early as doable and serving to them perceive that they will depend on you, then backing that up with confirmed success, even when it’s not flashy metrics on how a lot income you assist usher in, are you able to even simply present that you simply’re in a position to ship for them once they come to you with a necessity? That’s a great belief builder and an effective way to determine that relationship and partnership. 

Lastly, particularly in relation to executives, consistency is vital. Delivering high quality packages persistently, speaking persistently, checking in persistently, and even simply asking them the identical inquiries to ensure that they know what to anticipate from you and what you’re anticipating from them to just remember to’re all the time aligned. 

SS: These are some incredible items of recommendation, Jesse. Now, a technique that groups can enhance productiveness is by leveraging integrations within the tech stack and one which your workforce has discovered a number of worth in is the mixing between Salesforce, your CRM, and Highspot. I’d love to grasp from you, what are some key ways in which you utilize the salesforce integration in your day-to-day function. 

JP: From my perspective, the Salesforce integration is big as a result of it permits me to essentially tie among the actions that the reps are finishing inside Highspot with outcomes. I can really look and see the lots of or 1000’s of alternatives that had been positively influenced by among the content material or coaching that we floor to them via the Highspot and Salesforce integration. That knowledge part is de facto enormous and with the ability to tie again pitch exercise or coaching completion or content material utilization to closed income or exercise in Salesforce and issues like that. 

Salesforce is that single supply of reality. We all the time say, if it doesn’t occur in Salesforce, it didn’t occur. Something that we’re doing on a platform like Highspot or some other software is put into Salesforce in order that integration is primary to us. What’s most important for me is that degree of information after which, once more, with the ability to floor the proper supplies to the reps on the proper time is de facto highly effective and implies that my workforce may be extra environment friendly and efficient and never should construct the whole lot always. It means the menu of choices is usually a bit extra tailor-made as a result of we all know precisely what reps want primarily based on what’s coming to us from Salesforce. 

SS: To drill in a bit bit extra, what worth does the salesforce integration carry to you and your reps, particularly because it pertains to productiveness? What particular outcomes have you ever seen? 

JP: I believe for the reps one large factor is simply with the ability to keep in Salesforce and with the ability to entry all that content material and coaching that Highspot gives inside Salesforce is big. Which means there’s one much less tab open that they should have and there’s one much less window that they should go to. One other enormous factor via the Salesforce integration is that now once they ship out a pitch, it’s going to routinely relate that pitch to the proper account and the proper alternative.

For us, we have now a pretty big account workforce and clearly when we have now territories and inherit new accounts, with the ability to return and see the exercise and content material that has been shared with that buyer beforehand is big and permits a rep to rapidly rise up to hurry on that account. 

I believe when it comes to outcomes, it does come all the way down to that effectivity and velocity of with the ability to get to know a brand new buyer which we’ve seen simply dramatically reduces the time that it takes for a rep to inherit a brand new account after which be capable to rapidly see what’s occurred beforehand, and even go and discover the content material in Highspot that they’ve seen and see if it must be up to date or something like that. 

SS: Unbelievable. Out of your perspective, how have Highspot and Salesforce built-in additionally helped with a greater understanding of which offers to go after and delivering the proper content material to reps on the proper time?

JP: For us, that’s one thing that we’re simply beginning to scratch the floor of. Figuring out now, primarily based on the info that we’re getting again, what content material is handiest and what content material is essentially the most helpful to focus on to a rep. I believe once we began out, in all probability like a number of clients do, we tried to throw a number of stuff at a rep inside the context of a possibility and it was like, right here’s the whole lot that you simply may want for this chance primarily based on all the info we have now out there. We discovered that wasn’t the best method to go about it, which was really about looking for essentially the most particular piece of content material that’s going to be crucial for them and delivering that to them on the proper time and the proper stage of their deal cycle and issues like that. We’re simply beginning to make strides there with our focusing on in Salesforce. 

By way of what offers to go after, with the ability to see like, hey, you realize, X variety of alternatives usually tend to shut once we share this demo video versus this white paper actually has been an enormous increase for our advertising workforce to grasp like, okay, that is the kind of content material that’s resonating and whether or not it’s a video versus a white paper or extra concerning the message that it’s making an attempt to convey, we will say, all proper, this video right here talks so much about mitigating danger for patrons that appears to be resonating, so let’s lean extra into that. Then we all know, when we have now clients coming to us with that form of downside that they’re making an attempt to unravel, we all know that that’s one thing we have now nice materials for and we will in all probability win extra successfully.

SS: Thanks for sharing your story on the way you leverage Highspot and Salesforce collectively. One other key means that your workforce leverages Highspot to drive productiveness is thru gross sales performs. Since implementing gross sales performs that DocuSign, what direct outcomes have you ever seen when it comes to confidence and productiveness for reps once they’re speaking to clients? 

JP: I believe one of many large wins for us as we launched gross sales performs on the peak of Covid and we had a number of new and rising use instances that had been popping out for DocuSign merchandise on account of Covid. These had been issues that we simply would by no means have been in a position to anticipate had been going to be priorities, together with issues like vaccine testing and testing web site administration. These weren’t issues that we considered apparent DocuSign use instances till they grew to become crucial factor. We had been in a position to launch gross sales performs particularly focused for these use instances which can be allowed and geared up reps to talk with confidence with the proper content material to again it up on one thing that they wouldn’t have obtained a number of coaching on and possibly don’t have a number of earlier expertise promoting to those totally different industries or personas that they’re speaking to now. 

That was actually enormous for us as a result of we had been digital and dealing from dwelling, so it’s not like we might pull all people collectively essentially and do a bunch of coaching. Highspot allowed us to maneuver in a short time and instill that confidence as a result of we might construct a play, construct some content material, get it on the market, and get individuals talking extra comfortably about these new eventualities. We’ve tried to proceed to duplicate that with our gross sales performs and use it as a method to each allow the sector and get extra confidence, however then additionally be capable to observe and see like, okay, these performs are being efficient and these aren’t so we will goal extra of that materials. 

SS: I really like that. DocuSign can also be at present piloting Highspot’s coaching and training. What advantages have you ever seen from having a single platform for reps to work and be taught from and the way has that additionally impacted the way in which that you simply observe productiveness? 

JP: This has been enormous for us. Like a number of firms proper now, we’re making an attempt to consolidate and ensure that we’re making the most effective use of the tech that we have now, moderately than making an attempt to have totally different apps for each totally different factor. If we will have a single platform that permits us to do the whole lot that the enablement workforce would want and supply the whole lot {that a} rep would want, that’s going to be an enormous win. 

What we had beforehand was a number of the content material in Highspot and that being the supply of reality, after which, from there, in the event you wanted to finish a coaching module or a course, you’d click on on a hyperlink and it will take you out to a different app. Possibly you’d come again, perhaps you wouldn’t, however even simply that easy piece of not having to click on out and go to a special expertise in a special place is big for us. It implies that we’re extra prone to get engagement with that materials. The opposite piece that we’re actually enthusiastic about with coaching teaching is with the ability to do extra microlearning. Historically we’ve completed a number of our studying programs and issues like that in form of pretty giant, monolithic occasions, akin to a 30, 60, 90-minute course that you must take. For reps, it looks like this large endeavor to finish and that they should carve a while out. Whereas as an alternative, the coaching and training will permit us to create bite-sized micro-learning inside the context of the place they might already be going to search out out a few new product. 

For instance, if we have now the product demo video and the pitch deck, and among the messaging tips all proper there on the web page in Highspot, we will even have a bit studying expertise proper there inside that very same atmosphere. It’s much more intuitive and we will break issues up extra simply. We’re enthusiastic about that and with the ability to make extra of that bite-sized, digestible studying occur inside the platform that we’re already utilizing.

By way of monitoring productiveness, I believe that’s going to be enormous as a result of we’ve already constructed the pipes and feeds from Highspot into our knowledge warehouse and have the dashboards already aligned, so now it’s simply including within the coaching factor in order that we don’t should have a content material utilization dashboard and a gross sales efficiency dashboard and a coaching completion dashboard. We are able to attempt to carry all these issues collectively, which is gonna permit us to save lots of time and sources and construct all that, in addition to inform tighter narratives round once you full this coaching and use this deck that we offer, which ends up in this end result, which is thrilling. 

SS: In the same vein, how do you leverage analytics in Highspot to assemble insights on the effectivity and effectiveness of your groups to proceed to evolve future enablement packages primarily based on the areas of most want? What are among the advantages of monitoring these metrics in Highspot?

JP: I believe, once more I’ve been speaking so much about knowledge and measurement right here, however it’s a large focus for us and I believe for many enablement groups, proper now, we are attempting to do a greater job of quantifying the affect and the return from our efforts and the coaching that we offer. I believe doing that in Highspot has a number of advantages as a result of primary, once more, we’ve already obtained it built-in with our core methods, which is big, so it’s linked to Salesforce. It’s linked to our SSO platform and all of that, so a number of automation is going on simply through the use of a single platform once more moderately than a number of.

One of many good issues about Highspot is it offers us a predefined method to share that knowledge. All of our frontline managers can log in and examine the info that they want for his or her particular person groups. We are able to roll up that knowledge to extra of an government degree or if advertising needs to view all of that, all of them have that entry. We’re not doing as a lot guide reporting and knowledge dumps out of the system as we needed to do beforehand with different platforms, we’re in a position to pre-build the proper experiences inside the software. Then we nonetheless have another dashboards that we construct, the place we’re combining totally different knowledge units. The connection there within the integration is so tight and the info may be very clear and dependable. We’re in a position to like work actually simply with that knowledge set to construct out customized dashboards and tie it up with Salesforce knowledge and issues like that.

SS: Thanks, Jesse. Final query for you. How do you anticipate your group to proceed to evolve with Highspot? 

JP: We’re actually excited concerning the partnership. We’re actually excited concerning the concept of a real enablement platform. Being the enablement workforce, we love the imaginative and prescient that Highspot set about being the most effective enablement answer. With the longer term innovation that you simply all are engaged on, it’s actually thrilling for us to have the ability to really feel like we’ve made the proper selection. Figuring out that we’ve obtained a accomplice that we will actually work with has been nice. 

I believe only for our area and for our reps of their day-to-day, the extra that we will proceed to construct that. We’ve completed a great job of claiming, Highspot is now your supply of reality, that’s the place you go for the whole lot. It’s like, come for the one repository and the trusted content material that you realize is updated, keep for the shopper engagement knowledge that you simply get and the benefit of pitching out content material by way of Gmail or outreach or issues like that. The flexibility to create touchdown pages and microsites in your clients, and the flexibility to collaborate together with your friends on pitches and content material, prefer it retains opening up extra alternatives for our workforce to speed up their gross sales cycle and be extra environment friendly and efficient. 

For us, it’s nearly persevering with to drive that since you see the outcomes develop exponentially the longer you’ve had an answer in place the extra that individuals are adopting it and shopping for into it. We’re simply excited to see it proceed to evolve. We’re excited concerning the future innovation that’s on the roadmap. We’ve additionally had an ideal partnership and the workforce at Highspot has been actually nice to work with, so we’re excited to see what’s sooner or later. 

SS: I recognize you sharing your insights, Jesse. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. 

JP: Thanks. It’s nice speaking with you 

SS: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win podcast. Make sure to tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can maximize enablement success with Highspot.