A research carried out by Highspot and a B2B analysis companion discovered that gross sales playbooks allow reps to be extra environment friendly and efficient, making them a vital part of any gross sales enablement technique. In actual fact, 42% of best-in-class firms use gross sales playbooks, leading to higher quota attainment, buyer retention, and lead conversion charges. So how are you going to construct efficient gross sales performs?
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 how one can navigate them efficiently. Right here to debate this subject is Jillian Maiorino, the supervisor of gross sales income coaching and enablement at Vendr. Thanks for becoming a member of Jillian! I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position.
Jillian Maiorino: Thanks a lot for having me, Shawnna. I’m actually excited to be right here. Just a little bit about me, I used to be born and raised in Maine, and I’m really now again in Maine with my household. I’ve a husband of eight years and two little ones. After having my kiddos, I used to be attempting to consider what I needed to do once I went again to work. Previous to that, I graduated and went proper into the world of gross sales. I did all the things from BDR to full-cycle AE to publish gross sales, buyer success, and account administration after which went on to change into a mom, the best job of all.
After I thought of what I needed to do once I went again into the workforce, and if I used to be going to depart my infants, what would fulfill me sufficient to do this? Enablement on the time was nonetheless comparatively new. After I give it some thought at my core, I’m an enabler. By phrases, content material, instruments, and processes, I’m someone who actually strives to help others. I like the artwork of promoting all the things that goes into promoting and with the ability to allow sellers to search out all the things that they want at their fingertips, be their finest model of themselves, and coach them by that has been actually fulfilling over the previous few years.
SS: Properly, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us, Jillian. Now to start out, you really leveraged Highspot at a earlier firm and now at Vendr. Given this expertise, how have you ever seen an enablement platform play a very key position within the income tech stack?
JM: I feel an enablement platform supplies the instruments and sources to allow gross sales groups to be simpler and environment friendly of their roles, backside line. It helps reps keep knowledgeable and ready all through your entire gross sales course of and it’s assembly them the place they’re at and actually trying to not disrupt their day-to-day workflow. By equipping gross sales groups with the correct data and instruments on the proper time, in the correct approach, the enablement platform is absolutely bettering their productiveness and allows them to in the end shut extra offers successfully, resulting in elevated income.
I feel an enablement platform additionally facilitates the coaching and onboarding course of for brand new gross sales hires. It supplies a centralized repository for coaching supplies, product information, and finest practices actually taking part in a key position in not solely getting new hires up to the mark however then that ongoing reinforcement and help all through their total time.
SS: I like that it’s completely important to the income tech stack. At Vendr, what are a few of the key enterprise initiatives that Highspot helps to help?
JM: That’s an excellent query. I joined Vendr and one of many first questions that I had was, “Do you may have Highspot?” That simply goes to point out how essential it was to me at my earlier firm. On the time, we had been making plenty of course of enhancements and adjustments to the enterprise as we turned extra of a platform product firm. The core goal of Highspot is absolutely right here to allow gross sales groups, once more, to be simpler and environment friendly and make sure that they get the correct data on the proper time, and so we use Highspot for all the things from onboarding during ongoing and reinforcement.
Now we have aggressive performs. Now we have persona-based performs. We define our gross sales course of damaged down by the stage and actually so that they perceive all the things that goes into every stage and out of every stage. We meet them the place they’re at in Salesforce in order that they don’t have to depart their workflow. One of many greatest issues we did after we launched Highspot right here, we lined it up with our gross sales kickoff earlier this yr after we launched our SLG, or sales-led progress playbook. We constructed that with Highspot.
One other factor that we try this has actually been an enormous initiative right here to guarantee that gross sales reps are getting the correct data on the proper time is we launched a weekly gross sales digest, and that’s despatched by way of Highspot as properly. It’s in-built Highspot and despatched by way of Highspot, which actually permits them to get that highlighted book-ended data of all of the issues which can be getting thrown at them by way of Slack or in conferences or in trainings and have that finish cap on the finish of each week surfacing up what they should know and guarantee that they will take motion on heading into the next week.
SS: You touched on this, however one space the place your organization has seen plenty of success in Highspot is thru gross sales performs. In actual fact, you’ve achieved, I consider, a 91% play adoption charge, which is completely unimaginable. Jillian, are you able to inform our viewers about your gross sales play technique and the way they help your key enterprise initiatives?
JM: Completely. After we take into consideration a gross sales play, I wish to give it some thought actually on the most granular degree. We may have a discovery gross sales play, however inside that discovery gross sales play, I wish to have a discovery gross sales place particularly for our CFO persona. Getting as granular as we are able to signifies that reps can pull up the correct state of affairs, gross sales state of affairs, and the correct play and execute. We break down our gross sales play with the steering and the very best practices from Highspot into the what to know, what to say, what to point out, and what to do framework.
After I take into consideration these sections, the what to know part is absolutely the place we’re educating our viewers concerning the state of affairs with context, data, coaching supplies, and FAQs. The particular person actually liable for this part is our subject subject material skilled. If we’re doing a aggressive battle card, our product advertising and marketing supervisor who owns our aggressive intel is absolutely proudly owning that what-to-know part. That is the place we clearly clarify why the play was created, and why its content material issues and spotlight data like what’s it for, who’s it for and what outcomes does it drive? Then we incorporate any coaching programs to solidify the brand new information round that play if it’s a protracted tour aggressive battle card.
The subsequent part is what to say. Inside this part is the place we’re actually getting ready our viewers to have an efficient dialog with the prospect or buyer by speaking factors, inquiries to ask, highlighting Gong calls of what beauty like in order that they will see that and replicate that and begin to observe, in addition to buyer tales. Now, the individual that now we have liable for this part is the viewers subject material skilled. The enablement companion is partnering on all of those sections, however the viewers subject material skilled actually is who is that this play meant for? If it’s meant for a gross sales rep, I could convey on a rep to assist me guarantee that that is resonating and that is precisely what they want from a what to say standpoint.
We could create completely different sections for extra granularity and provides them examples of questions that they will ask to assist uncover conditions, for instance, the place this new product launch may be an excellent match. We could embody demo tracks right here or aggressive daggers that assist reps get acquainted with how comparable competing merchandise may be positioned. The What to Say part is all about giving them the snippets and the discuss observe that they should be profitable with this gross sales play.
Within the What to Present part, the purpose right here is to supply our viewers with probably the most related and efficient content material to have interaction the prospect or buyer both earlier than, throughout, or after the assembly. This can be white papers, case research, e mail templates that may be a follow-up template that’s simple for them to plug and play, and even demo movies. The What to Present is absolutely external-facing content material. The person liable for this part is once more, the subject subject material skilled, together with the enablement SME. Then we’ll have finest practices right here across the content material that may be pitched once more earlier than, throughout, or after.
The final part is the What to Do part. That is particularly the place we element the steps that our viewers wants to absorb the given state of affairs. Relying on the play, this part may embody one thing from updating the account progress in Salesforce to coordinating logistics for a gathering as a follow-up. Probably the most usually accountable particular person right here is the viewers SME as properly. We additionally add a ‘need assistance’ part to the play, so that they have the contact data for the subject subject material skilled in addition to the enablement subject material skilled.
SS: Thanks for outlining that. I feel these are some phenomenal finest practices. In your opinion, in the event you may sum it up, what does an excellent gross sales play appear like?
JM: I keep in mind the primary time that I used to be on-boarded with Highspot, and I’m not someone that likes to reinvent the wheel. I prefer to observe finest practices that Highspot has laid out, and I consider they stated, like two and a half scrolls along with your mouse. You don’t wish to have an excessive amount of data the place the meant viewers feels overwhelmed, whereas additionally making it tremendous digestible. The what to know, say, present, do framework actually permits them to go to the precise part that they’re searching for.
They could go to a play a number of occasions and want a special part relying on what their motion is that they’re taking, so it’s actually necessary to make it digestible. I feel that the very best gross sales performs do actually have that baseline data on the what to know part, very clear, actionable what to say, snippets, discuss tracks, highlighting what beauty like, after which clear follow-up templates and what to do actions to guarantee that they’re finishing the very best observe cycle by no matter it’s that they’re studying or executing on that gross sales play.
SS: That’s completely a unbelievable definition of what beauty like. As I discussed, you guys have an incredible adoption charge. What are a few of your finest practices for driving the adoption of gross sales performs amongst your reps?
JM: I like this query as a result of I reply it just about the identical anytime anybody asks me how enablement is profitable. My opinion is that all the things lives and dies on the front-line administration degree. What I imply by that’s with out your buy-in out of your front-line managers, your reps won’t undertake Highspot or gross sales place. The front-line managers actually should be there to drive that adoption and reinforcement and guarantee that it’s ingrained of their workflow and their day-to-day.
One factor that we’ve performed is absolutely leveraged the weekly gross sales digest that I ship by way of Highspot, and let’s say we’re launching a brand new gross sales play. The next Monday of their weekly staff conferences, their managers are, for higher or for worse, pop quizzing them on what was shared within the digest after which particularly within the gross sales performs. That actually obtained them within the behavior of at the least reviewing as soon as over on Friday after which realizing the place their useful resource is.
The second piece is I feel permitting reps to entry the gross sales play of their day-to-day workflow that they’re already in. This provides them no different choice as a result of it’s proper in entrance of their face within the alternative view with the Highspot body. They know in the event that they’re in a aggressive state of affairs at a sure stage within the gross sales course of, the correct gross sales play goes to satisfy them proper there they usually can simply click on on it and entry it with out even leaving Salesforce.
SS: I couldn’t agree extra. It’s important to construct it within the workflows that your reps are in every day. How has your gross sales play technique helped you to influence the productiveness of your reps?
JM: Actually, I feel it actually comes right down to them realizing how one can fish for themselves. They don’t need to take that additional step to Slack me and say, hey, how would I strategy this state of affairs? Or, hey, the place can I discover this piece of content material? They know now that every one of these issues that they want are at their fingertips with Highspot. They will backslash in Slack Highspot and seek for no matter they want and I feel that that basically has impacted their productiveness as a result of they’re not losing that point looking out or asking others. They know precisely the place it’s.
SS: Completely, and in as we speak’s day and age, I feel impacting productiveness is completely essential for organizations to do extra with much less. What position do gross sales performs play in your broader enablement technique? What are a few of the key parts of your enablement technique?
JM: I feel gross sales performs play a vital position in our broader enablement technique in just a few other ways. They’re focused and orchestrated approaches that information our reps on how one can have interaction with prospects and clients successfully all through the gross sales course of. They actually do present a structured framework that know, say, present, do, that aligns with the group with Vendr’s gross sales targets, buyer wants, and desired outcomes.
Gross sales play additionally ensures consistency and alignment, so they assist our reps tailor their strategy to particular purchaser personas, industries, or completely different gross sales eventualities. Once more, as I stated, they supply a confirmed framework for participating with prospects. They actually do facilitate this steady enchancment and optimization of gross sales approaches and we’re in a position to observe and analyze the outcomes of the completely different gross sales performs, collect the insights on what’s working finest and what’s not, after which it permits us to have this suggestions loop that allows the refinement and enhancement of gross sales performs over time.
Whereas gross sales performs are the place to begin of plenty of the issues that we do in our enablement technique, it’s additionally offering us that suggestions loop that ensures the gross sales staff is supplied with the simplest methods to drive income progress and we’re studying from these analytics and insights consistently.
SS: I’d like to understand how your holistic enablement technique helps to additionally drive gross sales productiveness.
JM: I like this query as a result of I actually take pleasure in taking a step again and taking a look at enablement from a holistic view as a result of there are such a lot of completely different parts and day-to-day in my position, I can get misplaced in solely one in every of these pillars, if you’ll. While you take a step again, you’re actually eager about just a few completely different pillars. The primary is coaching and onboarding. By offering structured coaching on product information and gross sales methodologies, objection dealing with, and efficient communication, our reps are outfitted with the required abilities to carry out their roles effectively very early on of their journeys at Vendr.
The second piece is the content material administration piece. A key facet of enablement is clearly efficient content material administration, which we achieved by Highspot, and we’re in a position to present the reps easy accessibility to up-to-date, related, customized content material that helps them have interaction with prospects. extra successfully.
The subsequent piece is our gross sales course of optimization. We’re analyzing and optimizing the gross sales course of, trying to remove bottlenecks and actually streamline their workflow. By figuring out inefficiencies or redundancies, and even areas of enchancment within the gross sales course of, we’re in a position to implement adjustments that result in elevated productiveness.
The subsequent huge pillar is gross sales know-how integration, Highspot being a predominant piece of that. We combine the vast majority of our tech stack into Salesforce with Highspot Salesloft and with Gong. We’re actually in a position to give this type of seamless integration, giving our reps a unified view of their buyer, of the shopper knowledge, streamlining their knowledge entry, after which they will spend much less time navigating between these completely different instruments and methods, which ends up in elevated effectivity and extra time devoted to promoting. Now we have the continual studying and growth pillar the place we’re selling a tradition of ongoing studying by offering ongoing help, teaching, and sources to assist gross sales reps improve their abilities and information.
Lastly, the analytics and insights pillar of our holistic enablement technique is essential in order that we are able to achieve beneficial insights into rep efficiency, content material effectiveness, after which gross sales developments to grasp what’s working and the place we’d have areas for enchancment.
SS: Wonderful outcomes at Vendr. Final query for you, Jillian. What are a few of the key enterprise outcomes that you just’ve achieved by Highspot? Do you may have any knowledge factors you may share with us?
JM: I’ve my sync with our Highspot CSM later as we speak, really, and so I’m hoping we are able to get some extra contemporary knowledge factors. I feel that really, the largest one in every of all, as I stated earlier, is getting reps to fish for themselves and realizing the place their sources are. That was an enormous ache level for us previous to Highspot. We’re on the level now the place increasingly more cross-functional staff are asking, hey, what’s Highspot? Can we get entry? We’re pondering of increasingly more use instances that we are able to use throughout the enterprise, that isn’t simply the usual gross sales enablement use instances that you’d consider.
I feel the opposite factor that’s been actually impactful is using microsites. Reps are in a position to actually ship this world-class expertise to their prospects of what it will appear like to work with Vendr and with the ability to give them this one-stop store for all the content material that they’re reviewing, the recordings from the calls that they’ve attended, making it very simple for them to go to their microsite, see all of the issues that they should learn about Vendr as they’re making their enterprise case and resolution and have it there very simple for them to entry. Not solely are we making it simple for our reps to entry data, however we’re additionally making it simple for our prospects and clients to entry data. All in all, I don’t know what we might do with out Highspot.
SS: Properly, I completely love listening to that. Jillian, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us on this podcast. I admire the time.
JM: Thanks for having me.
SS: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win podcast. You’ll want to tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can maximize enablement success with Highspot.
