Analysis from Gallup discovered that engaged workers are extra productive, leading to a 21% improve in earnings. So how are you going to ship participating enablement packages to drive gross sales productiveness?

Shawnna Sumaoang: Hello and welcome to the Win Win Podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Within the quest to drive gross sales productiveness for what you are promoting, you’ve doubtless requested your self: What does good appear like? This month on the podcast, we’re serving to you reply this query by exploring finest practices on how one can ship strategic enablement with Highspot.

Right here to debate this subject is Evelyn Velasquez, the director of coaching and gross sales enablement at Hyster‑Yale Group. Thanks for becoming a member of Evelyn! I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position. 

Evelyn Velasquez: Thanks. I’m glad to be right here. My position performs a crucial position in supporting and enabling gross sales groups and channel companions to attain their gross sales targets and drive enterprise development by way of efficient coaching, enablement assets, and optimizing gross sales processes at Hyster‑Yale Group. 

SS: Fantastic. We’re excited to have you ever be a part of us, Evelyn. I’d like to only begin off by understanding out of your perspective, what are a few of the ways in which gross sales enablement can impression gross sales productiveness.

EV: I believe one of many ways in which our workforce does that successfully is by constructing out the content material, the calculators, and the instruments essential to have an efficient dialog with prospects. After I first began, a whole lot of our seller gross sales groups had been creating their very own, and we had been in a position to centralize that perform by offering one spot to entry these instruments. We had been eradicating a whole lot of that effort and work and actually focusing that salesperson on studying in regards to the buyer, their enterprise, and their wants and never worrying a lot about constructing content material. 

As you recognize, creating content material requires particular talent units that typically salespeople don’t have all the required instruments to construct the best content material to offer to prospects. That’s one of many issues that we do with our groups is to assist streamline that course of in order that salespeople can simply concentrate on promoting.

SS: I like that that concentrate on promoting is completely crucial today. Now, previous to implementing Highspot, what challenges possibly had been a few of your reps going through because it pertains to gross sales productiveness? 

EV: One of many challenges was simply discovering content material. We had this web site or this instrument, and you’ll do a seek for a particular subject or merchandise, and you’ll get a thousand outcomes, however you needed to go in and click on on every merchandise to establish if it was the merchandise that you simply had been searching for. Sooner or later, salespeople stopped going to that instrument and reaching for content material as a result of it’s simply not an efficient instrument, and that is within the period of Google the place you may seek for something and the primary three objects are often what you want. 

Properly, this web site was not offering us with that sort of assist, so we had been doing a whole lot of nice issues with content material, however not an important job in delivering that to our salespeople successfully. That was one in every of our main challenges. How will we create an ecosystem the place it’s simple to make use of, much like Google, they usually can discover what they want inside just a few steps? 

SS: I like that you simply guys are making it a lot simpler to your reps in relation to findability. How have you ever possibly began to unravel a few of these challenges since implementing Highspot?

EV: One of many issues that we did was we labored with all of our content material groups and we deployed Highspot and created the gross sales play. We began using that for product releases, however now, as a substitute of getting to go and know what one thing’s referred to as to search out it, the search bar inside Highspot is wonderful. Even when you didn’t know what precisely you had been searching for, it offers you options and different choices and associated materials, which is nice. 

You can too simply go on to the gross sales play for that product, and something that we’ve created that will help you drive these efficient conversations is centralized in a single space throughout completely different groups. That has been very highly effective as properly as a result of it’s really easy to search out all of the instruments, photographs, movies, and calculators that you simply want to have the ability to place no matter your proposition is to your buyer in a single spot, so that you’re not having to spend hours trying to find content material. 

SS: I agree. You undoubtedly decide up some efficiencies by eradicating that out of your rep’s day-to-day workflow. I’d love to know, Evelyn, what’s an instance of an initiative or a program that you simply’ve carried out to assist drive gross sales productiveness, and the way have you ever leveraged Highspot to assist this?

EV: Step one was like discovering the content material. How will we make that simple, after which the second step is the content material adequate? Are we driving the precise messaging and the precise instruments? The very last thing that we did was how will we create an ecosystem the place the salesperson doesn’t should go to a different web site to get content material as a result of their day-to-day is in Salesforce or a instrument like that for his or her CRM course of. 

The very last thing we did was combine Highspot with a CRM instrument, and that has been magical as a result of we’ve been in a position to pull related knowledge just like the gross sales, productiveness, and actions inside an account and serve up the particular content material and no matter stage they’re at within the gross sales course of. In the event that they’re within the discovery stage, they get particular instruments and content material, and training guides. In the event that they’re on the product facet, they get the product coaching, product, brochures, and technical data that the shopper will want. 

All they should do is simply work in Salesforce they usually get served up all the pieces they want once they’re on this particular stage. Our sellers have been very happy with that as a result of they don’t have to depart that instrument after which go to a different instrument to go discover the related data. It’s multi function space. 

SS: Unbelievable. In order I discussed within the intro, one factor that we’re attempting to know is what does good appear like? Out of your perspective, what does good appear like in relation to rep productiveness at your group? 

EV: That’s a very good query. Earlier than, issues weren’t built-in and the programs weren’t built-in, it was actually troublesome to measure the effectiveness of our gross sales enablement efforts with gross sales efficiency. Individuals can argue, properly, this particular person is simply total a very good salesperson, it’s not your ways or your methods which can be serving to them promote extra. What the mixing with Highspot and Salesforce did for us particularly was give us the info to now correlate how we’re truly impacting the gross sales workforce, and we had been in a position to generate a report that confirmed a direct correlation between if a salesman goes into Highspot, going into that particular gross sales play for that product that we simply launched, they took the gross sales product certification that was related. We see a correlation between their potential to have extra quotes within the system and their potential to shut extra offers.

Once you see the salesperson’s report they usually didn’t go into Highspot, or they didn’t take the coaching, or they’re not visiting that gross sales play, or they’re not closing as a lot or having elevated quotes with that particular product line. That’s one thing that we’re in a position to do now with the assist of the Highspot instrument that we didn’t have earlier than. It was very troublesome to measure gross sales enablement and whether or not that’s our performer, if we’re serving to them or not, with the ability to shut extra or get extra quotes. 

What that helps us do is establish these folks, meet with these folks, after which get extra details about what’s working, and never working, change our technique, and redeploy. It’s all about agility. At all times being present with the developments and what they’re seeing available in the market helps us to be the best, and be capable to share that with different groups. 

SS: I like that. I believe that’s an important instance of what attractiveness like. You talked loads about high performers. How do you establish what attractiveness like amongst your high performers and particularly, the behaviors which can be resulting in success? 

EV: As I discussed, the behaviors that we’re seeing, the direct correlation is they’re using the instruments, they’re taking the coaching, they’re leveraging all of the content material within the Highspot platform and profiting from that. The highest performers are those who’re sending out pitches. 

What we did at Hyster‑Yale Group is we created pitch scripts with developments and related knowledge, and there’s a whole lot of effort and work to place these pitch templates collectively. Prime performers are utilizing these and leveraging them to have the ability to get within the door with accounts or in a position to transfer to the subsequent stage per determination maker. It’s extraordinarily vital for us to have the ability to assist these high performers, and once more, like ensuring that what they’re specializing in is promoting and constructing their relationships and studying the accounts, not essentially discovering and creating content material. We’re seeing that their conduct is leveraging the issues that we create. 

SS: That’s unbelievable. Now, how do you then take what you’re seeing as what attractiveness like after which scale that throughout the gross sales groups particularly amongst possibly center or lower-performing reps?

EV: You undoubtedly should have a gross sales methodology in place. What’s the usual and a training program in place as properly so as to have the ability to scale? What we do is we create focus teams, so we do have knowledge and metrics to indicate us who’s performing with what product traces options, who’re in a position to get quotes, and who is ready to shut these quotes. We’re in a position to create these focus teams and have tailor-made conversations with these people and look by way of their gross sales course of, corresponding to what instruments they’re leveraging. 

We’re then in a position to then get these instruments, corresponding to in the event that they’re embedded they usually’re like on the underside of the gross sales play, we transfer them up after which we deploy them. We do have one in every of our VPs of selling, she is going to ship an electronic mail out to all the seller group with these instruments which can be working and the methods that high performers are deploying in order that others can study from these people. I believe that’s actually crucial.

It’s not simply creating content material, but additionally ensuring you’re speaking again to the enterprise. That is how you are able to do it, how one can leverage it, and what works properly, particularly when you can see the identical methodology being deployed and that particular person getting success. It’s vital to have the ability to prepare others on methods to do those self same steps in order that works out rather well.

Highspot has enabled us with the pitch performance, with the reporting, enabling us to be on the coaching facet proper of the system to have the ability to do all that very successfully and seamlessly inside one platform. Up to now, we used to have a separate studying administration system, a separate communication instrument to pitch and talk, after which in a separate content material repository after which one other instrument for reporting. I believe all this stuff are actually in a single system, and that actually helps us focus extra on studying the agility to get that studying and submit it again to the dealership, versus specializing in six completely different platforms and deploying by way of these as a result of it’s simply really easy to make use of and deploy issues by way of Highspot. 

SS: I at all times love listening to that. Now, clearly, with enablement, it’s crucial, particularly in relation to what attractiveness like to have the ability to share the outcomes of what enablement’s impression has been. What are a few of the key enterprise outcomes that your enablement workforce has been in a position to obtain since implementing Highspot? 

EV: We’ve just a few packages and we’re in a position to present that individuals who make the most of our instruments and our coaching are in a position to shut extra offers. That’s one, and the second piece is it has enabled us to create the coaching certifications and construct consultative talent units whereas utilizing the platform. This particularly has proven us that individuals who have gone by way of these extra in-depth coaching packages and are utilizing the instruments are additionally promoting extra.

It’s like a two-way reporting construction. One is thru the coaching arm and constructing specialization, and the opposite one is thru the agility of simply getting content material and assist. We’re seeing that once more, whether or not you’re going by way of the coaching arm and getting specialised or simply utilizing the instruments that you simply’re in a position to get extra quotes and promote and shut extra offers. 

That has been very impactful for us as a result of we’re aiming to get into particular area of interest markets, so we want this knowledge and reinforcement to ensure that we’re studying if our methods are working. Primarily, on the finish of the day, the goal is for our salespeople to attain their gross sales targets, so in the event that they’re assembly these, then we all know that we’re doing a very good job.

SS: Unbelievable. Final query for you, Evelyn. I’d love to listen to your recommendation for different enablement leaders that need to drive gross sales productiveness at their group. What’s an important motion that they’ll take to get began? 

EV: Simplify, simplify, simplify. I imply, gross sales rep at this time has loads that they should carry out, whether or not it’s getting into objects within the CRM, monitoring varied accounts, or figuring out the place they’re at in several levels. It’s so vital to simplify the method for them and ensure that no matter instruments you’re utilizing are sales-centric. I’m gonna say that as a result of we did examine a whole lot of completely different platforms they usually nonetheless didn’t combine the coaching, after which one other instrument, and it simply, once more, it simply wasn’t a easy course of.

Salespeople nonetheless wanted to go to a few or 4 completely different locations. For those who can simplify entry, simplify the flexibility to get issues cellular by way of their cellular apps, even their journey in the event that they’re within the CRM system, be capable to simplify that and ensure they’re getting what they want by way of that course of that’s going to assist salespeople be productive.

Actually put your self of their footwear and their day-to-day and ask your self like, are these too many steps to get to your doc? Are there obstacles to entry or are there 20 passwords to get to it? I imply, that’s not efficient. My recommendation, everybody, is basically have a look at your present state and simplify your steps and search for a very good platform that may aid you drive the issues that you simply need to drive extra effectively.

SS: I couldn’t agree extra. Evelyn, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us at this time. I admire your perception. 

EV: Thanks for having me. 

SS: To our viewers, thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win podcast. You should definitely tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can transcend what attractiveness like with Highspot.