Current Highspot analysis of greater than 500 world organizations revealed that by having a scientific method to habits change, you might be 34% extra prone to have enablement actions which might be aligned with key enterprise priorities. So how will you create a scientific method to drive outcomes by enablement?
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 traits within the office and methods to navigate them efficiently. Right here to debate this matter is Alexa Barden, development enablement at Rapid7. Thanks for becoming a member of, Alexa! I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position.
Alexa Barden: Thanks a lot, I’m pleased to be right here. My identify is Alexa Barden. I’ve served in a number of completely different roles and fields post-college. I began out my profession extra within the particular schooling realm. I’ve at all times had that knack for studying and enablement. Then I moved into numerous sorts of help, and account administration roles, adopted by coaching and growth, after which lastly the place I’m now, gross sales enablement.
From my instructional background and my present enablement position, as I mentioned, I’ve at all times had that deep ardour and curiosity within the learner’s journey and their expertise from begin to end. Having the ability to implement applications and see that full circle and full spectrum of the learners actually having the ability to grasp that materials and the content material and the ideas behind it’s all actually tremendous rewarding to me.
Particularly, my position at Rapid7 has additionally seen a number of completely different faces, just like my profession. I started having a hand extra so in our onboarding. by new rent facilitation, actually serving to to construct out a world gross sales institute program, after which it moved into extra of an ongoing mission and program administration kind of position, the place I’ll work with completely different stakeholders throughout the enterprise to assist higher perceive their wants throughout their segments and assist to deliver these to life.
Then the third a part of my position which is form of the place Highspot actually comes into play is targeted round our enablement tooling and likewise lots of the info in analytics that form of dwell in these. I hope to extract that knowledge from numerous sources and distill that down right into a extra digestible format for our management for my boss, for our workforce as a complete, to assist form of paint that full image into, no matter that initiative is and the way it’s doing and ensuring it’s profitable.
SS: I like that. You talked about the important thing parts of your enablement technique at Rapid7 and also you talked just a little bit about how Highspot helps you deliver a few of that to life, however are there different ways in which Highspot helps you deliver that technique to life?
AB: Yeah, positively. I might say past simply being a content material repository, and I believe we’ll most likely get into this as effectively, we’re new prospects of the Coaching and Teaching portion. Utilizing now for a studying administration system in addition to content material administration, our reps are totally geared up and enabled and in a position to see all the pieces in that single pane of glass view. They’re in a position to now have coaching combined in with the on a regular basis content material that they’re .
They will dive in and study extra about no matter that given matter is likely to be pertaining to our merchandise or our options. It’s actually cool that our sellers are in a position to have that full integrative expertise.
SS: Let’s speak about your individual journey in enablement at Rapid7, since you touched on it once more in your introduction, however you grew to become the answer proprietor of Highspot a few 12 months in the past. Are you able to share just a little bit about your journey over the previous 12 months?
AB: Yeah, positively. I might say it wasn’t essentially deliberate, however Highspot kind of fell in my lap and I’m very pleased about it. It was beforehand underneath one other workforce member who was dealing with completely different elements of onboarding and our industrial phase. Actually having a devoted and targeted proprietor has been nice since we focus on particularly the wants inside Highspot, enhancing the expertise for our sellers, and actually cleansing up that system.
Nobody had traditionally had the time to deal with it, in order that grew to become my focus. It’s actually led me to type a ardour and nearly craft now for all issues Highspot. I work with all the pieces from the UX design, the spot and tagging construction, and doing deep dives into that analytics piece, so getting actually detailed info on how our sellers are doing, what they’re , what they’re clicking on, what they’re sending to prospects and prospects, it’s been an enormous assist to our workforce to have a devoted particular person actually taking the time to deal with that.
SS: As an answer proprietor, you’ve made lots of important adjustments, together with, as you talked about a second in the past, implementing Coaching and Teaching and actually reorganizing your Highspot occasion. Are you able to inform us extra about this evolution of your enablement journey with Highspot?
AB: It began out with lots of points being surfaced after I moved over to essentially proudly owning the system. One of many greatest ones I used to be seeing amongst our sellers was content material findability, and to be candid, our system was just a little messy. There have been lots of outdated supplies in there. There was only a surplus of spots. There have been a complete bunch of tags that weren’t essentially getting used. There weren’t actually any governance insurance policies in place. It did make it troublesome for sellers to seek out what they wanted each shortly and effectively.
On prime of this, there wasn’t essentially a constant feel and look throughout our spots, throughout our touchdown pages. It made it just a little messy trying and overwhelming nearly as if just a little on our homepage and like I mentioned, there wasn’t lots of consistency there. All of the banners seemed just a little bit completely different, headers and issues like that. I might say the cohesion was additionally just a little bit missing. That was form of what began me on my journey. How can we tackle a few of these issues to make the system, initially, make us use it to its full potential and likewise make it a extra pivotal and significant a part of our vendor’s day-to-day duties?
The primary steps that I made up my mind had been wanted was beginning with primarily from a clean slate and doing a whole revamp of the system, which means beginning out with discovering all of that outdated, low-value content material that lots of people weren’t , and dealing to clear that out, get that litter out of the way in which. That was step one there, after which from there, it was a phased method by way of as soon as all the pieces was cleaned up ensuring that we condensed it down, so it lowered the quantity of spots, tags, and so forth and so forth.
SS: Simply to drill in just a little bit on the way you revamped your occasion, I do know that you simply guys went from having, as you talked about, a considerable variety of spots to a choose few, which helped to enhance findability. The truth is, I believe you guys now have 87% content material findability, which is implausible. How did this transformation enable you enhance the effectivity of your workforce?
AB: That discount was an enormous assist as a result of now it actually comes down to a few core areas that our sellers can go to seek out content material, that are content material associated to any of our answer choices, content material associated to our individuals and our processes, so the groups that our gross sales group would possibly interface with, after which additionally our newest form of information, updates, recordings from our all arms periods. In case you’re on the lookout for something now, it’s solely going to be in a kind of three sections.
That basically helped to get rid of that trial and error, that guessing. It’s making our reps much less reliant on that aimless looking out, simply popping in any form of phrase and seeing what comes up. Now that we’ve applied these easy three spots, we’ve lowered our tags considerably.
We’re seeing that our reps are literally utilizing these tags extra in the event that they’re on the lookout for a particular product, they’ll simply go click on into that product tag and both go to a sure curated touchdown web page or overview web page for that tag, or they’ll simply see that generic content material view of all the pieces pertaining to that particular tag. We’re seeing quite a bit much less aimless or doom-searching, no matter you form of wish to name it, which is strictly what we had been on the lookout for. That’s one of many greatest enhancements we’ve seen.
SS: That’s implausible. We’ve talked about this a number of instances. I do know that you simply lately applied Highspot’s Coaching and Teaching capabilities. How are you planning on incorporating Highspot Coaching and Teaching into your onboarding and ongoing coaching applications?
AB: That is one thing we’re tremendous enthusiastic about. We’re shifting previous that transitional section of shifting all of our content material over and constructing out all of these studying pathways within the Coaching and Teaching occasion. One of many drivers and issues we’re most enthusiastic about is what I discussed just a little bit earlier, that full integrative expertise and having the ability to floor key coaching proper subsequent to no matter collateral or gross sales deck or one pager it is likely to be. They will simply go from studying about X on this one-pager to letting me go forward and take this studying path about this as effectively to additional my data on the subject.
We’re additionally excited in regards to the stage of visibility we’ll be capable of get now utilizing Coaching and Teaching. With issues like, scorecards arising on the horizon, completion charges, progress, and issues like that, we’re actually trying ahead to getting that full image in considered one of all the pieces collectively the place you may see issues like completion charges click on quantity, issues like that on any specific web page or piece of content material to digital promoting metrics, multi function single house.
We are able to actually assist to focus our managers and practice them to allow them to use this info with their sellers to assist them with teaching, and likewise so our workforce could make extra knowledgeable selections about what coaching is nice and what we should always challenge extra of, and perhaps what coaching isn’t so nice and we might reduce on. It’s actually form of a double-edged sword there the place we may also help out from a supervisor teaching standpoint and likewise as an enablement workforce to higher inform our technique shifting ahead.
That’s what we’re most enthusiastic about by way of Coaching and Teaching after which particularly with our onboarding as effectively. One of many issues that we’ve been engaged on particularly is to create studying paths for every of our roles now as a result of the scope of enablement consists of not solely sellers however buyer success, our help group, and our gross sales engineers.
Serving to to construct out these extra individualized or personalised pathways for all of these individuals in a single unified, simply accessible location. That’s additionally what we’re actually enthusiastic about to have that studying web page and you may simply leap shortly into your role-specific studying path, and I believe that’s one thing we’re actually excited to start out constructing out by way of our onboarding.
SS: Sounds wonderful. You all have already got an 89% recurring utilization price of the platform, which is unimaginable, and it reveals that you simply guys are already seeing nice outcomes from all the work that you simply’re doing to optimize your use of Highspot. Are you able to share some finest practices for the way you’ve pushed adoption?
AB: I might say form of the largest driver for us at Rapid7 has been having very clear and concise communication with our go-to buyer workforce form of all through the method from begin to end. Working to maintain sellers within the loop about adjustments and likewise taking that point to teach and practice on these adjustments and finest practices actually goes a great distance, I discovered, versus form of simply placing out an announcement in a publication or an e-mail perhaps having some breakout periods or phase primarily based sections to coach up our customers and ensure they’re additionally utilizing the system most effectively.
One other side I discovered that’s big is having that govt buy-in from our management and having that trickle down and having them additionally actually clarify the why behind the significance of a software equivalent to Highspot. In our case, we’ve been getting our groups tremendous enthusiastic about all the AI capabilities popping out with Highspot, and we’ve been coining it as ‘expertise as our teammate’. What meaning to us is getting the instruments to give you the results you want, which is strictly what Highspot does. This enables us to release time, release sources, and as extra capabilities come out with Highspot Copilot, we all know there’s an enormous alternative to get managers extra intertwined of their workforce’s day-to-day. Additionally doubtlessly strengthen the relationships between not solely supervisor to vendor, but in addition enablement to the sellers as effectively.
In a long-winded reply that’s form of how we work to drive adoption in these three areas is having that clear, concise communication having that govt buy-in, after which additionally phrasing it as one thing that’s new and thrilling. Let’s speak about all the new AI capabilities. Let’s speak about digital promoting. Let’s speak about auto-generating descriptions and Highspot having the ability to reply your questions. I believe serving to to construct that pleasure is tremendous necessary additionally.
SS: Expertise as a teammate, that’s good. What enterprise outcomes have you ever seen since implementing Highspot?
AB: We’ve touched on a few these, however as you talked about, we’ve seen large enhancements in findability charges, as you famous, however simply general higher consumer expertise. Enthusiastic about how our reps are literally going into the system, discovering issues and since our spots and our tags had been narrowed down so considerably, this simply left little room for guessing by way of the place one thing would possibly dwell within the system. Our click on paths are tremendous easy. As I mentioned, should you’re on the lookout for one thing pertaining to a kind of three matters, our answer choices, our individuals in our course of, or our newest information, there are solely three areas you may go to.
It leaves little room for interpretation, for guessing and I discovered that limiting down in our occasion and for our firm and creating simplicity has been what’s pushed these outcomes probably the most. Maintaining it easy, protecting it concise, ensuring that we now have a constant governance coverage in place, so there’s at all times stakeholders that we’re working with which might be stepping into and reviewing issues on a sure cadence to ensure that they’re nonetheless getting used, that they’re nonetheless invaluable, and in the event that they’re outdated, ensuring that they’re form of simply eliminating them so that they’re not cluttering up the system.
SS: Inform me, Alexa, what’s subsequent for you and your workforce as you proceed to evolve your enablement journey with Highspot?
AB: Subsequent for us is working fairly intently with our product entrepreneurs and what we’re actually working to do is assist to create nearly a e-book or a particular space the place we will have a ton of digital promoting templates. Concerning each our merchandise and components of our gross sales course of. There are simply accessible fast templates that our sellers can simply seize on the prepared and pop in no matter they should customise to make the client or prospect really feel seen, really feel heard, and make it an actual curated expertise for them whereas additionally nonetheless having these templates within the again finish. It’s only a fast grab-and-go. If we’re within the discovery section, let me go forward and seize that discovery template.
That’s form of the place we’re headed. We’ll be doing a full launch of all of this collectively, so Coaching and Teaching finest practices use instances. We have already got some smaller cohorts in there proper now, and we’re seeing nice success with that, however once we roll out to the broader group arising at our gross sales kickoff, we’re actually excited to try this in tandem with our new digital promoting templates and likewise finest practices with these. It may be form of an enormous bundle abruptly the place we will create the hype for it and get individuals prepared for this new age of digital promoting.
SS: I like that, Alexa. Simply since you introduced up your SKO, how are you guys leveraging Highspot to help your gross sales kickoff?
AB: We at all times have a devoted and curated touchdown web page expertise. Our kickoff so not just for scheduling, to have that outlined for folk as a result of we’re a world group understanding when all the pieces goes to be taking place is tremendous necessary, but in addition as a useful resource for all the pieces kickoff. It’s the place all of our recordings can dwell. We are able to create completely different pathways for every kind of matter that’s mentioned or for every day, slightly, and we’ve organized it in numerous methods up to now, however we at all times prefer to have that be our hub for all issues kickoff and Highspot.
That’s simply the place our sellers know to go, the place our stakeholders know to go. and it actually creates that ease of use only for our customers to really feel assured in understanding what’s going to be mentioned, getting that recording in the event that they weren’t in a position to attend and likewise form of extra sources as effectively, and form of what’s up subsequent, what’s to come back. Having that each one outlined in a curated hub has been tremendous useful for us and we’re seeking to proceed that shifting ahead as effectively.
SS: I do know SKO is prime of thoughts for lots of parents proper now.
AB: It’s that point of 12 months for certain.
SS: Final query for you, Alexa, what recommendation do you might have for others who want to improve their enablement maturity journey with Highspot?
AB: I might say the largest factor is to maintain asking questions. I’m certain my account workforce, I’ve pushed them nuts a handful of instances, however that’s okay. Simply hold asking. The extra you recognize, the extra you’re going to have the ability to enhance the expertise. Whether or not that be about reporting, finest practices, utilizing the system, in regards to the visible consumer expertise no matter you and your workforce are hoping to study extra about, don’t be afraid to ask.
The extra you study in regards to the system and the extra geared up you might be, the higher you’ll be at coaching your individual groups on it as effectively. I can’t essentially converse for all the Highspot workers, as I discussed, however my particular account workforce has been completely unimaginable all through our Coaching and Teaching implementation. We’ve been assembly twice weekly, generally 3 times weekly, no matter it takes to form of get the questions answered. They’re at all times there for us, and so they’re superior.
In the event that they don’t know the reply, they’re discovering it for us inside a really brief time window, which is nice. That’s actually what it’s. It at all times simply retains asking questions as a result of there’s by no means going to be an excessive amount of data you may have. It’s at all times going to assist higher put together you. So at all times be studying.
SS: Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. I actually recognize it.
AB: Thanks a lot for taking the time to talk with me. I like speaking about Highspot. I might do all of it day, so anytime you let me know.
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.
