Based on analysis from Forrester, 74% of patrons select the gross sales rep who was first so as to add worth and perception. So, how are you going to ship a standout expertise to win over fashionable patrons?
Shawnna Sumaoang: Hello, and welcome to the Win-Win podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Be a part of us as we dive into altering developments within the office and tips on how to navigate them efficiently.

Right here to debate this matter is Jose Sanchez, the product advertising supervisor at Hexagon. Thanks for becoming a member of us. I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position. 

Jose Sanchez: Sure, after all. Thanks a lot for having me. That is actually nice and ideal timing as a result of I’ve been utilizing it even this week.

We have been at a commerce present, so I’ve been utilizing the platform. It’s been nice. My background is technical. I did geological engineering. So I used to be in mining. I used to be in a consulting agency after which ultimately obtained to be, uh, an engineer for Hexagon, however I all the time had a bit of little bit of a artistic background, artistic issues occurring, floating round.

So it did drive me again to wish to be extra artistic, and so a advertising place opened in Hexagon in our division and I went for it and I obtained it. So it’s been 4 years now that I’ve been doing product advertising and I believe that’s been a very good method to type of transfer by way of totally different elements of our firm.

SS: Superb. Thanks for type of taking us by way of that. I’d truly like to double click on on that, since you’ve been with Hexagon for nearly twenty years and also you began in that technical position and have transitioned into product advertising. Are you able to stroll us by way of that journey and the way has your background influenced your strategy to your go-to-market technique?

JS: Oh yeah, for certain. I believe I’m blessed in with the ability to perceive elements of the technical aspect that perhaps the remainder of the advertising staff doesn’t, they usually lean on me rather a lot on that. So yeah, I believe that journey and that background made it in order that my present position, which is basically speaking to the product growth staff, and developing with go to market methods after which imparting that info to the remainder of the advertising staff, the designers, and the videographers, everyone, in order that we are able to get that message out correctly. So I believe that my background has actually influenced the way in which I do go to market methods due to the technical aspect of issues.

SS: Superb. And as a product marketer, what are a number of the largest challenges that you just’re seeing in relation to partaking fashionable patrons all through the journey and the way are you overcoming a few of these challenges? 

JS: That’s a very good query. I believe the largest problem for us on this trade, and it’s in all probability not distinctive to our trade, however our gross sales cycles are actually lengthy. There’s relationships that should get constructed, typically it will possibly take years. And so it requires lots of listening to our gross sales individuals, listening to them to know what they’re utilizing, what’s helpful for them and what’s not. In order that’s been an enormous problem as a result of typically a advertising staff can simply go off and say, hey, we’re gonna create brochures.

We’re gonna create this and this. And probably not know whether or not they’re utilizing it or not. Highspot has been instrumental in that as a result of we have been noticing these numbers weren’t wanting good. They weren’t sharing issues out, they weren’t pitching out, and so we simply began having far more conversations with them and that overcame that problem.

We’re in a significantly better place now the place we all know what they want. We all know what they like and what they don’t like. To construct these relationships to have the ability to promote issues. 

SS: Superb. And in your opinion, what distinctive worth does an enablement platform provide in relation to creating and delivering impactful shopping for experiences?

JS: I believe it, it goes very a lot hand in hand with the, the reply for the final query. Having a spot the place everyone, not simply the advertising staff, however the gross sales staff and even the product builders can go to and see what’s on the market, see what’s being mentioned about their merchandise and the way it’s being introduced, after which with the ability to give suggestions.

That’s incalculable, how wonderful that’s. As a result of, you realize, earlier than it was SharePoint, it was a folder, or in groups, there’s simply channels and also you simply stick recordsdata in there. No person has any concept. Whether or not it’s the latest or the very best, or whether or not it’s good or not. So I believe that’s actually been a tremendous factor for us to have the ability to use, that it’s not only a repository, I don’t wanna name it a repository, however a spot the place they’ll go, a hub, the place they’ll see the newest and know that it’s been certified and suggestions has been given on it.

SS: Superb. And you might be truly utilizing Highspot to create some actually spectacular and interactive experiences, together with leveraging digital rooms for commerce exhibits and buyer tales. Are you able to share extra about these initiatives? 

JS: Yeah, no, this is likely one of the nice issues that I’ve actually loved about working with Highspot is our account managers and we now have a biweekly assembly.

It’s only a brief little assembly the place they, we now have questions for them, they replace us on issues. And people conferences have been wonderful at discovering out, ’trigger Highspot is so sturdy, there’s a lot that we. Can use and we don’t even know. So having these conversations, that’s the way it got here out. We began saying, Hey, we now have this large commerce present.

We wanna have one thing interactive on the ground the place we are able to inform tales about how our clients are utilizing our expertise. And so they steered digital rooms they usually confirmed it to us. That is, I believe nonetheless when it had simply come out and I assumed that sounded good. It was a straightforward interface that was on a contact display screen on our flooring.

Salespeople might stroll. Prospects over and present them, hey, you’re an underground, minor. Have a look at this case examine. And a video would come up and actually, very nice method to work together after which shareable. In order that was actually simply drove it residence. You recognize, you possibly can speak to them, present them they usually say, you realize, I’m gonna ship you this.

Right here’s your e mail. And it might go, and it was tracked. So these digital rooms have grow to be one thing that we’re now utilizing at each commerce present. We simply used it now in Montreal for one of many large commerce exhibits we have been in. And it’s humorous as a result of it additionally opened the door for simply. Different Highspot issues as effectively.

Lots of, I noticed uh, through the week that salespeople have been simply opening up Highspot on the pill so they may present them something. It didn’t simply should be the digital room. They have been truly pitching reside as in the event that they have been on a name or one thing, however simply there on the ground and it was nice. It was nice to see that.

SS: Superb. What are a few of your greatest practices for creating efficient Digital Rooms on your groups to leverage? 

JS: That theme that I’ve been speaking about, about listening to our gross sales groups is basically necessary for that. They’re those that drove what we have been telling on that Digital Room, that particular one, after which new ones have come up.

So listening to the salespeople and the regional discipline entrepreneurs, we’ve realized, oh. They go to commerce exhibits which might be nearly underground mining, for instance, or simply about blasting. And so if we are able to create a digital room and even educate them to create their very own Digital Rooms, that concept has sparked many, many extra individuals desirous to make their very own.

So we’ve already began making little offshoots of that first one with totally different flavors. So yeah, that might be my recommendation. Take heed to your salespeople they usually might drive precisely the way in which you have to make issues. 

SS: And talking about that in rolling out Digital Rooms to your staff, I imagine you began along with your BDR staff and are actually increasing your focus to your account administration staff. How are you driving adoption throughout these groups? 

JS: Adoption for us has been a problem from the very starting. We’re studying on the very starting what could possibly be finished, what couldn’t be finished. So we determined to get a bit of bit extra precise with the way in which we have been utilizing Highspot, and that’s what spawned all of the, all the brand new collateral that we’ve created and saved there for them to pitch in addition to the Digital Rooms.

And so I believe beginning with our enterprise growth managers was only a actually apparent method to tackle one thing that was wanted instantly. You recognize, that is our new enterprise. They’re going on the market and making an attempt to seize as many new audiences and even current clients, however for brand new expertise. So beginning with them was nice.

It was perhaps, if you’ll, a bit extra aggressive. Lots of the collateral that we wanted, like these Digital Rooms or for proper now, we want these conversations to occur. We’ve now began speaking to our account managers as effectively. We simply had a convention of all account managers getting collectively, I imply our headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, from around the globe.

And we did began doing the identical factor, listening to what they want and what’s efficient, what’s not for them to speak with current clients. So I believe that transition and that adoption for the brand new staff, the account managers, as quickly as they begin additionally working with their regional enterprise growth managers, they notice, oh, okay, I can use this.

After which they’ll take it and use this half. So it’s all related and I believe that adoption’s nice. And to be sincere, each time I’ve had any type of enablement the place I’m exhibiting. The capabilities of Digital Rooms or Highspot with my staff. Simply exhibiting them the speedy monitoring. You recognize, that any person opens the pitch you simply despatched and also you get in your cellphone, you get a ding, they usually love that.

As quickly as they see that, they’re like, oh my god, that’s wonderful. In order that I believe has additionally actually upped the adoption is individuals getting enthusiastic about it. 

SS: Superb. And I like how a few of that’s even occurring organically now. What influence have you ever seen so removed from leveraging digital rooms to interact your patrons throughout their journey? And are there any key wins or notable enterprise outcomes you possibly can share?

JS: Sure, positively. Our advertising staff has all the time relied on what we get as suggestions from our salespeople, and particularly now, that’s the the type of new technique we’re taking. So the variety of pitches is for us proper now, gold is what we have a look at.

If that quantity begins dropping, we now have to see why is that piece not getting used? We’re not being pitched, so we’re consistently monitoring. What’s occurring in addition to simply getting verbal suggestions or emails. We encourage everybody to provide us suggestions on items. So yeah, I believe, uh, the numbers have gone up.

The variety of pitches have gone up. These digital rooms are going out at each commerce present. We made a Spanish model as effectively that was requested by our LATAM staff and I believe it’s very apparent if you have a look at. Earlier than Digital Rooms. We began utilizing it for our large commerce present, my expo final September.

Earlier than that, the numbers dramatically elevated afterwards, in order that’s the way in which we’ve been capable of measure that. 

SS: Superb. Now, we talked about this on the onset, however along with your robust technical background, how do you leverage information and insights to tell and enhance the packages that you just’re main? 

JS: That’s a very good query, particularly for our expertise and our, our group of suites that we promote particularly as a result of we all the time discuss information and we all the time speak in regards to the energy of knowledge, having the ability that can assist you determine issues, making selections, making modifications in your technique.

And so I believe for us, speaking to our account supervisor from Highspot, we realized that we are able to get these stories and it provides us such nice insights right down to the granular, you realize, who’s utilizing what. And that to us is wonderful. In our options, we do the identical factor. We inform our purchasers that every one this information that’s being produced, vans shifting, individuals driving.

Security operations and planning, all the pieces comes collectively in a mine and produces information. And if you happen to can seize that information and truly make sense of it and begin making selections based mostly off of it, it’s the very best. And we’ve began doing that now with Highspot. We’ve been capable of say, this technique’s not working, let’s transfer on.

Or let’s change it and make it work this manner. Or, wow, that one’s actually working, we’ve gotta do extra of that. So sure, positively the engineering aspect of me loves seeing graphs and loves seeing charts that, and never essentially that all the time say good issues. It’s. Actually nice once they don’t let you know good issues as a result of that’s the way you study. And I believe Highspot has that for certain. 

SS: I like that. Final query for you, Jose. For different product advertising leaders that want to enhance purchaser engagement, particularly on this what’s turning into a really digital first world, what’s the largest piece of recommendation you could possibly give them? 

JS: Yeah, I believe I’ve already talked about it a few occasions. You in all probability seen the theme, however, listening, listening to the people who find themselves utilizing this collateral, who’re utilizing these digital rooms or no matter you have got in Highspot. And it goes past Highspot, after all. It’s your web site, something that you just’re creating, movies that you just’re posting up on YouTube or wherever you’re doing it, listening to what’s efficient and what’s not, from the boots on the bottom, if you’ll.

They’re those who actually are gonna be utilizing these things. And in the event that they’re probably not into it, you then’re not gonna achieve success. In order that’s my primary piece of recommendation is hearken to them, have conversations with them one-on-one. It actually helps. 

SS: Superb. Effectively, Jose, thanks once more a lot for becoming a member of us. I actually respect it. 

JS: After all. Thanks a lot for having me. 

SS: To our viewers, 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.