Analysis from Gallup discovered that engaged workers are extra productive, leading to a 21% improve in income. So how will you ship partaking 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 your small business, 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 realize their gross sales targets and drive enterprise development by means 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 number of the ways in which gross sales enablement can affect gross sales productiveness.

EV: I feel 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 clients. After I first began, quite a lot of our seller gross sales groups had been creating their very own, and we had been capable of centralize that perform by offering one spot to entry these instruments. We had been eradicating quite a lot of that effort and work and actually focusing that salesperson on studying concerning the buyer, their enterprise, and their wants and never worrying a lot about constructing content material. 

As you understand, creating content material requires particular talent units that typically salespeople don’t have all the mandatory instruments to construct the best content material to provide to clients. 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 give attention to promoting.

SS: I like that that target promoting is completely crucial lately. 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 software, and you’ll do a seek for a selected 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 just had been searching for. Sooner or later, salespeople stopped going to that software and reaching for content material as a result of it’s simply not an efficient software, and that is within the period of Google the place you possibly can seek for something and the primary three objects are normally what you want. 

Nicely, this web site was not offering us with that sort of help, so we had been doing quite a lot of nice issues with content material, however not an excellent job in delivering that to our salespeople successfully. That was certainly one of our main challenges. How can we create an ecosystem the place it’s simple to make use of, much like Google, and so they can discover what they want inside a number of steps? 

SS: I like that you just guys are making it a lot simpler to your reps relating to findability. How have you ever possibly began to resolve 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 an alternative 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 in the event you didn’t know what precisely you had been searching for, it offers you strategies and different choices and associated materials, which is nice. 

It’s also possible to 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 nicely as a result of it’s really easy to search out all of the instruments, pictures, movies, and calculators that you just 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 looking for content material. 

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

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

The very last thing we did was combine Highspot with a CRM software, and that has been magical as a result of we’ve been capable of 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 aspect, they get the product coaching, product, brochures, and technical info that the client will want. 

All they must do is simply work in Salesforce and so they get served up every part they want after they’re on this particular stage. Our sellers have been very happy with that as a result of they don’t have to go away that software after which go to a different software to go discover the related info. It’s multi functional space. 

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

EV: That’s an excellent query. Earlier than, issues weren’t built-in and the techniques 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, nicely, this particular person is simply total an excellent salesperson, it’s not your ways or your methods which might be serving to them promote extra. What the mixing with Highspot and Salesforce did for us particularly was give us the information to now correlate how we’re truly impacting the gross sales workforce, and we had been capable of 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 capacity to have extra quotes within the system and their capacity to shut extra offers.

While you see the salesperson’s report and so they 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 capable of do now with the help of the Highspot software 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, having 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. All the time being present with the traits and what they’re seeing out there helps us to be the best, and be capable of share that with different groups. 

SS: I like that. I feel that’s an excellent instance of what attractiveness like. You talked rather a lot about high performers. How do you establish what attractiveness like amongst your high performers and specifically, the behaviors which might 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 benefiting 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 traits and related knowledge, and there’s quite a lot of effort and work to place these pitch templates collectively. High performers are utilizing these and leveraging them to have the ability to get within the door with accounts or capable of transfer to the subsequent stage per choice maker. It’s extraordinarily essential for us to have the ability to help 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 habits is leveraging the issues that we create. 

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

EV: You positively must have a gross sales methodology in place. What’s the usual and a training program in place as nicely 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 strains options, who’re capable of get quotes, and who is ready to shut these quotes. We’re capable of create these focus teams and have tailor-made conversations with these people and look by means of their gross sales course of, reminiscent of what instruments they’re leveraging. 

We’re then capable of then get these instruments, reminiscent of in the event that they’re embedded and so they’re like on the underside of the gross sales play, we transfer them up after which we deploy them. We do have certainly one of our VPs of promoting, she’s going to ship an e mail out to the complete seller group with these instruments which might be working and the methods that high performers are deploying in order that others can be taught from these people. I feel 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 nicely, particularly in the event you can see the identical methodology being deployed and that particular person getting success. It’s essential to have the ability to prepare others on the way to do those self same steps in order that works out very well.

Highspot has enabled us with the pitch performance, with the reporting, enabling us to be on the coaching aspect proper of the system to have the ability to do all that very successfully and seamlessly inside one platform. Prior to now, we used to have a separate studying administration system, a separate communication software to pitch and talk, after which in a separate content material repository after which one other software for reporting. I feel all these items at the moment are 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 means of these as a result of it’s simply really easy to make use of and deploy issues by means of Highspot. 

SS: I all the time love listening to that. Now, clearly, with enablement, it’s crucial, particularly relating to what attractiveness like to have the ability to share the outcomes of what enablement’s affect has been. What are a number of the key enterprise outcomes that your enablement workforce has been capable of obtain since implementing Highspot? 

EV: We’ve a number of packages and we’re capable of present that individuals who make the most of our instruments and our coaching are capable of 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 means 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 help. We’re seeing that once more, whether or not you’re going by means of the coaching arm and getting specialised or simply utilizing the instruments that you just’re capable of 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 be sure that we’re studying if our methods are working. Basically, on the finish of the day, the goal is for our salespeople to realize their gross sales targets, so in the event that they’re assembly these, then we all know that we’re doing an excellent job.

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

EV: Simplify, simplify, simplify. I imply, gross sales rep in the present day has rather a lot that they must carry out, whether or not it’s getting into objects within the CRM, monitoring numerous accounts, or understanding the place they’re at in several levels. It’s so essential to simplify the method for them and be sure that no matter instruments you’re utilizing are sales-centric. I’m gonna say that as a result of we did examine quite a lot of completely different platforms and so they nonetheless didn’t combine the coaching, after which one other software, and it simply, once more, it simply wasn’t a easy course of.

Salespeople nonetheless wanted to go to 3 or 4 completely different locations. When you can simplify entry, simplify the flexibility to get issues cell by means of their cell apps, even their journey in the event that they’re within the CRM system, be capable of simplify that and ensure they’re getting what they want by means 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 limitations to entry or are there 20 passwords to get to it? I imply, that’s not efficient. My recommendation, everybody, is actually take a look at your present state and simplify your steps and search for an excellent platform that may aid you drive the issues that you just need to drive extra effectively.

SS: I couldn’t agree extra. Evelyn, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us in the present day. I respect your perception. 

EV: Thanks for having me. 

SS: To our viewers, 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 transcend what attractiveness like with Highspot.