Based on Salesforce analysis, 66% of gross sales representatives really feel overwhelmed by the variety of instruments they use. So how will you streamline your tech stack to reinforce operational effectivity and drive income progress?
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 tendencies within the office and how you can navigate them efficiently.

Right here to debate this matter is Serge Lobo, the Chief Income Officer at Loadstone. Thanks for becoming a member of us. I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position. 

Serge Lobo: Thanks, Shawnna. Thanks for having me right here immediately. What is that this yr immediately? So I’m 27 years in gross sales, 23 years in gross sales administration.

I used to work for a number of totally different recognized manufacturers like Microsoft, HP, Pegasystems, Ingenico, and SAS, in order that’s a well-known analytics firm. And now I’m chief income officer, so we attempt to get The best title for my place as a result of these days in dimension enterprise, the income comes not solely from gross sales, but additionally from retention of the shoppers.

So my position is definitely to wrench all of the gross sales processes and be sure that the shoppers are getting the best impression in order that we managed to retain them after which be sure that they develop along with us. 

SS: Wonderful. Effectively, thanks once more for becoming a member of us immediately. Given your intensive expertise in gross sales management throughout each massive enterprises and startup organizations, I’d love to know how does your background affect your technique for driving international income progress at Loadstone?

SL: I play the considering initially, so earlier than making any strikes, any dialogue. So we have to consider what can we wish to obtain right here slightly than simply get the contract. Yeah, it’s not so simple as it was while you get a name after which simply because you’ve got an interesting piece of software program, somebody getting excited after which simply indicators the contract.

Not anymore. A whole lot of rivals, like in our area, we simply made a tough calculations and we had. We counted like 14, 000 corporations worldwide which might be doing just about the identical issues as we do 14, 000. Yeah, that’s rather a lot. And, uh, the idea that I apply is that initially, so we have to consider how we drive the method after which go after automation of that.

So we have to design the processes. We have to get to construct the working mannequin, after which we have to perceive the necessities for the methods for the methods that we wish to deploy and to learn from them. And naturally, nicely, all that. Goes by way of the, uh, income considering. I’m a chief income officer.

So I’m partially accountable not just for income, but additionally for spendings. Yeah. So spendings are additionally the important thing parts. So each resolution that we’re utilizing ought to be price environment friendly for us. 

SS: Wonderful. And I perceive Lodestone lately went by way of a rebrand, which may carry plenty of important modifications for the gross sales crew.

What are a few of your finest practices for serving to your groups successfully navigate this transition? 

SL: Effectively, initially is, uh, we have to be clear. Yeah. We have to be clear and we have to ensure that the crew buys the final thought. After which the crew is prepared for change. Trigger as for any human being, the change is the most important problem.

Yeah. So after 5 years previous, so then we’re actually hesitant to alter, which is shocking earlier than 5 years, we wish to strive the whole lot. You wish to change the whole lot like daily. After we’re 5 years previous. So we turn out to be actually hesitant to that. That’s just about the key problem that we’ve got after we change something within the firm.

We gained’t change the gross sales course of and we have to promote that first to individuals. And typically it’s, it’s not a simple process. And so we strive totally different technique of getting that to individuals in order that they begin to use that. It’s as a result of it’s not solely to make. Individuals attempt to stand that, proper? Nevertheless it’s additionally like, do you utilize that in like on a regular basis work?

Do you utilize that in on a regular basis buyer discussions? Do you utilize that while you discuss to your friends? And in order that’s most tough. And so we spend an enormous period of time now when it comes to like getting them to individuals in order that they begin utilizing that. Yeah. Trigger we’ve got individuals from totally different generations, totally different background, totally different expertise.

And so in fact, nicely, they attempt to use the expertise first. All proper, so we are actually in Lodestone. Okay, so what’s your product, product X, Y, Z. All proper, let me attempt to promote that. After which we have to ensure that individuals are doing that in the best manner. Yeah. Trigger we see that there’s a finest follow and there’s some practices which have little or no propensity to achieve success.

Yeah. So we have to improve that probability. We have to give individuals not solely the automation instruments, but additionally the methodology and the method instruments in order that they converse in the best approach to the shoppers. 

SS: Completely. And as you talked about, when these organizational modifications occur, you usually must reshape the gross sales course of.

And I do know that’s one in all your key focuses. What challenges have you ever confronted in optimizing gross sales processes and the way have you ever overcome them? 

SL: Effectively, the primary is to measure the measurement of the present standing and the measurement of the goal standing, say in my profession once they attempt to do the key change, so then individuals wish to transfer quick.

Yeah, okay So let’s transfer quick. Let’s change the whole lot Let’s do it for one of the best However then after we attempt to analyze and to suppose on what will probably be a profitable change. Then we have to outline the goal the place we’re immediately the place we wish to go sooner or later And that’s the primary factor. Then the second factor is absolutely to get individuals concerned into that change.

And what I do often all through my profession since my early administration years, so I attempt to contain individuals, you already know, so involving individuals into designing that course of as a result of they find out about what’s occurring within the area after which they know higher what may work in an effort to do it finest. Yeah. After which in fact, nicely, if there are some good individuals with totally different expertise additionally, however totally different perspective to the method.

In order that they often get some actually good insights and actually good advisors and me as a supervisor. So I often facilitate that course of, though I’d know the ultimate reply. So, however I then information individuals to the ultimate reply, which is true in order that they can’t escape them from deploying that and utilization of these course of, these concepts, these pointers that they designed actually for themselves.

SS: I believe these are some nice finest practices now out of your perspective, what’s the strategic benefit of an enablement platform and serving to organizations enhance gross sales processes and actually drive operational effectivity? 

SL: Some years in the past, I heard that assertion when the boss requested, what if we allow individuals train them to do they usually go away? After which the gross sales supervisor solutions that query with one other query.

What if we don’t allow them? We don’t train them they usually keep. In order that’s actually it. In order that’s a key ingredient of any profitable gross sales group to allow individuals, not solely of the product data, not solely of the pricing instruments, however the best way you promote that, as a result of these days this isn’t a problem to promote one thing.

It’s actually, the problem, the large problem is to purchase, and if we analyze the client processes, then we’ll discover out that the method to purchase one thing is by way more sophisticated than the method to promote one thing. And so we want now to know and to information our salespeople, to be the helper in that journey, for the client to satisfy their shopping for intentions, to satisfy their shopping for course of in one of the best ways, as a result of nicely, they purchase it as soon as, however we promote it like on a a number of instances.

And so we now. What are the intentions of the client within the means of what would be the subsequent step? Easy methods to justify this or that step, justify this or that quantity. Yeah, so all of these speaking to individuals in numbers, speaking to individuals in financials that requires an enormous quantity of routine operations and an enormous quantity of expertise.

So you have to be very snug to try this. Yeah, and in an effort to try this, you can’t try this on the fly. So you have to be enabled correctly. It’s essential be enabled by way of the enterprise instances. It’s essential be enabled by way of the rehearsals of the pitches. It’s essential be enabled by way of the templates. And naturally, all of that, the mix of all these streams.

So it turns into sort of crucial a part of the, uh, within the firm, as a result of all the remaining is simply the outcomes on how good your individuals are skilled, how good individuals are enabled in the event that they’re not. There’s a little or no probability that they kind nicely and also you construct up the sustainable system of gross sales, a sustainable group.

And that’s why truly, so the very first thing I did in Loadstone, once I joined the corporate, I requested, can we use any sort of database or data base enablement system? Do we’ve got any enabling processes for individuals who come to Lodestone, who come to, uh, to affix our nice crew and, uh, ensure that we multiply our, Profitable instances and finest practices.

And the reply was like, nicely, actually, so yeah, we received some Google Docs, a number of slides for individuals making an attempt to serve there. And, um, actually, in order that they, typically they only get drawn in these a number of artifacts and by no means, by no means got here up. In order that’s why we determined for a special method. 

SS: Effectively, I like that you simply’re taking that and from a gross sales chief perspective, what position does management play in actually fostering a tradition of effectivity?

SL: Let me provide you with an instance. So for each single new worker that comes right into a shopper going through position, I spend at the least 4 and a half hours of my time for each single worker, not a gaggle stage, like on particular person stage on getting individuals by way of our working mannequin. How can we work on getting individuals recognized?

What can we promote on getting individuals know? What are the key instruments that I’m trying as a zero on the administration? So signifies that We attempt to get our staff, our gross sales or shopper going through individuals, not solely by way of the instruments, but additionally by way of the cultural DNA. So what the corporate is, what are we doing? Effectively, why are we doing this?

Why we don’t try this? Why we don’t push within the merchandise? Why I didn’t want the contract with out data of the shoppers? Yeah. As a result of typically, nicely, there are individuals who come as much as and say, Hey, right here’s a contract. I simply signed it. I stated, do you’ve got sufficient details about that buyer? Effectively, who cares?

Yeah, I simply signed the contract. Effectively, I do care as a result of, nicely, there’s a bit of probability to retain that buyer in a single or two years simply because, nicely, we did the final job throughout the gross sales course of. No, that’s not the DNA of the corporate, and we defined that proper from the start of the worker journey in our firm.

SS: I like that. I like that’s a part of the DNA. Now, you talked about that automation has performed a key position in serving to you drive operational effectivity, similar to your automated course of for content material governance. Are you able to inform us extra about this course of and the way you’re automating gross sales workflows? 

SL: Effectively, the gross sales workflows are being automated with an answer from the corporate known as Pipedrive.

In order that’s our gross sales automation instrument. However the whole lot apart of that, so it means the data base and a few elements of the client interplay workflows, together with studying and administration, we’re automating that with Highspot. So we’ve got here throughout Highspot a few years in the past. And so I discovered it actually fascinating as a result of I do know in my earlier corporations we’ve had.

Self enablement platforms. And that point I used to be like considering, okay, so we don’t have sufficient sources to develop something, which might be at the least on the stage of what I used to have in my earlier corporations. After which I got here throughout Highspot and I used to be like, actually? So can these guys do that and this and this?

After which we got here by way of a few use instances after which we perceive, okay, so Highspot is an effective, most likely a wide variety for us. After which once I understood that this can be a nice choice for us is that after we begin speaking cash. Trigger this was actually just like the, the one supplier who managed to persuade me from the cash standpoint, from monetary standpoint, slightly than the options and features.

So, and that’s nonetheless the instance for, even for my salespeople, I nonetheless have that first proposal from Highspot saying, all proper, so that is how the proposal ought to appear to be for, for our prospects, as a result of that speaks when it comes to financials, largely slightly than options and features. Then that impressed me rather a lot.

And so I understood that firm smart, we’ve got just about comparable DNA. As a result of we additionally discuss to our prospects, not for options and features, however by way of the profit that they might get from utilization of our software program. 

SS: Effectively, I’ve to say, you guys are doing wonderful with streamlining these processes. And also you’ve additionally pushed actually robust engagement from the gross sales crew with 95 % recurring utilization and Highspot.

What are a few of your finest practices for driving adoption of those investments that you simply’ve made in instruments in your gross sales crew? 

SL: Effectively, initially, what I used to be impressed originally is how I’d use that for buyer interactions. So the performance of what they name the pitching and that reworked into creation of Digital Rooms.

So that enables us to create a really private lending. Content material web page for all prospects. So each time I wish to share one thing with the shoppers, I make my individuals to share that by way of the pitching of the Highspot as a result of I can positively say whether or not this content material was enticing or not, whether or not this content material was learn, how a lot time was spent in studying of that content material?

As a result of that’s crucial for me. And I had a few instances I even had some nasty prospects had a state of affairs when, you already know, me personally, I used to be sending them the pitch after which I known as them and stated, hey, we spend a time, we ready a proposal for you. Effectively, what do you say? He stated, nicely, um, I learn this proposal.

I by no means noticed that being opened and we don’t go, okay, all proper. So I don’t wish to spend the time with you simply because, nicely, it doesn’t make sense for you. Okay. If it doesn’t make sense for you, it doesn’t make sense for us, however pitching is a vital a part of customized interactions and that drove plenty of ROI for us.

As a result of we now see that these prospects who’re largely interacting with this touchdown pages, private touchdown pages, they shut the offers with us fairly quick. So then the second is, in fact, for the interior data base. So we discovered that these people who find themselves most readers in Highspot, they’re, shock shock, our prime performers, yeah? As a result of in plenty of instances, you may face this case while you simply create some sort of piece of content material and then you definitely ask your individuals to learn this, learn this, hearken to this, watch this, after which say, nicely, pay attention, nicely, I don’t have time, I’ve a customized assembly, I don’t have time, it’s simply too lengthy, are you able to simply make it one web page of me?

And the underside line, those that learn most are the highest performers. What a sequence, yeah? In order that construction truly helps us to construct up the gross sales guides to examine what are essentially the most helpful items of data that we’ve got in a excessive spot, additionally from to spend the time on creating or cease creating sure items of content material at a time.

SS: Completely. Completely. These are wonderful. And since implementing Highspot, do you’ve got any enterprise outcomes you can share or any wins you can share? 

SL: Effectively, actually, it’s actually exhausting to measure the effectiveness of gross sales enablement slightly than by way of the gross sales outcomes. And so I do know for certain that we elevated our conversion charges by 110%.

In order that’s, that’s the official quantity from our Pipedrive. So simply getting ready for the session, I requested the CRM crew, what’s the outcome or what do we’ve got from numbers? And it instructed me, nicely, we’ve got this and this and this. And I believe, nicely, that is the very best award for me. To know what’s the effectivity of Highspot in Loadstone.

Yeah, 110 % of onversion progress. And, we’ve got immediately, I believe, over 7, 000 artifacts or items of data that we uploaded. And we’ve got a really, uh, a really huge open fee for these pitches that, that our prospects are getting from our shopper success managers. In order that’s, we’re delivering, I believe whereas we’re delivering at the least month to month, that’s a special quantity, however that is round 200 pitches monthly for us, which signifies that we’ve got plenty of these private interactive classes.

SS: Wonderful. Wonderful. Effectively, final query for you, I cherished listening to about sort of your journey when it comes to the rebrand and the gross sales course of, see optimizations, however I’d love to know as you’re sort of trying forward as somebody who’s enthusiastic about innovation and operational effectivity, how do you envision leveraging AI to additional improve your technique for driving income progress?

SL: Oh, that’s a buzzword immediately. Effectively, truly in content material of information administration, AI ought to assist individuals to have all data on the highest of their fingers. Yeah. So no matter you ask, you have to have the concentrated reply. So, and that’s the place AI might help to get recognized to new data. As a result of, nicely, I instructed you, we’ve got 7, 000 items of data. How do you navigate by way of that? Yeah. That’s actually difficult. And in reality, so so that is what we’re in search of is {that a} I’ll assist us to get initially, like a bit of items off and concentrated items of data to begin your journey into particular space of information and for those who perceive that, nicely, this particular factor is of worth for me is a price for my buyer, I must get deeper.

And so then relying on the depth, so AI ought to be serving to individuals to get as a lot focus of the data that they want on this particular stage. Trigger, uh, yeah, we do have this items of data, like 70 pages it sounds reference information. Yeah. So then you definitely can’t make individuals to learn it these days.

However then is that this a priceless piece of data? After all it’s. Sure. And we’ve got the rationale why it’s 70 pages, not 50, not 30, not 20, not one. There’s plenty of priceless data, however I don’t want it on the similar time on a regular basis. Yeah. I want the piece of data which will probably be priceless for me proper right here.

Proper now. And so AI is perhaps a really useful instrument in that. In order that’s how I see that. So for sure, for the worldwide corporations, you’ve got plenty of items of data that ought to be translated into a number of languages. In order that’s additionally the assistance of, uh, that’s with AI instruments. You save big period of time now to try this accomplished.

But you’ve got like write visuals, write textual content, optimize textual content to the particular cultural languages and so forth and so forth. That’s one thing that AI already helps us rather a lot, however then I see that we’re nonetheless to start with of the journey. 

SS: Sure. Sure. There’s much more that I believe it’ll carry over the fullness of time, so I’m excited to see the place it takes us. Serge, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us immediately. I actually recognize your time and your ideas. 

SL: Thanks Shawnna!

SS: To our viewers, thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win Podcast. Remember to tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can maximize enablement success with Highspot.