Sales enablement is typically discussed in grand, sweeping terms. The effects of implementing a solution can be revolutionary and game-changing. Marketers can create better content faster.
Sellers can improve their outreaches with personalized content and gain deeper insights with engagement analytics. As a result, sellers and marketers align and work together better than ever before.
It also ensures that organizations provide better buyer and customer experiences. 83% of organizations that use a sales enablement platform say it allows them to provide a better customer experience.
However, implementing a sales enablement platform isn’t a quick fix. It requires a thoughtful approach to untangle processes, resources, and mindsets that have developed over the years. Let’s dive into three steps for successful enablement implantation.
Effective content management
The first and most crucial step is to manage your sales enablement content efficiently. Any large organization will have a large amount of content, and it can live in several locations. If content isn’t centralized, sellers waste an average 10 hours per week searching, comparing, and revising content.
Conducting a content audit is often necessary to assess the existing content and its location. This process might uncover outdated, off-brand, or redundant materials that need addressing.
Many organizations already have a content library, which cuts the time spent searching for materials. However, there’s still some commitment involved in integrating those databases with a sales enablement solution.
If your organization already has a content library, integrating it with your sales enablement platform will streamline the process. This is where effective sales content management is important. For example, every piece of content should be properly tagged and organized. The platform should enable marketers and sellers to quickly find what they need through robust search and filtering capabilities.
Whether you’re integrating an existing content library or uploading all materials into the platform’s repository, proper metadata is essential for sorting and organizing content effectively.
Creating custom content templates
One of the major advantages of implementing a sales enablement platform is the ability to create custom content. Personalized content is crucial for engaging buyers, with 82% of people feeling more connected after interacting with personalized content.
But giving sellers the freedom to generate their content is easier said than done. This requires careful planning to maintain brand consistency and compliance. To achieve this, content templates should be customizable. Custom content templates guide sellers through a step-by-step process, ensuring they personalize content effectively while adhering to brand and compliance guidelines.
Comprehensive sales enablement training
A sales enablement solution is a powerful and complex platform. The right one will provide you with so many capabilities that you may feel overwhelmed. As such, just merely wrapping your head around the ins and outs of the system takes time.
As you implement your sales enablement platform, ensure that the correct teammates receive training. Be sure to include teammates whose daily activities will be impacted. For larger organizations, this could involve a significant training effort.
In addition to initial training, designate platform admins who will manage content updates, create new content profiles, and build content templates. These administrators should also monitor user interaction with the platform to ensure its effective use. Their expertise will be critical to the long-term success of your sales enablement platform investment.
Implementing a sales enablement platform offers substantial benefits to sales and marketing teams, but it’s not an instant solution. It requires time, effort, and dedication to implement properly. However, with the right approach, the investment in a sales enablement platform will pay off, leading to improved collaboration, enhanced customer experiences, and a more effective sales process.
FAQs about implementing a sales enablement tool
What are some common challenges during sales enablement platform implementation?
Managing and organizing a large amount of content, training team members on the platform, and keeping brand messaging consistent can be challenging. It’s also important to get buy-in from all stakeholders and ensure the platform integrates smoothly with existing systems. These tasks require careful planning and execution.
How long does it typically take for an organization to fully implement a sales enablement platform?
Implementation time depends on the size and complexity of an organization’s processes and resources. While some companies complete the implementation in a few months, others require a longer period for proper integration, training, and content migration. It’s important to approach the implementation process methodically to ensure long-term success.
What key challenges do organizations face when integrating existing content libraries with sales enablement technology?
Key challenges in integrating existing content libraries include identifying and consolidating dispersed content, ensuring proper metadata tagging, and aligning content with the platform’s capabilities. These challenges can be addressed through thorough planning, stakeholder collaboration, and effective change management strategies.
