Getting Started with Sales Enablement

Most of our clients for sales enablement solutions have little difficulty articulating the problems their organizations face when it comes to sales effectiveness.  Looking back on the last six months of conversations I've had with clients and prospects who are kicking the sales enablement tires, there's a definite consistency in the issues they face:

---  "Our sales force has a lack of knowledge about our clients."

---  "We need to help our sales force think about our clients' business issues - from the clients' viewpoint."

---  "Our ideal scenario would be if we could visually articulate our customer's current state without our solution and the ideal state with our solution."

---  "We would like to bring a consistent message to our customers."

---  "What do we use now?  PowerPoint.  We can't find them, they aren't case based, not brand compliant, and just plain ineffective."

---  "Our problem is we aren't selling the entire portfolio."

---  "How do we tailor and present solutions that have 7 vertical markets, and 4 horizontals within each vertical?"

---  "We don't know what's working in the field - we have no visibility or tracking or feedback at all."

There's nothing new about any of these challenges, but fortunately we have solutions that can effectively address and eliminate these concerns. 

However, the most understated challenge with solving sales enablement issues doesn't relate to the actual solution.  It's a common obstacle, chocked full of alternating emotions of enthusiasm and fear, that can delay, derail, or sidetrack any sales and marketing organization from ever executing a sales enablement endeavor:

"We don't know how to get started."

Similar to undertaking a new website project, a sales enablement program can be a daunting endeavor.  We understand. To make it a more palatable process, we recommend and follow a simple, 3-step process that creates a solution designed around the customer's lens, yet built for a sales team's process and style.  This phased approach mitigates risk, allows for fixed pricing for the project, and aligns the sales and marketing teams up front, so the end solution has higher adoption rates and better outcomes.

Here's the first step in the process:

STEP 1: BLUEPRINT

Also known as 'discovery', blueprinting is the basis for the entire sales enablement solution.  Think of it as a way to document "what you are selling, who you are selling it to, and how you want to sell it."

Your objectives:
1.  Understand the "sales problem"
2.  Identify all investments that support sales
3.  Interview select members of your sales force
4.  Interview internal stakeholders
5.  Analyze and report deficiencies and challenges
6.  Assess presentation scenarios and delivery methods
7.  Audit current sales assets
8.  Translate all objectives into a problem statement and key metrics
9.  Identify a focus area
10.  Select a measurable problem to address
11.  Select a sales channel
12.  Select a sample team to create champions for the program

How long it should take:   4-6 weeks

The result: 
1. Documentation of findings
2. Project plan
3. Statement of work for the remainder of the project
4. Budget

A sales enablement solution should be designed and developed in the manner of any development project, like a website or an online campaign.  It should follow a strict process from strategy to execution, with agreed upon deliverables at each phase of the project.  And as with any design project or marketing initiative, you should make it mandatory to align internal stakeholders, discover the needs of both your sales force and customer. The result will be a scalable, on-target initiative that resonates with your customers, closes deals, and ties new revenue to your sales enablement investments.

Check back soon for the next post in the series:  Designing a Sales Enablement Solution - Step 2:  Pilot