Selecting a Solution: Three Challenges Facing Sales Enablement Professionals

By Tom Pisello On Apr 22, 2019

Sales Enablement technology provides valuable opportunities for sales associates to keep up with increasing demands and to scale as the business grows. Tad Travis, Director at Gartner Research, is an expert in this area. He previously served as a customer success manager and application architect at Salesforce before spearheading the CRM sales research agenda at Gartner. Through the years, Travis has seen both the supply and demand side of sales, discovering firsthand what sales technology is most effective.

I recently spoke with Travis and he identified three key challenges that Sales Enablement professionals face when selecting a solution:

1) Prioritizing Mobile Device Adaptability

The number of employees who use their mobile devices for work continues to rise. One study shows that 71 percent of employees spend over two hours a week accessing company information on a mobile device. This demonstrates how important it is for Sales Enablement technology to work across every channel. One technology option might sound great in theory but does it consistently run from desktop to tablet to mobile device once the application is up and running? Employees need to access information from everywhere at any moment. Choosing an adaptable platform will help increase employee adoption and engagement, especially for B2B sales organizations that rely on channel partners to sell their products or solutions.

2) Providing Effective Search Recommendations

Not having the right sales information in a meeting can cause lasting damage to the sales process. It’s important to guarantee that your sales application provides the right amount of relevant content recommendations: Not too many, not too few. As you select a Sales Enablement technology, consider what search options it provides. One effective feature includes the ability to automatically tag or index content for improved search effectiveness. The platform should also provide a full-text search, which allows a user to find content buried within the text of a document. Natural Language Processing, popularity, and rating can also contribute to the effectiveness of search and the ability to optimize content recommendations.

3) Adding Value to a Growing Technology Stack

The list of technology solutions in a well-equipped seller’s toolkit is endless. They include CRM, SFA, Sales Content/Asset Management, Sales Enablement, Sales Readiness or LMS, Interactive Tools, and more. These solutions empower sellers and allow them to be more productive, but they also add an additional cost. This means that sellers need to justify investing in the solution to key stakeholders before taking the leap. Educate yourself on the features of the product and address any barriers before presenting your case. By being able to clearly explain the solution, you’ll be able to show how the product will improve sales outcomes. This information will help give executives examples and persuade them to purchase the product.

Evaluating Sales Enablement technologies can be a daunting process, especially as the number of vendors increases. Take the time to look at Travis’ points when considering which platform is best for your company. Find a channel that keeps up with your company’s growing needs, as well as the demands of the industry. Look at the abilities of the platform to provide the exact information your sellers need, whenever and wherever they need it. Finally, ensure the Sales Enablement platform ties back to improved sales outcomes. Obtaining buy-in from key stakeholders and other sales associates will lead to increased adoption and maximize return on investment of your Sales Enablement solution.