There is no one-size-fits-all solution for a sales enablement tool stack. The right tools for your organization will depend on your sales processes and specific needs and challenges.
To build a tool stack that is effective for your team, consider their workflow and identify their pain points. Different sales teams, such as those working through channel marketing partnerships or Legal Tech consultants, will have different needs than those working through a direct-to-customer model. Therefore, it is essential to choose a tool that can be customized to fit your specific needs or that you can specifically design for your process.
To create a successful sales enablement tool stack for your organization, follow these five steps:
Understanding your organization's current sales process is necessary to build an effective sales enablement tool stack. You must first understand how they are currently working to resolve their challenges. Start by mapping every interaction in your current sales process. Every time an email or SMS is sent, a demo is presented, and each piece of content they are shown should be analyzed.
Evaluate the efficiency of your current tools and how they contribute to conversions. Every tool in your technology stack should perform and integrate well with other apps you use. Be sure to speak with your team to confirm they are using the tools correctly to avoid leaks in your sales process.
Once you understand your current sales process, identify gaps that can be optimized using technology. Look for any bottlenecks where conversions may be struggling, and consider the reasons behind these challenges. For example, do your salespeople need more content, or are they overwhelmed by manual tasks that you could automate?
Consider opportunities for automation to streamline your sales process and ensure your sales reps are not overwhelmed. How can you eliminate unnecessary tasks and create a more seamless customer experience? By carefully analyzing your current sales process and identifying areas where you can use technology to improve efficiency, you can make informed decisions about which tools to invest in and how to utilize them best.
Research the sales tools that will be most beneficial for your business. This includes reading reviews on third-party websites, but remember that these may not always be completely unbiased. To better understand how the tools perform in real-world situations, consider contacting current users for their opinions. Request an in-depth demo from each vendor you are considering, and be sure to include the stakeholders that will use the products.
When comparing the different options, consider the pricing, integration with your current tech stack, and the quality of customer support and helpdesk services. This will ensure that any issues arising during the adoption process can be smoothly resolved.
After choosing a technology to implement in your sales process, it's crucial to integrate it in a way that allows all data and interactions to be tracked. Integrating the technology effectively will streamline your sales process by ensuring all team members have access to the information they require for any exchange.
Once the integration is complete, remap the sales process to understand how the information will flow as prospects move through the pipeline. Make sure all team members and leaders know who is responsible at each stage of the process, who should be consulted, and who needs to be informed. This updated map will become a valuable guide for your sales enablement strategy.
Although you have developed a well-planned sales enablement strategy, some sales reps may be hesitant to adopt new sales enablement technology. To ensure that your sales enablement strategy is successful, you should not only focus on providing tools, training, and content to your sales team; you need to invest in the mindsets and behaviors that will drive sales performance.
The sales enablement strategy will only reach its full potential with proper adoption and use of the new tech stack. A Sales Enablement Manager can play a crucial role in supporting the team's success by optimizing the sales process, creating effective sales playbooks, and driving revenue campaigns. With their expertise in complex sales, they can lead the effort to train the sales team and ensure that they are using the new technology effectively.