SiriusDecisions Sales Enablement Market and Trends Survey Revealed

Sales Enablement Market and Trends Survey Revealed Edge CobleResearch Analyst, Sales Enablement Strategies

© 2014 SiriusDecisions. All Rights Reserved 2

Executive Summary

• Key issues from our 2014 sales enablement study• Reps are spending too much time on non-core selling activities

• Onboarding programs lack key skills, knowledge and tools training

• Reps are overwhelmed with internal communications

• What you will walk away with• Findings from our 2014 sales enablement study

• Best practices for reducing the time reps spend on non-core sales activities

• Key areas to focus on within sales enablement


Who We Work With: B-to-B Executives


What We Provide

SiriusPerspective:


Review of 2014 Sales Enablement StudyWe are continually monitoring the evolving sales enablement function.

38%

24%

9%

15%

15%

Company Revenue

<$100M

$101M - $500M

$501M - $1B

$1.1B - $5B

>$5B

Se-ries1

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

4%10%

19%

67%

Sales Channel

Outside/Field sales force

Third-party channel partners

Inside sales force

Retail

Other

Sales Enablement: The Evolution Continues

SiriusPerspective:


Where Does Sales Enablement Reside?Since 2012, there has been a 19 percent increase in the sales enablement function reporting to the sales organization.

26%

38%

18%

18%

2012

MarketingSalesBU HeadOther

24%

45%

15%

15%

2014

SiriusPerspective:


Changes in the Sales Enablement BudgetThe average sales enablement budget doubled between 2012 and 2014 from $1.2 million to $2.4 million.

47%

19%

17%

8%6%3%

2014 Budget Source

Under the sales operations budget

Under a marketing budget

Sales enablement has its own budget

Under the sales training budget

Other

N/A

SiriusPerspective:


Changes in Sales Enablement AllocationIn the past two years, there has been a 69 percent increase in sales enablement technology spend.

Other

Product/Solution training

Content development

Sales effectiveness (e.g. skills) training

Systems/Technology/Tools

Personnel

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

5%

11%

12%

12%

16%

44%

5%

9%

15%

14%

27%

31%

2014

2012

Percentage of Department Spend

SiriusPerspective:


Top Sales Enablement Initiatives for 2014While skills training is the top initiative in 2014, sales enablement leaders realize that tool investment is also very important.

Improve the use of social media by our reps

Implement/Expand rep certification programs

Develop our first line sales managers

Deploy/implement a new sales methodology

Improve your onboarding process

Sales Asset Management solution purchase

Improve the selling skills of our reps

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

6%

7%

10%

12%

15%

23%

27%✓✓

SiriusPerspective:


It’s All About Improving Productivity

Effectiveness (quality and results)

Eff

icie

ncy

(ca

pa

city

)

Sales Productivity

Yield Per Rep

It’s the job of sales enablement to ensure maximum yield from every hour worked by every salesperson.

SiriusPerspective:


Sales Enablement: The SiriusDecisions DefinitionReps possess the skills, knowledge, tools and assets to maximize every buyer interaction.

SiriusPerspective:


Whiteboarding EnablementWithout a centralized sales enablement function, the intended means of increasing sales productivity remain inefficient.

SiriusPerspective:


I

• Onboarding

• Skills and Methodology Training

• Product and Solution Training

• Certification

• Content

• Assets

• Communications

• Management Development

• Technology

Deliverables

The Field

The Case for Centralized Sales EnablementMany functions strive to increase sales productivity, but best intentions do not always create best practices.

I

Sales Operations

Communications

HR

Sales Training

Product Marketing

Field Marketing

Demand Creation

Account-Based Marketing

Social Operations

Inputs

SiriusPerspective:


I

Sales Operations

Communications

HR

Sales Training

Product Marketing

Field Marketing

Demand Creation

Account-Based Marketing

Social Operations

Inputs

The FieldI

• Onboarding

• Skills and Methodology Training

• Product and Solution Training

• Certification

• Content

• Assets

• Communications

• Management Development

• Technology

Deliverables

I

• Orchestrates

• Synthesizes

• Creates

Sales Enablement

MeasurementFeedback

Sales enablement is evolving into a centralized function responsible for delivering the means for sales productivity to the field.

The Case for Centralized Sales Enablement

The Sales Challenges Companies Face

SiriusPerspective:


Lack of quality leads from marketing

Our offerings do not have competitive differentiation

Our reps lack the required knowledge

Our reps lack the necessary selling skills

Lack of useful/relevant content from marketing

Inability to manage today's more educated buyer

Our reps spend too much time on non-selling activities

Rep's ability to connect our offerings to client business issues

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

21%

24%

24%

29%

32%

35%

65%

71%

Top Business Issues for Sales in 2014Reps spend too much time on non-sales activities, which limits the time required to fully understand the needs of the client.

SiriusPerspective:


2012

2014

0 2 4 6 8 10

Average Sales Cycle in Months

The Lengthening Sales CycleIn just two years, companies have reported a 24 percent increase in the sales cycle.

With increasing quotas and lengthening sales cycles, sales enablement must focus on improving the rep’s productivity.

SiriusPerspective:


(customer service calls)

LEVERAGE/DELEGATE

(expense reports, travel)

MINIMIZE

(prospecting, sales calls)

MAXIMIZE

Categorize how reps spend their time to shine a light on inefficiencyand lost productivity.

Mapping Sales Productivity

CoreSelling

Activities

Non-CoreActivities

Internal Direct Engagement

(research, proposals)

STREAMLINEThe Enablement Quadrant

Sales Enablement: Three Best PracticesOnboarding

SiriusPerspective:


38%

50%

12%

Formalized Onboarding Process

None

Completed within 3 months

Completed within 6 months

Onboarding − Current StateThirty-eight percent of companies still lack a formal onboarding process.

Series10%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

30%

70%

New Rep Source

Internal External

SiriusPerspective:


Onboarding and Certification Best PracticesCompanies that have a robust onboarding and certification program shorten the time to rep productivity.

Sales Enablement: Three Best PracticesSales Communication

SiriusPerspective:


Limited amount of information

Other

Information quality

Decentralized management

No regular cadence

Overwhelming amount of information

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

6%

12%

18%

26%

44%

62%

Biggest Communication Challenges

Sales Communication − Current StateWithout a centralized sales enablement function managing communication to the sales force, reps get buried in email.

59%

41%

Centralized Sales Communication

Yes

No

SiriusPerspective:


• Conduct a time-and-motion study• Catalog by purpose

• Personal development

• Internal operations

• Information transfer

• Deal-specific

Auditing Sales CommunicationUnderstanding the communication landscape is the first step to fixing the problem.


The SiriusDecisions Sales Communications Grid

Non-Urgent Urgent

SalesRelated

Non-SalesRelated

New RFP

process

Product recall

Snow policy

Company reorg


The SiriusDecisions Sales Communications Vehicles

Non-Urgent Urgent

SalesRelated

Non-SalesRelated

SiriusPerspective:


Through centralized coordination

Sales Communications Sales enablement must take the role of air traffic controller for all sales communication.

Managing the chaos

Sales Enablement: Three Best PracticesContent Finds the Rep


The Sales Closet vs. the Digital Closet

Sales content circa 1995 Sales content circa 2014


The Sales Playbook: Updated and Dynamic

Sales Process Stages

Discovery

• Email Templates• Social Media• Newsletters• White Papers

Thought Leadershi

p

Agreement

on Needs

• Product Spec Sheets

• Analyst Reports• Product Collateral• Intro Messaging

Solution Knowled

ge

SolutionDevelope

d

• Presentations to Technical Buyer

• In-Person Demos• Case Studies• Internal Blogs

Value Story

SolutionAccepted

• Proofs of Concept • Competitive Tools• SME Access• Executive Briefings

SolutionValidatio

n

Business

ValueAccepte

d

• ROI Tools• Client References • Proposals• Presentation to

Financial Owner

Financial Justificatio

n

Decision

Made

• Welcome Kit• Orientation• Training• Customer

Newsletter

Onboarding

Solution Vendor SelectionEducation

Loosening of the Status

Quo

1.

Exploring Possible Solutions

3.

Committing to a

Solution

4.

Justifying the

Decision

5.

Making the

Selection

6.

Committing to Change

2.

SiriusPerspective:


While creating a playbook, take some time to audit your sales content.

The Sales Content Audit

Testimonials

Videos

Brochures

White papers

Case studies

Presentations

Content Types Evaluation Criteria

Influence on buyer’s perception

Close matchesRepurpose

Same standards as product/service

Depth and differentiation

Criteria for usage

Influence

Quality Relevance

Value

In Conclusion


Key Action Items

• Re-evaluate your sales enablement structure and funding• Relentlessly focus on rep productivity• There is no shortcut to onboarding salespeople• Act as the communications air traffic controller• Make sure that content finds the rep

Thank you!@gecoble

Thank youFor more informationSAVO Web Site: www.savogroup.com

Sales First Nation: www.savogroup.com/sales-first-nation/

SAVO Products: www.savogroup.com/products/

SAVO Phone: 312-276-7700

http://www.savogroup.com/

http://www.savogroup.com/sales-first-nation/

http://www.savogroup.com/products/

SiriusDecisions Sales Enablement Market and Trends Survey Revealed

Sales

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