Sales Enablement

• The second installment of this series explores specific tactics to use in reinforcing sales learning
• Make that sales training stick through certification, coaching, field enablement and technology
• Using creative approaches to reinforce training in the field helps to build on previous learning without overwhelming reps

• Increase engagement by improving social media efforts and aligning them to a broader multichannel marketing strategy
• To do so, consider segmenting your social audiences, aligning your keyword strategy and working from a master calendar
• Effective B2B social media requires not just a presence on social channels, but also thoughtful and strategic content planning

• Sales enablement must find ways to ensure that new hires retain the knowledge and skills they have gained from onboarding
• This goal can be accomplished through a formal certification process, supported by ongoing coaching and supplemental learning
• The more opportunities they have to practice and observe, the more likely they are to execute properly in the field

• Often, messaging is developed that is too internally focused, without knowledge of the “three feet” conversation
• The “three feet” conversation refers to the conversation the sales rep conducts while sitting across from a buyer
• To create compelling messaging that’s truly sales-ready, consider how to differentiate your messaging in a way that’s provable

• B2B content strategy is often not consistent, and is rarely aligned to initiatives
• SiriusDecisions’ research points to three things that high-performing content strategists do differently
• High-performing content strategiests are audience specific and realistic, and focus on how content meets audience requirements

• Search engine optimization (SEO), content and social media share a powerful correlative dynamic that marketers often overlook
• “Social signals” is an SEO industry phrase used to describe online interactions with you and your content on social channels
• Don’t underestimate the importance of a keyword universe to the success of your content strategy and related marketing programs

• We recently launched a methodology for quantifying and analyzing the total cost of content creation in B2B organizations
• In this methodology, we ask organizations to reconsider the “fact” that internally generated content is free
• A lot of organizations create most of their content internally but have trouble estimating the dollars represented by that effort

• How many tech tools does it take for a rep to prepare for, execute and follow up on a sales call?
• Reps spend too much time on low-productivity tasks, which lowers the time they can spend selling and engaging prospects
• Activity-based enablement starts with understanding reps’ activities, then maximizing efficiency and optimizing effectiveness

• When a rep has lost a deal and closes an opportunity, he or she often needs to fill out a field entitled “reason”
• “No choice” tends to be the most popular answers among B2B sales reps
• But when we dig a bit deeper, that label of “No decision” does not tell a complete story of what really happened

• With new confidence in the economy and the need for greater growth, the demand for top sales talent is outstripping supply
• If sales leaders are to achieve their growth objectives, they need to make talent a top priority
• Winners of the sales talent war keep a fanatical focus on executing the essential elements of recruiting and onboarding

• Trends in B2B buying behavior are driving the use of social media by sales reps
• Social selling guidelines and structure have be.come a necessity, not a nice-to-have
• Create a social selling playbook to enable your sales reps to effectively use LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media tools

• Successful innovation is “not just about technology, but the use of technology to enable business”
• The inability of B2B sales reps to connect with buyers’ business issues is a key sales challenge
• Reps need to improve their ability to translate innovation and disruptive technology into unique value for each buyer

• All companies have one thing in common: They need to grow
• Much of the responsibility for increasing sales rep productivity falls on the shoulders of the sales enablement function
• Enablement needs to partner with sales operations to ensure reps are spending most of their time on high-return activities

We recently announced the release of the SiriusDecisions “SiriusView: Social Media Intelligence 2015,” a report that highlights several vendors addressing B2B marketing professionals’ social intelligence needs. In addition to completing the process required to develop such a report – including surveying vendors and attending demos – SiriusDecisions analysts spoke to a multitude of social media […]

Social media intelligence (SMI) solutions allow organizations to monitor social channels and conversations, respond to social signals and synthesize social data points into meaningful trends and analysis based on the user’s needs. SiriusDecisions’ recently published SiriusView: Social Media Intelligence evaluates and scores six vendors serving the social intelligence needs of today’s B2B marketing professionals.  Selecting […]

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Over the last several months, my colleagues and I have immersed ourselves in the world of social media intelligence. We have watched countless demos, spoken to customers and surveyed vendors. We’ve found that overall, these social media intelligence vendors have increased their tools’ features and functionality while deepening the type of analysis and information that […]

B2B organizations typically spend a significant amount of money producing and managing content. How to make sure that the money is well spent?

As more salespeople leverage social media to find and engage prospects, companies are investing in social selling training and tools to further their efforts. This brave new world has created new opportunities and challenges for B2B sales and marketing leaders, and lots of gray areas when it comes to deciding what salespeople can and cannot […]