The coronavirus pandemic has changed virtually every aspect of people’s lives. From how they live to how they conduct business, everything is different from when 2020 began.
So, how has the pandemic impacted sales enablement?
Needless to say, in a really big way.
Sales enablement has grown dramatically over the past several years. Some studies report that the number of companies dedicating resources to practicing sales enablement tripled (or more) during the decade prior to the pandemic. The reason most often cited for this expansion is because businesses that adopted sales enablement found that sales revenue grew significantly because of it. Once news of this spread, more and more companies signed on, some practicing sales enablement in a disciplined and effective way, others less so. Everyone did better, but the organizations that used best practices killed it.
The underlying truth behind why sales enablement is effective when practiced correctly is that it’s singularly able to facilitate the process of providing sales reps with tools and resources, developed in partnership with marketers and sales leaders, to successfully connect with buyers and deliver highly personalized and successful sales experiences. It also lets sales leaders monitor the effectiveness of these things in real time so they are able to make adjustments to consistently improve performance.
Put simply, history shows practicing any form of sales enablement is good. Doing it right is better.
So, how has the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic crisis impacted the remarkable growth sales enablement experienced over the last ten years?
Needless to say, things have changed. The practice of sales enablement, even before the pandemic, had been reaching its maturity. It was shifting from an instant big growth opportunity for businesses to a more strategic one. It was becoming more about leveraging it as a tool to fight the right sales battles in the right way as opposed to trying to win the sales war through the singular concept of sales enablement, no matter how well (or poorly) it’s practiced. In other words, sales enablement was no longer being viewed as a broad concept that once implemented, was going to save the day. Instead, it was maturing into a strategic initiative that was being used appropriately, as a guiding force and disciplined practice that helped improve the performance of all aspects of marketing and sales.
This trend has only been accelerated by the pandemic and economic crisis. The focus for the foreseeable future will be on using sales enablement in strategic ways to help businesses improve results as efficiently as possible using the limited resources they have. Few companies have as much money as they need to spend on marketing and sales during these challenging times. Sales enablement, used in a strategic and surgical way, makes those dollars go farther.
The trend toward working remotely and selling virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic has proven the value of sales enablement in these rapidly changing times. It’s made it easier to digitize sales processes and monitor results, helping to ensure that companies going through rapid transformations are getting things right and identifying issues quickly so they can be corrected.
Here are some other things businesses are learning about sales and sales enablement right now.
Growth at all costs isn’t sustainable.
Many companies grew at an extraordinary pace over the last decade. A level of irrational exuberance encouraged individuals and businesses to purchase things and services whether they really needed them or not. Much of this activity was supported on the sales side by the rapid adoption and use of client relationship management (CRM) systems and the shift from paper and spreadsheet based record keeping to databases. These things made it possible to sell a LOT more with fewer resources than ever before.
Higher levels of marketing and sales activity, supported by enhanced information flow, fueled by bigger budgets, made it possible for businesses to sell more to buyers who were open to purchasing more stuff.
That is until the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis brought this to a halt.
Today, the best thing businesses can do is leverage their existing systems to gain control over their current sales situations. Maybe you can’t max out your results as you did before the pandemic, but you can make the most of the opportunities available to you right now. Center your efforts on your sales enablement system. It provides the connectivity needed to better manage your marketing and sales efforts and track your results. This empowers you to optimize your marketing materials and messages and improve your sales process based on today’s constantly changing realities.
If you’re not sure how to do this, a friendly and experienced Mobile Locker rep is available to help. Check us out online.
Team empowerment is critical.
When things are changing as fast as they are now, it’s almost impossible for sales reps to keep up with the latest marketing materials and sales tactics. A sales enablement system solves this by serving as a central source of marketing and sales information they can access any place, any time, even in virtual selling situations.
It will help the people on your sales team feel more confident knowing they’re using the right tools and best tactics to sell no matter what’s going on in the world.
Focus on buyers.
People are experiencing things today no one could have ever expected or planned for. Buyers could be dealing with business issues, threats of unemployment, financial problems, childcare issues and family and personal health related concerns. Salespeople need the best, most timely training and materials to address these things while selling right now.
A sales enablement app like Mobile Locker’s makes it possible to distribute sales tools and training and monitor usage in real time. It makes it possible for sales leaders to ensure that the sales process stays focused on buyer feelings and needs during these sensitive times.
Keep your eye on the data.
During an extended period of economic flux, your sales numbers won’t always be going up. In fact, they may not increase consistently for a while. This can make it difficult, and maybe a bit demoralizing, to consistently watch your results.
The truth: It’s now more important than ever to monitor marketing and sales data through your sales enablement system. It’s the only way to know what’s really happening with your sales in real time. It provides you with the information you need to fine tune your sales process so you can get ahead of today’s ever-changing realities.
Maybe it isn’t possible to leverage sales enablement in a slapdash way these days to achieve big wins. But you could use it for something far more important. Especially if you’re willing to do the work and stay disciplined. Why not figure out how you can take a more systematic approach to sales enablement? It will help you win the battles you face day after day on your way to winning the sales war.
An experienced Mobile Locker expert can help you figure out how to practice sales enablement in the right way for today. Get connected with one online.
