The New Rules of Sales Enablement Success for 2023

When it comes to sales enablement success, there are many platforms to choose from, but what's the best one for you and your team? It's important to keep in mind that a sales enablement platform is only a tool and its effectiveness ultimately depends on how well it's set up for your sales team. 

The modern-day expectations of sales enablement tools have evolved and are now more comprehensive. We are living in an era of rapid technological advancements that allow teams to ditch traditional methods in favor of creating visually appealing interactions that can be delivered with ease.

In this article, we’ll explore the changing sales landscape and show you three proven steps to sales enablement success that go beyond the need for a tool that only serves to consolidate sales assets. Our focus is on enhancing the productivity of your sales team by providing them with up-to-date sales enablement tools to help them shine. 

Sales Enablement Success Relies on 3 Factors in 2023

SPEED

Today’s sales enablement landscape is fast-paced and requires a little extra oomph. And by oomph, I mean a quick and efficient presentation tool that gives your sales team the power to effortlessly create presentations at every touchpoint in the sales cycle. Say goodbye to outdated methods of sending a company deck - your team needs a tool that helps them engage with prospects, drives them down the funnel, and analyzes their performance along the way.

Picture this, your sales team is ready to close a deal, but they're stuck trying to find the right presentation to send. It's a classic case of the wrong tool at the right time. And that's a no-go in today's competitive market. A system that enables the customization of presentations from branded assets with just a few clicks is what your team needs.

Think about all the potential touchpoints in the sales cycle: first impressions, feature requests, validation, ROI, post-sales support, and training. Each one calls for a different presentation, and a tool that can deliver the right one in seconds is essential for sales enablement success. Don't let your team be caught off guard again, give them the power to make informed decisions and close deals with ease.

RESPONSIVENESS

Sales enablement success in today's remote work environment demands a little creativity and a lot of adaptation. Imagine your prospect who's juggling emails on their phone while keeping an eye on the soccer field. Your sales presentations must be ready for this challenge by being mobile-friendly and accessible on any device, anywhere, anytime.

Let's face it, over 80% of internet users own a smartphone and spend an average of 3 hours a day tapping away on it. So, it's imperative to keep your sales assets optimized for mobile viewing, otherwise, those sell sheets and PowerPoint presentations might end up in the virtual trash bin.

To leave a lasting impression on your prospects, you need to bring your A-game to the mobile arena. Make your presentations mobile-friendly, easy to access, and readable, so that even a busy parent at their child's soccer game can understand the value your products and services bring to their company.

DIMENSION

We've all heard the buzz: storytelling is the key to sales success. And of course, it's true. But why settle for a good story when you can create a blockbuster? In today's highly competitive market, it's all about the wow factor. Your prospects need to see and feel the value of your product or service and understand how it helps them succeed. 

Enter the world of immersive technologies - 360˚ videos, interactive experiences, augmented reality, and virtual reality. It's time to bring your story to life and turn it into an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller. With studies showing that immersive videos can increase consumer engagement by a whopping 90%, it's time to leave the b-movies behind and make your sales presentations a Hollywood hit.

The story will always be king, that’s sales enablement 101, but for true sales enablement success why not add a few special effects to make it truly unforgettable?

Ready, Set, Succeed: Your 3-Step Guide to Sales Enablement Success

Making your team sales-ready involves much more than just providing them with a collection of sheets and PowerPoint presentations. It requires a comprehensive sales enablement strategy for the entire sales cycle to guarantee that your sales team has the appropriate presentation content for every touchpoint.

Here's a three-step process to help you create an effective sales enablement system that meets the needs of today's prospects. We'll use the example of one of our clients who sell high-ticket laser products to illustrate how we’ve helped them build a successful sales enablement roadmap.

Step 1: Identifying the sales journey.

The crucial stage of the process is analyzing your sales pipeline and creating an effective presentation architecture. This involves collaborating with key individuals from both sales and marketing to define the sales cycle and identify the key points of engagement. This will guarantee that your sales team has access to the right presentation content at the appropriate time for each prospect.

For our client, their sales cycle lasts between 3 and 6 months and consists of several key stages, including an introduction presentation, product features, validation and testimonials, return on investment (ROI), and post-sales and training support. To address these stages, we develop at least six presentations, including micro-presentations that help to keep prospects engaged throughout the sales cycle.

Think of this as developing a roadmap for your story that will keep the viewer engaged from start to finish.

Step 2: Elevating the narrative, visually.

The second step is all about making the story shine. When working with a new client, we first assess their presentation identity, ensuring there is consistency and a strong brand identity. If necessary, we create a sales content toolkit to maintain the integrity of the brand regardless of the presentation scenario.

Next, we aim to elevate the story, moving beyond flat visuals and adding depth and dimension to help prospects understand the product and its benefits. For our client, who sells laser products, we use rich, detailed 3D animations and, in some cases, 3D interactivity, AR, and VR to bring the product to life and put prospects in the context of how it works.

Step 3: Presenting the sale message, with control.

Lastly, to achieve sales enablement success, you must master sales content organization. It's key to ensure that your sales content is well-organized and consolidated within a sales enablement platform, allowing your sales team to access the right presentations at the right time, in seconds. 

The platform should also enable the team to track the performance of their presentations, allowing them to make informed decisions on when to send the next one, using insights about the prospect's interests and needs. Additionally, it needs to provide management with insights needed to continually optimize their sales story each quarter, such as what is being viewed, what can be improved, and which reps are performing well and using which content. 

Our client, for example, uses our proprietary sales enablement platform, Nuvue.

Sales Enablement Evaluation: Finding the Right Balance of Creativity and Technology

Integrating a sales enablement platform into a B2B organization can be challenging, with potential obstacles such as resistance, integration difficulties, technical issues, and low adoption rates. However, it's crucial to prioritize providing your team with a tool that meets the demands of today's prospects, including quick response times, full mobile responsiveness, and visually appealing storytelling that sets you apart from the competition.

When searching for the right tools to ensure sales enablement success, you may come across established options such as Showpad, Highspot, and Seismic. Although these platforms are well-established, they often lack creative capabilities. It's important to choose a partner that combines the art of storytelling with technology.

At Nuvue, we offer a unique solution that goes beyond merely consolidating assets. As a creative tech company, we create a sales system that streamlines the sales process. Discover how we help brands better visualize their sales story and deliver it with 100% consistency and control. Schedule a demo with Nuvue today to see why we are a standout in the sales enablement landscape.