Maybe you have decided to start a sales enablement campaign, or are simply considering taking the plunge. No matter where you are in the process, you already know that this common sense theory has been proven to improve conversion rates dramatically. Did you know a survey by Vantage Point indicated that only 40% of Sales Enablement programs are being measured?
Marketers and sellers need to decide together what defines success and if their goals have been achieved.
Here are some basic guidelines to start measuring your sales enablement efforts:
1. Sales Members Achieving Quota
There will always be “star” salespeople who exceed their quote, those left behind, and some who fall somewhere in the middle. Effective sales enablement strategies are proven to increase the percentage of sellers who hit that quota consistently. Understand whether or not the issue is the salesman or the ease he or she can access supporting content. Look for your top sellers to help “replicate” themselves by helping to train or mentor new recruits to your sales team. Find out what works for them to help others “up their game” with the same techniques, as well as creating a messaging consistency where all leads receive generally the same information.
2. Time to Reaching Quota
Sales enablement is regarded by many as ultimately responsible for getting new salespeople to full selling status in a short period of time. By looking at how quickly new members of the sales team become established, successful salespeople, and your sales enablement strategy can be measured accurately. Consider improving your training efforts if new salespeople have stagnant or increasing lengths of time to reach their quotas.
3. Conversions Within the Funnel
Your sales enablement plan should permit your sales team to respond to good leads quickly. Good analytics help you to identify the best leads, and well-trained sales teams use your sales enablement tools to convert those leads to sales with targeted content. Follow this up with discovering what content resonates with prospects; so you can continually create and improve material they want to receive.
4. Time Spent Actively Selling
When your salesforce is not equipped with the tools and technology to sell effectively, their time is wasted. Minimize their time spent preparing presentations, search for appropriate content, and scheduling callbacks. Study the amount of time spent on these non-core activities, and look for what activities filling their time could be better refined by sales enablement. Strive for a steady decrease in the percentage of time spent in “preparation” for selling. If you notice a pattern of these non-core activities, perhaps it is time to schedule some training sessions, or to consider some technological improvements.
Finding Ways to Make Improvements for You
Start your sales enablement process in steps. Just as in other marketing efforts, change only one factor at a time so you can pinpoint where progress is being made. Get feedback from sales representatives to combine with the host of data you are gathering and measuring. You will undoubtedly find solutions which fit your unique team and others which do not. This is just a short list of metrics to be measured; no matter what, don’t forget the human aspect of this challenge. Work together with your sales team to find those tools which not only instill confidence in your salespeople, but those that provide measurable, attainable results.
About Digital Impact Agency
Digital Impact Agency is a creative firm specializing in interactive media and inbound marketing strategies for manufacturing and technology companies, professional service firms (architectural, engineering, construction, legal and consulting), nonprofits and enterprise companies. We are a team of innovative entrepreneurs focused on creating the most strategic and effective communication channels for our clients.
