Tech Solutions For The New World Of Sales
Technology is present everywhere we go and in almost everything we do. The sales process is no different. Both consumers and corporations have adapted processes to new technology. Arguably, technology shapes industry. So, employee development teams must adapt sales enablement training to better equip employees with the knowledge and skills to grow into new sales environments. Generally, sales training addresses selling skills. But as the sales process relies more heavily on technology, everything from onboarding, to performance support and mentoring should also have an increased focus on sales technology.
As time goes on, the ability to continue training and reinforcing sales enablement content becomes important for the overall success of a company. However, increases in sales technology make the job of performance consultants more challenging, particularly as employees continue to move toward remote work environments. This is where custom eLearning that aligns with your unique sales operations can be a worthwhile investment.
A New Sales Process
The “one size fits all” approach that worked for many years is now antiquated and no longer works for today’s potential buyer. In order to pique interest in a product in today’s market, it is important for you to note that potential customers are now used to being treated as individuals and they expect it. Gone are the days of sending out faceless email blasts that are a generalization of a group rather than a celebration of your target audience. Need a little more proof? One Forbes article on the importance of customer service noted 96% of customers [1] surveyed say customer service is important in their decision to stick with a brand. Learning to research your target and being mindful to personalize a pitch is more important than ever to land a sale or grow an account.
Because of this change, the philosophy of content marketing has become much more prevalent in sales. One of the biggest benefits of content marketing is that it informs the decisions of potential buyers. The more helpful and tailored your message, the more likely you are to land the sale. But how do we enable our salespeople to make this change?
Sales Enablement Training And Technology
With technology rapidly changing how sales transactions are conducted, along with a society that values individualized efforts both in a sales pitch and company branding, old systems are having a hard time keeping up with skills gaps.
Personalized eLearning
Thankfully, emerging training technology has made customized sales enablement training that focuses more on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses easier to develop than ever before. For instance, several Learning Experience Platforms create personalized content paths based on real-time analysis performance data. Similarly, complex decision trees in scenario-based training, when paired with AI, offer personalized learning experiences.
Mobile Learning
At this point, most custom eLearning is designed with mobile access in mind—even if the design isn't mobile-first. Having access to training content on a phone or tablet also increases the amount of time that employees may have to engage with content. For instance, commuting to/from the office is the perfect time to listen to a selling skills podcast. Mobile learning enables salespeople more freedom to learn when it’s convenient for them. And this is especially beneficial for salespeople that travel for their role or retail employees.
Sales Systems Training
For both retail employees and corporate salespeople, sales processes are often built upon complex systems. For example, many organizations manage complex sales cycles through platforms like Salesforce. As for retail sales, most storefronts use mobile point-of-sale systems for inventory management and purchases. In either case, proficiency with those systems impacts employee performance and Customer Experience. So, systems training should be a key component of any sales enablement training initiative.
Generally, platforms like Salesforce offer product training and onboarding for clients. But as an organization's business processes and operations become more unique, one-size-fits-all systems training becomes less effective. In that case, the best solution would likely consist of custom eLearning activities that provide a sandbox for salespeople to explore the system's features.
Conclusion
With all the technology at our disposal, sales can certainly become more complicated. But, as with any performance challenges, it falls upon employee development teams and performance consultants to design corporate training solutions that drive organizational success. As technology continues to augment sales processes, also consider how training technology can improve your sales enablement training.
References:
[1] State of Global Customer Service Report
