In the first part of the B2B sales enablement series, we discussed how B2B sales enablement increases the effectiveness of sales. It’s now time to up your game and learn about training and coaching salespeople.
Research shows that 27% of B2B companies do not offer any sales onboarding programs and of those who do, 26% of sales representatives say that the training is ineffective.
Sales enablement is more than just training your staff to sell your B2B products/services. Successful sales teams combine effective sales methodologies, useful content, robust coaching and training services, and advanced technology to meet the needs of B2B businesses.
Four Principal Functions of an Effective B2B Sales Enablement Strategy
There are four key functions that come together to drive a successful B2B sales enablement program:
- Content: Salespeople must have easy access to high-quality content at all times.
- Training and Coaching: Salespeople should be trained to improve their sales skills and their business and marketing skills.
- Technology and Tools: Salespeople should have access to the latest technology and tools to effectively adopt the B2B sales enablement strategy.
- Execution and Strategy: Sales enablement goes beyond merely driving sales and includes employing and onboarding, budgeting, and forecasting.
Sales Training is Incomplete Without Valuable Content
Foundational knowledge is critical to bringing about behavioral change. People can only apply what they understand and salespeople are no exception.
Knowledge transfer in sales training should be driven by high-quality B2B sales enablement content. According to Forbes, 60% of sales content created by marketing is never used.
Moreover, today’s workforce has significantly higher expectations from sales training programs. They want information that is engaging, easy to access, relevant and updated.
Training and Coaching Salespeople — The Most Critical Drivers of B2B Sales Enablement
B2B sales enablement should include four different types of coaching:
- Behavior and Skills Coaching: Behavior and skills coaching helps salespeople improve their questioning techniques to meet the needs of the customers, present their perspectives in a way that gets customers thinking, and uncover and resolve customer queries. It also teaches them how to acquire, grow, and retain key customer relationships.
- Lead and Opportunity Coaching: Lead and opportunity coaching focuses on adding perspective and insights into how salespeople can add value for their customers and prospects early in their buying journey. It also involves asking questions to help salespeople identify potential leads that are likely to convert into opportunities; discussions on engagement strategies; tailoring messages and leveraging relationships; and adding value to existing customer accounts.
- Funnel Coaching: Funnel coaching helps salespeople build a pipeline comprising the most valuable leads that can be converted to sales, and manage risks. This type of coaching typically targets sales managers and helps them develop business acumen so they are easily able to identify risks and rewards, and decide where their sales teams should invest their efforts and time.
- Territory Coaching: Territory coaching is dedicated to educating salespeople on market and territory analysis. Without knowing the markets and territories they should explore, salespeople struggle to meet their targets. This effort helps salespeople find the right industries, accounts, and buyer roles.
Want to learn more about B2B sales enablement and how to properly train and coaching salespeople? Contact us today!
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