Have you ever been rushed through a product demonstration by a potential vendor? Asked a sales rep questions about their company that he or she was unable to answer? Requested information about a service that took days to receive? If so, chances are these companies did not have a Sales Onboarding or Sales Enablement program in place.
A sales team is responsible for generating sales as well as building lasting relationships that lead to more sales and revenue. However, studies show that only one-third of sales representatives meet or exceed their targets. An ineffective or nonexistent Sales Onboarding program is a key reason new and experienced sales people miss their mark.
Sales Enablement and Sales Onboarding — How Are They Related?
According to a study conducted by the Aberdeen Group, it takes approximately seven months and a little over $30,000 to hire and onboard a new sales representative.
However, the biggest challenge with Sales Onboarding is that sales representatives forget more than 85% of the training material within two-three weeks. This is why companies need to provide sales reps with ongoing training, and where the importance of a Sales Enablement team comes into the picture.
Sales Enablement Teams Can Improve Closing Rates (And More)
According to the CSO Insights 2016 Sales Enablement Optimization Study, effective Sales Onboarding can improve sales closing rates by 14%.
Buyers won’t mind — or necessarily even know — if they are working with a new salesperson if that person is up to speed on what the company offers. But what if the salesperson is not properly onboarded and, as a result, potential buyers are turned off? No company wants this to happen, but without an effective Sales Onboarding program in place you run the risk of losing valuable prospects. In addition, if a new, poorly-trained sales rep is assigned to work with existing customers and drives them away, the company could miss out on upgrades and cross-sell opportunities as well as lose business over the long term.
A Sales Enablement team can have a dramatic impact on a sales team’s success if they are responsible for the Sales Onboarding process. They know what resources salespeople need, and how to monitor content engagement and identify gaps. They help marketing teams develop the most relevant materials and fill gaps where the necessary assets are missing. The result: an aligned and much more effective sales processes.
Sales Enablement Teams Help Sales Reps Maximize Selling Time
According to a report by McKinsey, 20% of a sales representative’s time goes into searching for relevant information. The Chief Marketing Officer Council has reported that 40% of a sales representative’s time goes into searching for relevant content produced by marketing.
The time salespeople spend searching for helpful data, information and internal resources would be far more effective if it were spent engaging with customers and prospects.
In addition, a proper sales enablement strategy coupled with the tools a sales team needs to easily provide information to prospects — at every stage of the purchasing process — will ensure they are handled in the professional, efficient manner they deserve.
Want to learn more about B2B sales enablement and sales onboarding? Contact us today!
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