Over the last few years, “Sales Enablement” has become a popular business buzzword. I’ve heard it used in several different settings and it’s clear there are many definitions for what Sales Enablement actually is. Here are few I found helpful:
- “Getting the right information into the hands of the right sellers at the right time and place, and in the right format, to move a sales opportunity forward” IDC (http://www.slideshare.net/lml999/idc-sales-enablement-jan-2009-presentation?type=presentation)
- “Sales enablement is a strategic, ongoing process that equips sales teams to have consistently effective engagements with prospects and customers throughout the buyer’s journey.” (https://www.highspot.com/sales-enablement/)
- Sales enablement is a strategic, ongoing process that equips all client-facing employees with the ability to consistently and systematically have a valuable conversation with the right set of customer stakeholders at each stage of the customer’s problem-solving life cycle to optimize the return of investment of the selling system. (http://blogs.forrester.com/scott_santucci/10-08-14-what_%E2%80%9Csales_enablement%E2%80%9D_and_how_did_forrester_go_about_defining_it
The role of sales collateral in sales enablement
In a recent meeting with one of the world’s largest optical brands, their VP of Sales made an interesting comment. He said that it’s incredible how having the right sales collateral to present to a client can make or break a sales pitch. He went on to explain how a $3M company can look like a $30M company simply based on the materials they present to a client. Throughout my career, I’ve been fascinated with how having the right collateral can optimize the sales process. The right tools will open more doors, land more deals, and can turn an average sales rep into a top performer. But what are they?Tools to optimize the sales process
Clean business proposal
A clean and well-designed business proposal is the first essential tool needed to make a sale. It should explain how your business can meet the needs of your potential client in an attempt to persuade them to hire you over any competitors. To effectively write a proposal, you need to do some research first. This involves studying the client’s requirements, understanding the client, developing a plan, identifying your differentiating factors, and tailoring your plan to the client’s unique situation. Once this is complete, you can write the proposal and lay out the following points in a clear and purposeful format:- Introduction- Address their problem and introduce your company
- Write an executive summary that covers your goals for solving their problem
- Explain your plan to solve the problem in the body
- Outline your timeline and cost
- Describe your qualifications
- Highlight the benefits they will reap from choosing you
- Conclusion-outline the main points of your proposal and include a call to action
- Appendix- for any information that won’t fit in the body (i.e. graphs, resumes, customer testimonials)