Sales used to be the phonebook and a landline phone on your desk. Or you were driving from door to door. It was analog and basic with very basic technology involved.
Things change.
Sales isn’t so tech-free anymore. Technology is a big part of sales enablement, which means technical enablement and sales enablement cross paths quite a bit. Much of sales success lies in the proficiency of the sales team in technology.
Sales is all about social media, texting, CRMs, and more. Yes, persuasive communication skills are still necessary, but in-depth knowledge of the latest sales enablement technology tools is also essential.
This transformative combination is essential to empowering sales teams with technology through technical training. As companies strive to stay ahead of the curve in a competitive market, the significance of leveraging sales enablement technology training cannot be overstated.
Sales is more technology-driven today than ever and the pace of technicification will only increase.
It’s no longer just about mastering the art of the pitch; it’s about harnessing the power of cutting-edge tools to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and ultimately drive revenue growth.
This post ventures into the realm of sales enablement, and the role technology training plays in it. We’ll explore how organizations can elevate their sales game by equipping their teams with the technical prowess to navigate the digital landscape for sales effectively.
You’ll learn some of the strategies, benefits, and best practices that underpin mastering technical training for sales enablement.
The Role of Sales Enablement & Technology in Modern Sales Strategies
Technology plays a pivotal role in sales enablement. It encompasses a range of tools and platforms designed to empower sales teams with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to succeed in today’s digital world. By leveraging these technologies, organizations can streamline their sales processes, enhance collaboration, and drive revenue growth.
One of the key benefits of technology for sales is its ability to provide real-time access to critical information. With the click of a button, sales representatives can access product catalogs, pricing information, customer data, and other valuable resources. This instant access enables them to respond quickly to customer inquiries and make informed decisions during the sales process.
Another important aspect of technology for sales enablement is its role in automating repetitive tasks. By automating administrative tasks such as data entry or report generation, sales teams can focus their time and energy on building relationships with customers and closing deals. This automation increases efficiency and reduces the risk of human error.
Technology enablement is a vital part of sales enablement. Without it salespeople won’t have the necessary skills to be as effective at their jobs as they could.
One last thing about the role of sales enablement and technology: It facilitates collaboration among team members. With features like shared calendars, document repositories, and communication tools, sales teams can work together seamlessly regardless of their physical location. This collaboration fosters knowledge sharing and enables team members to learn from each other’s experiences.
The technology part of sales enablement plays a crucial role in modern sales strategies by providing real-time access to information, automating repetitive tasks, and facilitating collaboration among team members.
But salespeople have to use technology correctly. That’s why technical training plays an essential role in sales enablement. But some core components of it should be the focus.
Tools and Technologies for Sales Enablement
The market is flooded with a plethora of sales enablement tools and technologies that can be used for training purposes. This list is some crucial tools and technologies that organizations should consider.
Remember that it’s all about making things easy with one source to rule them all. Technology will make it as easy as possible for sales teams to learn technical skills.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) or Learning Experience Platform (LXP): These platforms provide a centralized hub for organizing and delivering training content. This makes it easy to give salespeople one central location for accessing their technical training.
Video Hosting Platforms: This one may go hand in hand with a LXP. A video hosting platform makes it easy for video streaming from any device. With a simple search, sales teams can access videos on various topics for what they need to know.
Data Analytics Tools: A good LMS and LXP will provide some of these built-in tools. Data analytics tools provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of training programs. Organizations can track completion rates, quiz scores, time spent on each module, and feedback. This data helps identify areas for improvement in the training curriculum and measure the impact of training on sales performance.
A good ecosystem of technical tools is the perfect start for salespeople learning to use technology for their jobs. That’s just a start, though. Salespeople must learn how to use the technology for their job correctly, or the risk of poor performance or other failures is bound to happen.
Effective Technical Training for Sales Enablement
To implement effective technical training programs for sales enablement, organizations should go through a proper process for training creation. These are some things to consider when creating effective technical training for sales enablement.
Needs Assessment: Just like all training, a needs analysis is essential. While it won’t tell you everything, it’ll help you identify the training requirements of the sales team. This assessment should consider existing knowledge gaps, skill levels, and desired learning outcomes. The needs assessment helps tailor the training program to address the sales team’s specific needs.
Relevance: If training isn’t relevant to helping the sales team perform better, it won’t be taken seriously or cared about. When training is irrelevant, it’s unhelpful; that’s when you get people clicking through steps as quickly as possible. It becomes a race instead of people taking it seriously. Relevance is king (and queen) of training, so make sure every bit of it is 100% relevant to helping them sell better.
Microlearning: This is an important one to leverage when it makes sense. Salespeople are notoriously busy and rushing from one customer to the next. Contacts documented in the CRM are evidence of that. It also means training needs to be delivered as short and quickly as possible when it makes sense. Not all technical training fits into microlearning, but when it does, use it. Just like microlearning for corporate IT training, microlearning can work well for enabling salespeople with technology.
Spaced Learning: Whether you call it spaced learning or spaced repetition, it’s all the same thing. Deliver critical information in a few different ways spaced in time. Relevance is the first priority, and defeating the forgetting curve is the second. Training shouldn’t be a one-time event but an ongoing process.
Gamification: Incorporating game elements into training can increase engagement and motivation when done well. Gamification can work for corporate IT training, and it can also work for technical sales training. Gamification can include leaderboards, badges/awards for achievements, competitions/challenges, or rewards for completing certain milestones. What awards would a salesperson respond to the most? Probably money, I know I would.
Implementing effective training programs for sales enablement technology requires many different components. You must conduct a thorough needs assessment, ensure training is relevant, simplify with microlearning when possible, provide spaced learning opportunities, and motivate them with gamified elements if/when it makes sense.
Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Technology for Sales Teams
Get rid of the thinking that it’s only about the technology. It’s not. The technology itself is only a small part, but if employees aren’t using it correctly, then that technology is a huge waste.
A considerable portion of your organization’s digital transformation relies entirely on training. The technology can only take you halfway there. Change management and good training get sales teams the rest of the way there.
Make sure at least these items are accounted for to maximize technology on the sales team. Technical training is a big part of it, but you have to enable the ability to learn.
Make Time: Pull time right out of thin air. Sales representatives often have busy schedules, making it challenging to allocate dedicated time for training. While you can’t make time, you can make it easy to take training by letting people do it on their own time. We build custom eLearning, and it’s a great way to allow salespeople to learn when convenient. It’s also nice when they can access learning resources on their phone.
Resistance to Change: Some people may resist adopting new technologies or processes due to a fear of the unknown or a preference for traditional methods. To address this challenge, emphasize the benefits of the new technology and provide clear explanations of how it will enhance their productivity and success. Good training will help alleviate resistance, too. If they don’t know why the change is happening or how to change, they won’t do it. Don’t let either of those happen.
Limited Technical Skills: Not all sales representatives may possess strong technical skills initially. To overcome this challenge, organizations should provide comprehensive technical training that at least makes the basics available. Don’t assume just because someone is younger, they know how to use the technology well. Training based on generations is a big mistake. Sometimes, off-the-shelf training is a great way to supplement custom company training.
Lack of Management Support: Without support from management, implementing technical training initiatives will be challenging. A change champion is essential for every technical change. That usually requires a leader to be on board and front-line managers to also be on board.
Technological Constraints: Don’t let Windows XP hold your company back. Outdated or incompatible technology infrastructure can hinder the implementation of technical training programs and training. While training without an LMS is possible, it doesn’t make it very easy.
Overcoming challenges in implementing technology for sales teams requires many strategies. Quality and effective training is a massive part of it. Make sure sales enablement enables employees rather than hinders them. Technology must also enable because technical enablement is also a big part of sales enablement.
Wrap Up
We live in a digital era. That may be unfortunate for some who fear technology, but it doesn’t have to be. That fear comes from a lack of training and a lack of knowing why the change is needed.
Technology truly enables sales enablement. It has become a critical component of successful sales strategies. And without technical training, the technology is essentially useless.
Organizations can drive revenue growth and gain a competitive edge by empowering sales teams with the knowledge and skills to leverage cutting-edge tools effectively. We explored the role of technology in sales enablement and how training plays a vital role.
While implementing technical training for sales teams may come with challenges, such as lack of time or resistance to change, organizations can overcome these challenges by adopting flexible approaches tailored to individual needs.
Make sure you work with your teams to put into place quality technical training for your sales team. Working with instructional design consultants specializing in technical training will ensure quality technical training. Schedule a free consultation so we can learn more about your sales enablement efforts and how technical training can improve the overall effectiveness of your sales team.