Analysis from LinkedIn discovered that 47% of gross sales professionals declare that they use expertise in gross sales not less than as soon as a day. So how can enablement groups guarantee they’re giving their reps the precise instruments to optimize productiveness?

Shawnna Sumaoang: Hello and welcome to the Win Win Podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Be part of us as we dive into altering tendencies within the office and learn how to navigate them efficiently. Right here to debate this subject is Jesse Potter, the Director of Subject Enablement at Docusign. Thanks for becoming a member of, Jesse! I’d love so that you can inform us about your self, your background, and your position. 

Jesse Potter: Thanks for having me. I began out my profession in gross sales, each in {hardware} and SaaS gross sales. I spent a lot of years at Apple after which after that, I did a short stint at a very small startup, kind of seed-level startup, after which got here to DocuSign about seven years in the past. I began out in gross sales right here at DocuSign after which shortly moved into enablement. Throughout my time right here I’ve worn nearly each hat throughout the enablement perform. Now, I at present handle the group that’s centered on any of the worldwide applications that we do right here at DocuSign that basically have an effect on everybody within the subject. It might be every part from product enablement to course of and expertise, new rent onboarding, and every part in between. We even have an in-house tutorial design group inside my group and we deal with enablement platform administration, resembling Highspot. 

SS: Thanks a lot for giving us a bit little bit of that perception in your background, Jesse. I’d love to start out with simply understanding how Highspot has helped your reps with their productiveness, particularly within the present financial local weather the place groups are actually wanted to do extra with much less.

JP: Properly, you’re spot on about effectivity. That’s actually the secret, particularly proper now. It’s been an enormous focus for us for some time, particularly throughout Covid. Actually, every part that we do as enablement needs to be making an attempt to assist the sphere spend extra time with their prospects and fewer time on non-revenue producing exercise. 

I believe from the attitude of how we will attempt to resolve that, it’s essential to have that single supply of reality the place folks go to search out data, coaching, content material, and every part that they want, and attempt to floor it for them within the locations that they’re doing their work. How can we get our reps to search out that content material extra effectively with out them having to seek for it, navigate to it, bookmark it, obtain it, etcetera. 

We’re actually centered on issues like focusing on the precise content material in Salesforce in order that I may give a rep the precise aggressive battle card that they want for his or her alternative based mostly on the product they’re promoting, the business that they’re promoting into, the competitor they’re up towards and so they can floor the precise proper content material for them, so long as the rep retains Salesforce up to date. With that, we’ve been capable of shave over two hours per week off of the common period of time {that a} rep has needed to spend looking for content material or data, which is a big win and clearly that may be a massive focus for us proper now. Within the present local weather, the main focus is on ensuring that we’re making our reps as productive and environment friendly as attainable.

SS: Earlier than highspot, what have been some widespread obstacles your reps have been experiencing when it got here to discovering and sharing the precise content material and the way has Highspot helped to unravel this to enhance your gross sales group’s productiveness?

JP: I believe we had the identical challenges that almost all firms have. The content material was in so many various locations, and reps have been by no means positive what was actually updated or if it was the official model. This results in the reps having to determine it out themselves, and generally meaning they make their very own content material or use stuff that they’ve saved to their desktop. They’d no concept of the model or how up-to-date it’s. Extra importantly, they’d no engagement or understanding of how the shoppers are viewing or utilizing that content material. Actually it’s simply kind of a black field.

Advertising and marketing is working onerous to create actually compelling supplies and enablement is working actually onerous to construct the coaching and the data that they want, however with no device like Highspot, or the flexibility to measure that, it’s limiting. That’s actually been the large factor for us, is making an attempt to standardize that single supply of reality.

I’d say the opposite factor that’s actually past simply being that repository and that central supply is then including within the pitching and having the ability to observe the engagement and truly making it a gross sales engagement platform. A terrific instance is we now have a whole lot of SMB sellers. They clearly don’t have the sources of our enterprise group to have the proposal writers construct out customized proposal decks for every deal. One of many massive wins with Highspot has been standardizing our proposal template, making it straightforward for reps to clone that, add within the particulars for his or her buyer, after which pitch it out and get real-time knowledge on how a buyer is interacting with their proposal. 

We had an important testimonial from a rep who closed the deal proper on the finish of the yr, a real-time crunch situation. He despatched over the client a proposal with a couple of choices, choice A, choice B, and choice C. He was capable of see that the client spent only a few seconds actually taking a look at choice A and choice C, however over an hour taking a look at choice B over a number of classes of viewing. That enabled the rep to know precisely which means the client was leaning and speed up the deal cycle by really having the quotes accepted, the order kind generated, and able to go for choice B earlier than they even received on the decision with the shoppers. That kind of acceleration and effectivity has been an enormous win for us.

SS: I like that. You and your group at DocuSign actually interact your executives, which I believe is one thing that our viewers would like to get some greatest practices round. How have you ever gone about guaranteeing that the enablement group stays a must have within the eyes of the executives at DocuSign?

JP: That’s an excellent query. It’s a continuing course of and I wouldn’t say that we’re even masters of it ourselves always. I believe that’s the true threat that enablement groups can face. You can begin and set up actually nice relationships and partnerships along with your executives and particularly your gross sales leaders, however like all relationship, you’ll want to preserve investing in it and you’ll want to preserve checking in recurrently to see how issues are going. We will’t simply assume that as a result of we aligned with the top of gross sales initially of the yr that we’re nonetheless on the identical web page in Q2 and Q3. 

Typically, I believe for enablement, we’re hesitant or a bit afraid to test in with these executives and see if we’re nonetheless on the identical web page, possibly as a result of we’re afraid of the reply or possibly as a result of we simply don’t give it some thought. That fixed realignment is de facto essential. On high of that, I believe particularly in these loopy occasions, there’s at all times a whole lot of turnover and alter from new leaders coming in or altering their position, remit, or technique. It’s actually all about making an attempt to ascertain that belief and partnership early on. That’s primary, getting your foot within the door with a brand new govt as early as attainable and serving to them perceive that they’ll depend on you, then backing that up with confirmed success, even when it’s not flashy metrics on how a lot income you assist usher in, are you able to even simply present that you simply’re capable of ship for them once they come to you with a necessity? That’s an excellent belief builder and an effective way to ascertain that relationship and partnership. 

Lastly, particularly relating to executives, consistency is vital. Delivering high quality applications constantly, speaking constantly, checking in constantly, and even simply asking them the identical inquiries to make it possible for they know what to anticipate from you and what you’re anticipating from them to just be sure you’re at all times aligned. 

SS: These are some incredible items of recommendation, Jesse. Now, a technique that groups can enhance productiveness is by leveraging integrations within the tech stack and one which your group has discovered a whole lot of worth in is the combination between Salesforce, your CRM, and Highspot. I’d love to grasp from you, what are some key ways in which you employ the salesforce integration in your day-to-day position. 

JP: From my perspective, the Salesforce integration is large as a result of it permits me to actually tie a few of the actions that the reps are finishing inside Highspot with outcomes. I can really look and see the a whole lot or hundreds of alternatives that have been positively influenced by a few of the content material or coaching that we floor to them by the Highspot and Salesforce integration. That knowledge part is de facto big and having the ability to tie again pitch exercise or coaching completion or content material utilization to closed income or exercise in Salesforce and issues like that. 

Salesforce is that single supply of reality. We at all times say, if it doesn’t occur in Salesforce, it didn’t occur. Something that we’re doing on a platform like Highspot or every other device is put into Salesforce in order that integration is primary to us. What’s most crucial for me is that stage of knowledge after which, once more, having the ability to floor the precise supplies to the reps on the proper time is de facto highly effective and signifies that my group may be extra environment friendly and efficient and never need to construct every part always. It means the menu of choices generally is a bit extra tailor-made as a result of we all know precisely what reps want based mostly on what’s coming to us from Salesforce. 

SS: To drill in a bit bit extra, what worth does the salesforce integration convey to you and your reps, particularly because it pertains to productiveness? What particular outcomes have you ever seen? 

JP: I believe for the reps one massive factor is simply having the ability to keep in Salesforce and having the ability to entry all that content material and coaching that Highspot supplies inside Salesforce is large. Which means there’s one much less tab open that they need to have and there’s one much less window that they should go to. One other big factor by the Salesforce integration is that now once they ship out a pitch, it’s going to mechanically relate that pitch to the precise account and the precise alternative.

For us, we now have a reasonably large account group and clearly when we now have territories and inherit new accounts, having the ability to return and see the exercise and content material that has been shared with that buyer beforehand is large and permits a rep to shortly stand up to hurry on that account. 

I believe when it comes to outcomes, it does come right down to that effectivity and pace of having the ability to get to know a brand new buyer which we’ve seen simply dramatically reduces the time that it takes for a rep to inherit a brand new account after which be capable to shortly see what’s occurred beforehand, and even go and discover the content material in Highspot that they’ve seen and see if it must be up to date or something like that. 

SS: Implausible. Out of your perspective, how have Highspot and Salesforce built-in additionally helped with a greater understanding of which offers to go after and delivering the precise content material to reps on the proper time?

JP: For us, that’s one thing that we’re simply beginning to scratch the floor of. Figuring out now, based mostly on the information that we’re getting again, what content material is simplest and what content material is essentially the most worthwhile to focus on to a rep. I believe after we began out, most likely like a whole lot of prospects do, we tried to throw a whole lot of stuff at a rep throughout the context of a chance and it was like, right here’s every part that you simply may want for this chance based mostly on all the information we now have out there. We discovered that wasn’t the simplest solution to go about it, which was really about looking for essentially the most particular piece of content material that’s going to be a very powerful for them and delivering that to them on the proper time and the precise stage of their deal cycle and issues like that. We’re simply beginning to make strides there with our focusing on in Salesforce. 

By way of what offers to go after, having the ability to see like, hey, you understand, X variety of alternatives usually tend to shut after we share this demo video versus this white paper actually has been an enormous growth for our advertising and marketing group to grasp like, okay, that is the kind of content material that’s resonating and whether or not it’s a video versus a white paper or extra concerning the message that it’s making an attempt to convey, we will say, all proper, this video right here talks so much about mitigating threat for patrons that appears to be resonating, so let’s lean extra into that. Then we all know, when we now have prospects coming to us with that kind of downside that they’re making an attempt to unravel, we all know that that’s one thing we now have nice materials for and we will most likely win extra successfully.

SS: Thanks for sharing your story on the way you leverage Highspot and Salesforce collectively. One other key means that your group leverages Highspot to drive productiveness is thru gross sales performs. Since implementing gross sales performs that DocuSign, what direct outcomes have you ever seen when it comes to confidence and productiveness for reps once they’re speaking to prospects? 

JP: I believe one of many massive wins for us as we launched gross sales performs on the peak of Covid and we had a whole lot of new and rising use instances that have been popping out for DocuSign merchandise because of Covid. These have been issues that we simply would by no means have been capable of anticipate have been going to be priorities, together with issues like vaccine testing and testing website administration. These weren’t issues that we regarded as apparent DocuSign use instances till they grew to become a very powerful factor. We have been capable of launch gross sales performs particularly focused for these use instances which might be allowed and outfitted reps to talk with confidence with the precise content material to again it up on one thing that they wouldn’t have obtained a whole lot of coaching on and doubtless don’t have a whole lot of earlier expertise promoting to those totally different industries or personas that they’re speaking to now. 

That was actually big for us as a result of we have been digital and dealing from dwelling, so it’s not like we might pull everyone collectively essentially and do a bunch of coaching. Highspot allowed us to maneuver in a short time and instill that confidence as a result of we might construct a play, construct some content material, get it on the market, and get folks talking extra comfortably about these new eventualities. We’ve tried to proceed to duplicate that with our gross sales performs and use it as a solution to each allow the sphere and get extra confidence, however then additionally be capable to observe and see like, okay, these performs are being efficient and these aren’t so we will goal extra of that materials. 

SS: I like that. DocuSign can be at present piloting Highspot’s coaching and training. What advantages have you ever seen from having a single platform for reps to work and study from and the way has that additionally impacted the way in which that you simply observe productiveness? 

JP: This has been big for us. Like a whole lot of firms proper now, we’re making an attempt to consolidate and make it possible for we’re making the most effective use of the tech that we now have, relatively than making an attempt to have totally different apps for each totally different factor. If we will have a single platform that enables us to do every part that the enablement group would want and supply every part {that a} rep would want, that’s going to be an enormous win. 

What we had beforehand was a whole lot of the content material in Highspot and that being the supply of reality, after which, from there, when you wanted to finish a coaching module or a course, you’ll click on on a hyperlink and it might take you out to a different app. Possibly you’d come again, possibly you wouldn’t, however even simply that straightforward piece of not having to click on out and go to a unique expertise in a unique place is large for us. It signifies that we’re extra more likely to get engagement with that materials. The opposite piece that we’re actually enthusiastic about with coaching teaching is having the ability to do extra microlearning. Historically we’ve achieved a whole lot of our studying programs and issues like that in kind of pretty massive, monolithic occasions, resembling a 30, 60, 90-minute course that you’ll want to take. For reps, it seems like this massive endeavor to finish and that they should carve a while out. Whereas as an alternative, the coaching and training will permit us to create bite-sized micro-learning throughout the context of the place they might already be going to search out out a couple of new product. 

For instance, if we now have the product demo video and the pitch deck, and a few of the messaging pointers all proper there on the web page in Highspot, we will even have a bit studying expertise proper there inside that very same atmosphere. It’s much more intuitive and we will break issues up extra simply. We’re enthusiastic about that and having the ability to make extra of that bite-sized, digestible studying occur throughout the platform that we’re already utilizing.

By way of monitoring productiveness, I believe that’s going to be big as a result of we’ve already constructed the pipes and feeds from Highspot into our knowledge warehouse and have the dashboards already aligned, so now it’s simply including within the coaching aspect in order that we don’t need to have a content material utilization dashboard and a gross sales efficiency dashboard and a coaching completion dashboard. We will attempt to convey all these issues collectively, which is gonna permit us to avoid wasting time and sources and construct all that, in addition to inform tighter narratives round once you full this coaching and use this deck that we offer, which leads to this end result, which is thrilling. 

SS: In the same vein, how do you leverage analytics in Highspot to collect insights on the effectivity and effectiveness of your groups to proceed to evolve future enablement applications based mostly on the areas of most want? What are a few of the advantages of monitoring these metrics in Highspot?

JP: I believe, once more I’ve been speaking so much about knowledge and measurement right here, however it’s a massive focus for us and I believe for many enablement groups, proper now, we are attempting to do a greater job of quantifying the affect and the return from our efforts and the coaching that we offer. I believe doing that in Highspot has a whole lot of advantages as a result of primary, once more, we’ve already received it built-in with our core programs, which is large, so it’s linked to Salesforce. It’s linked to our SSO platform and all of that, so a whole lot of automation is going on simply through the use of a single platform once more relatively than a number of.

One of many good issues about Highspot is it provides us a predefined solution to share that knowledge. All of our frontline managers can log in and examine the information that they want for his or her particular person groups. We will roll up that knowledge to extra of an govt stage or if advertising and marketing needs to view all of that, all of them have that entry. We’re not doing as a lot handbook reporting and knowledge dumps out of the system as we needed to do beforehand with different platforms, we’re capable of pre-build the precise stories throughout the device. Then we nonetheless have another dashboards that we construct, the place we’re combining totally different knowledge units. The connection there within the integration is so tight and the information could be very clear and dependable. We’re capable of like work actually simply with that knowledge set to construct out customized dashboards and tie it up with Salesforce knowledge and issues like that.

SS: Thanks, Jesse. Final query for you. How do you count on your group to proceed to evolve with Highspot? 

JP: We’re actually excited concerning the partnership. We’re actually excited concerning the concept of a real enablement platform. Being the enablement group, we love the imaginative and prescient that Highspot set about being the most effective enablement answer. With the longer term innovation that you simply all are engaged on, it’s actually thrilling for us to have the ability to really feel like we’ve made the precise alternative. Understanding that we’ve received a accomplice that we will actually work with has been nice. 

I believe only for our subject and for our reps of their day-to-day, the extra that we will proceed to construct that. We’ve achieved an excellent job of claiming, Highspot is now your supply of reality, that’s the place you go for every part. It’s like, come for the one repository and the trusted content material that you understand is updated, keep for the client engagement knowledge that you simply get and the convenience of pitching out content material through Gmail or outreach or issues like that. The flexibility to create touchdown pages and microsites in your prospects, and the flexibility to collaborate along with your friends on pitches and content material, prefer it retains opening up extra alternatives for our group to speed up their gross sales cycle and be extra environment friendly and efficient. 

For us, it’s nearly persevering with to drive that since you see the outcomes develop exponentially the longer you’ve had an answer in place the extra that individuals are adopting it and shopping for into it. We’re simply excited to see it proceed to evolve. We’re excited concerning the future innovation that’s on the roadmap. We’ve additionally had an important partnership and the group at Highspot has been actually nice to work with, so we’re excited to see what’s sooner or later. 

SS: I admire you sharing your insights, Jesse. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us. 

JP: Thanks. It’s nice speaking with you 

SS: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win podcast. Make sure to tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can maximize enablement success with Highspot.