In financial services, client-facing teams must build trust and foster long-term relationships, all while keeping pace with the evolving needs of their clients and ever-changing compliance requirements. As firms look for new ways to grow AUM/Revenue, increase productivity and personalize client experiences, compliantly, enablement technology is quickly becoming necessary for firms looking to achieve their top business outcomes.  

Given that the role of enablement, and enablement tech is becoming more important across the industry, Seismic commissioned a research report to better understand how leading firms are integrating enablement as part of their business strategy.   

Our new study, “Revenue Enablement in Financial Services: 2024 Global Findings & Insights,” explores how industry leaders are investing in enablement, driving business results, and integrating AI into their enablement strategies to better support the needs of sales, marketing, compliance and leadership teams. Nearly all respondents (94%) say they are using some form of enablement technology at work and predict (93%) that their team’s reliance on enablement technology will continue to increase over the next year. 

In this post, we’ll cover the results of the study and focus on the importance of organizational and strategic alignment and the critical role that enablement plays within financial services. 

What is enablement technology?  

Enablement technology encompasses multiple capabilities and solutions, including sales content management and automation, training and coaching, buyer engagement, strategy and planning, and analytics and intelligence. 

Serving as a critical component in a modern tech stack, enablement technology makes it possible for firms to manage rapid change, keep up with changing customer expectations, improve offerings and services, and close skill gaps. 

The role of enablement in financial services  

Enablement tech plays an important role in unifying sales, marketing, service, enablement, sales learning and coaching, product, compliance and leadership teams to achieve the firm’s top strategic priorities.  Seismic’s own Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Hayden Stafford, underscored the importance of alignment in a recent presentation, stating, “Aligned teams are efficient teams. Aligned teams are productive teams, and aligned teams are winning teams.” 

Enablement helps drive alignment by providing the necessary tools, training, and resources to help teams maximize every client interaction, and drive business growth and stability. Leaders featured in our study also agree with that sentiment, knowing that there is a lot needed to make client facing teams more impactful. They define enablement, a function generally shared across teams, as a mix of content creation and production (36%), sales tech (27%), and sales and training coaching (26%).  

Enablement technology makes it possible for marketing teams to create accurate and compliant content at scale, while solving the challenge of making it discoverable for client-facing teams. When client-facing professionals can quickly access up-to-date content and relevant client information, they’re able to deliver the hyper-personalized experiences that are both memorable and impactful.  

Organizational placement of enablement teams  

Although there’s no single blueprint for the ideal enablement structure, one essential quality they must share is alignment. Supporting sales teams effectively requires a coordinated effort across multiple departments. Successful firms understand that aligning marketing, product, sales coaching and training, data, and technology teams is essential for driving growth and maximizing impact. 

Firms are choosing a number of different ways to support sales enablement – having components of the function sit across various teams, with cross-functional committees coming together to align on priorities, measurements, and outcomes. Others are looking to centralize more of these functions within one team. While giving careful thought to organization structures is important, it is more important to keep teams aligned on a shared vision for enablement. 

According to Stafford, “Enablement drives measurable results — not just efficiency adoption, but concrete outcomes that matter, such as pipeline, sales velocity, value coverage, win rates, close rates, uplift rates, renewal rates, and more.” 

Enablement leaders and their responsibilities  

When industry leaders were asked about the primary responsibilities of the person leading enablement, responses varied across different focus areas. The largest portion (39%) indicated that their enablement leaders spend the most time on long-term projects, such as business transformation and operations that require a more holistic approach.  

Another 31% said these leaders focus primarily on execution, working to deliver on plans and projects they or others in the organization have requested. Meanwhile, 16% noted an equal division of time across all responsibilities, while 12% described their leaders’ roles as handling ad-hoc tasks that arise unexpectedly. 

The impact of AI-powered enablement 

Firms view AI as a powerful productivity booster for client-facing, marketing, and training teams, especially for streamlining content creation and improving efficiency of meeting preparation, delivery, and follow-up.  

Over 50% of respondents say their companies are using AI-powered tools in their enablement processes, and 90% report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with these tools. 

Use of AI in enablement efforts is expected to become more widespread in the near term. Respondents predict that AI will be indispensable in providing personalized customer experiences (92%) and maintaining competitive advantage (86%) in the next five years. 

Recommendations for driving strategic change and transformation 

To make the most impact and drive strategic change, we recommend that enablement leaders follow a six-faceted model: 
 

1. Align with business outcomes for strategic initiatives: Choose the business outcomes that you can address. 

2. Correlate client-facing professionals’ behavior to outcomes: Determine what they need to do and say differently, and what else they need to know. 

3. Develop the program: Create the program structure with playbooks, content, lessons, and practice. 

4. Monitor progress: Observe whether the program is working. Did the client-facing professionals engage with the enablement materials? Did they apply it with the right skills and behaviors? 

5. Implement modifications: Coach teams, improve materials, promote best practices, and fill gaps.  

6. Review results: Assess whether the program met the outcomes determined at the start (i.e. pipeline, revenue, time-to-close, or win rate). 

The power of alignment in driving strategic change  

Alignment is key to making enablement truly effective in financial services, helping teams drive strategic change and create a lasting impact. Our study reveals that industry leaders prioritize alignment across sales, marketing, and training teams as a means to boost productivity, personalize client interactions, and support growth. By ensuring all teams work toward shared goals and outcomes, enablement becomes more than a function—it becomes a strategic force for transformation. Firms that focus on alignment in their enablement efforts are better positioned to grow and set new standards in operational excellence and client satisfaction. 

To review the full findings, download the report: “Revenue Enablement in Financial Services: 2024 Global Findings & Insights.” 

The post How Financial Services Firms Align for Growth appeared first on Seismic.

Given that the role of enablement, and enablement tech is becoming more important across the industry, Seismic commissioned a research report to better understand how leading firms are integrating enablement as part of their business strategy.   

Our new study, “Revenue Enablement in Financial Services: 2024 Global Findings & Insights,” explores how industry leaders are investing in enablement, driving business results, and integrating AI into their enablement strategies to better support the needs of sales, marketing, compliance and leadership teams. Nearly all respondents (94%) say they are using some form of enablement technology at work and predict (93%) that their team’s reliance on enablement technology will continue to increase over the next year. 

In this post, we’ll cover the results of the study and focus on the importance of organizational and strategic alignment and the critical role that enablement plays within financial services. 

What is enablement technology?  

Enablement technology encompasses multiple capabilities and solutions, including sales content management and automation, training and coaching, buyer engagement, strategy and planning, and analytics and intelligence. 

Serving as a critical component in a modern tech stack, enablement technology makes it possible for firms to manage rapid change, keep up with changing customer expectations, improve offerings and services, and close skill gaps. 

The role of enablement in financial services  

Enablement tech plays an important role in unifying sales, marketing, service, enablement, sales learning and coaching, product, compliance and leadership teams to achieve the firm’s top strategic priorities.  Seismic’s own Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Hayden Stafford, underscored the importance of alignment in a recent presentation, stating, “Aligned teams are efficient teams. Aligned teams are productive teams, and aligned teams are winning teams.” 

Enablement helps drive alignment by providing the necessary tools, training, and resources to help teams maximize every client interaction, and drive business growth and stability. Leaders featured in our study also agree with that sentiment, knowing that there is a lot needed to make client facing teams more impactful. They define enablement, a function generally shared across teams, as a mix of content creation and production (36%), sales tech (27%), and sales and training coaching (26%).  

Enablement technology makes it possible for marketing teams to create accurate and compliant content at scale, while solving the challenge of making it discoverable for client-facing teams. When client-facing professionals can quickly access up-to-date content and relevant client information, they’re able to deliver the hyper-personalized experiences that are both memorable and impactful.  

Organizational placement of enablement teams  

Although there’s no single blueprint for the ideal enablement structure, one essential quality they must share is alignment. Supporting sales teams effectively requires a coordinated effort across multiple departments. Successful firms understand that aligning marketing, product, sales coaching and training, data, and technology teams is essential for driving growth and maximizing impact. 

Firms are choosing a number of different ways to support sales enablement – having components of the function sit across various teams, with cross-functional committees coming together to align on priorities, measurements, and outcomes. Others are looking to centralize more of these functions within one team. While giving careful thought to organization structures is important, it is more important to keep teams aligned on a shared vision for enablement. 

According to Stafford, “Enablement drives measurable results — not just efficiency adoption, but concrete outcomes that matter, such as pipeline, sales velocity, value coverage, win rates, close rates, uplift rates, renewal rates, and more.” 

Enablement leaders and their responsibilities  

When industry leaders were asked about the primary responsibilities of the person leading enablement, responses varied across different focus areas. The largest portion (39%) indicated that their enablement leaders spend the most time on long-term projects, such as business transformation and operations that require a more holistic approach.  

Another 31% said these leaders focus primarily on execution, working to deliver on plans and projects they or others in the organization have requested. Meanwhile, 16% noted an equal division of time across all responsibilities, while 12% described their leaders’ roles as handling ad-hoc tasks that arise unexpectedly. 

The impact of AI-powered enablement 

Firms view AI as a powerful productivity booster for client-facing, marketing, and training teams, especially for streamlining content creation and improving efficiency of meeting preparation, delivery, and follow-up.  

Over 50% of respondents say their companies are using AI-powered tools in their enablement processes, and 90% report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with these tools. 

Use of AI in enablement efforts is expected to become more widespread in the near term. Respondents predict that AI will be indispensable in providing personalized customer experiences (92%) and maintaining competitive advantage (86%) in the next five years. 

Recommendations for driving strategic change and transformation 

To make the most impact and drive strategic change, we recommend that enablement leaders follow a six-faceted model: 
 

1. Align with business outcomes for strategic initiatives: Choose the business outcomes that you can address. 

2. Correlate client-facing professionals’ behavior to outcomes: Determine what they need to do and say differently, and what else they need to know. 

3. Develop the program: Create the program structure with playbooks, content, lessons, and practice. 

4. Monitor progress: Observe whether the program is working. Did the client-facing professionals engage with the enablement materials? Did they apply it with the right skills and behaviors? 

5. Implement modifications: Coach teams, improve materials, promote best practices, and fill gaps.  

6. Review results: Assess whether the program met the outcomes determined at the start (i.e. pipeline, revenue, time-to-close, or win rate). 

The power of alignment in driving strategic change  

Alignment is key to making enablement truly effective in financial services, helping teams drive strategic change and create a lasting impact. Our study reveals that industry leaders prioritize alignment across sales, marketing, and training teams as a means to boost productivity, personalize client interactions, and support growth. By ensuring all teams work toward shared goals and outcomes, enablement becomes more than a function—it becomes a strategic force for transformation. Firms that focus on alignment in their enablement efforts are better positioned to grow and set new standards in operational excellence and client satisfaction. 

To review the full findings, download the report: “Revenue Enablement in Financial Services: 2024 Global Findings & Insights.” 

The post How Financial Services Firms Align for Growth appeared first on Seismic.

Seismic’s recent study, “Revenue Enablement in Financial Services: 2024 Global Findings & Insights,” highlights how financial services leaders are integrating enablement and AI to stay ahead. With 91% of respondents pushing for innovative technologies and 97% doing so because of advancements in AI, the report sheds light on the growing investment in AI to accelerate productivity, meet evolving client needs, and drive revenue.  

Read on to understand how firms are using AI in enablement, what challenges and opportunities they face, and what’s next.  

The role of AI-enabled sales in financial services  

Firms are increasingly relying on AI-powered tools to boost productivity across client-facing, marketing, and training teams. More than half of the respondents are already using AI-powered tools specifically for enablement, while 25% use AI for other non-enablement tasks and 19% leverage AI for both enablement and non-enablement activities.  

Our research shows that financial services professionals are 12% more likely to use AI with enablement efforts in comparison to counterparts from other industries, demonstrating a broader acceptance of emerging technology.  

Key drivers for investing in enablement technologies and new technologies include: 

• Managing rapid changes within organizations: 60%  

• Keeping up with changing customer expectations: 57%  

• Reflecting customer offerings/products/services: 46%  

• Closing the skills gap through coaching and training: 38%  

• Decreasing sales time in the buyer journey: 28%  

AI-powered enablement: Tangible benefits  

Among respondents whose firms already use AI-powered tools in their enablement processes, 90% report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with the performance of these tools. Firms are streamlining several tasks with AI. These include:  

• Content creation and management: AI simplifies the creation and organization of content by automating processes like tagging and content assembly, while making content discoverable to client-facing professionals in the moment of need.  

• Training and coaching: Firms can use AI to deliver personalized learning modules, accelerating skill development and reducing time to proficiency. AI can also provide real-time coaching and feedback, helping client-facing professionals refine their techniques and improve performance.   

• Client engagement: AI tools analyze client data to help client-facing professionals tailor their communications and present relevant information during meetings. By organizing client information, suggesting talking points, and generating follow-up tasks, AI ensures personalized and productive client engagements that boost satisfaction and loyalty. 

Challenges and opportunities  

 
Even with AI’s potential, 66% of respondents report facing barriers to implementing AI in their enablement processes, most notably financial resource constraints (42%), security concerns (40%), and HR constraints (35%). 

To overcome these challenges, industry leaders are focusing on training and cross-functional collaboration between sales, marketing, service, tech, data science, and business operations teams. An overwhelming majority of respondents (85%) agree that AI literacy has become an essential skill for client-facing teams, and more than 90% work for firms that have launched AI-focused training programs for employees. By identifying and empowering champions for AI, firms can build adoption across teams.  

What’s next  

Rapid advances in AI will continue to evolve across the financial services industry, redefining everything from operations to client interactions. In fact, 90% of respondents predict that AI will completely transform their industry in the next 5 years, and that the fusion of AI with go-to-market strategies will result in a 40% increase in revenue growth.  

Respondents believe that over time AI has the potential to optimize functions across sales (61%), marketing (61%), strategy and operations (49%), risk and compliance (43%), coaching and training (39%), and legal and audit (33%) teams. It’s clear that embracing AI in your enablement strategies will strengthen your competitive advantage today and prepare your firm for tomorrow.  

Transforming financial services with AI-powered enablement tech  

AI-powered enablement plays a critical role in helping firms increase AUM/revenue, drive operational efficiency, and deliver more memorable experiences. Our study shows just how much AI can boost productivity and drive revenue, making it a game-changer for firms looking to stay competitive.  Firms that invest in AI-powered enablement are not only preparing for the future; they are setting new industry standards in client satisfaction and operational efficiency. 

For nearly a decade, Seismic has continuously invested in AI to enhance our platform’s capabilities, establishing us as the global leader in enablement. Seismic is proud to partner with more than 400 financial services institutions around the world to support their vision for growth. 

Contact your Seismic representative for more information. 

The post How AI-powered enablement tech drives AUM and revenue growth  appeared first on Seismic.

As we reflect on the milestones we’ve reached together, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the commitment and collaboration of our Seismic customers. Your partnership has been instrumental in shaping our platform and driving the innovations that have led us to this moment.

Our journey since founding Seismic in 2010 has been marked by a dedication to serving organizations large and small. This recognition from Forrester reflects our collective efforts to push the boundaries of what enablement can achieve. The strategic investments we’ve made in our product underscore our belief in providing enablement professionals with the tools they need to drive organizational change and report outcomes to their executive leadership. 

Together, we’ve launched several new platform enhancements, including Seismic Aura Copilot and Seismic for Meetings. These innovations, among many others in the pipeline, are a direct result of the feedback and insights that you, our customers, have provided. Your input is invaluable, and we are committed to continuing to listen, learn, and grow alongside you. 

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We are excited about the future and look forward to achieving even greater heights together. 

Sincerely, 

The Seismic team 

P.S. Want to get more involved in the Seismic ecosystem? Join us at Seismic Shift, this October 8 – 10 in San Diego, CA.  

The post A special thank you to our customers  appeared first on Seismic.

Sales coaching programs typically take a customized approach, tailoring guidance around the seller’s unique strengths to help them develop and refine the skills needed to have meaningful customer interactions and achieve their quotas. Behind every sales coaching program is a sales manager, and it should come as no surprise that effective coaching requires effective managers. According to Gartner, managers who understand how to be a good coach can help individuals increase performance by as much as 8%.

Optimizing sales coaching with software

Coaching sellers poses challenges for sales managers due to the added complexity of managing remote teams. Additionally, the lack of experience and knowledge in modeling the right behaviors makes it more complicated. These obstacles are just a few reasons why most managers spend less than 5% of their time coaching sellers.

To create a scalable sales coaching program that delivers the personalized feedback that sellers require, sales managers need sales coaching software. Just as frontline teams depend on various technologies to do their jobs successfully, sales coaching software is an essential tool that makes it possible to create an online sales coaching program that enables sellers to practice, receive feedback, and track progress over time.

8 qualities every sales coaching program needs

To create the best sales coaching program for your organization, you should start by identifying your objectives and then determine the technology you need to achieve them. Below are the top eight qualities that you should look for and implement as you develop your sales coaching programs:

Customization

Customization is one of the most critical qualities of any sales coaching program. Tailor coaching sessions to address individual and team needs, considering factors like experience level, strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. This helps sellers and teams capitalize on their strengths and address problem areas faster.

Clear objectives

If you don’t measure it, you can’t track it. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for coaching sessions provides clear direction and focus. This ensures that coaching efforts align with organizational goals and sales targets. SMART goals also hold individuals and teams accountable, making it more likely that they’ll follow through and take the steps needed to improve performance.

Continuous feedback

Sales coaching programs should offer feedback to sales reps in the moment — whether it’s positive reinforcement or constructive criticism — to help them adjust their behavior quickly. It’s important to deliver continuous feedback to promote learning and facilitate improvement.

Role-playing exercises

Practice makes progress. Prepare sellers for new challenges by incorporating role-playing scenarios to simulate real-world sales situations in a risk-free environment. Sales coaching software makes it easy to deliver scenario-based training at scale, helping sales reps enhance skills, confidence, and adaptability. This tool also enables sales leaders to identify problem areas and know where to correct them.

Data-driven insights

All sales leaders need data to determine what’s working and what isn’t. Utilize sales data and analytics to identify performance trends, areas for improvement, and coaching priorities. Sales coaching software should provide easy access to dashboards and custom reporting to help leaders make data-driven decisions and track the ROI of their coaching efforts.

Skill development

The business landscape is constantly changing, making it critical for sales leaders to prioritize learning and development for their teams. Supplement coaching conversations with training to help sellers master a wide range of sales skills, including prospecting, objection handling, negotiation, closing techniques, and relationship-building.

Offering training and coaching doesn’t just contribute to better performance, it can also improve retention. Seismic’s Value of Enablement Report found that companies that provide on-the-job coaching increase seller retention by an average of 20% each year.

Peer-to-peer learning

Facilitating opportunities for sales team members to learn from each other’s successes and failures through peer-to-peer coaching or knowledge-sharing sessions is a great way to communicate best practices. Sales coaching software enables teams to scale winning strategies by easily distributing playbooks, choreography, and content across the sales organization.

Tech integrations

There are several essential technologies that sales teams rely on to perform their roles. Consider sales coaching software that integrates with your sales enablement tools, CRM systems, and other technology platforms to streamline coaching processes, track progress, and provide access to resources. Connecting with your systems of record helps maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales coaching programs.

Scale your sales coaching program with Seismic

Empowering your sales reps to meet their quotas and beyond is not a one-and-done activity. It requires a commitment to sales coaching that’s ongoing and tailored to every sales rep’s specific needs. Seismic’s learning and coaching solution equips sales leaders to assess skills, deliver personalized coaching, and track development — all within the flow of work. Our coaching software enables sales teams to train their teams 62% faster and reach their goals more often. 

Are you ready to experience a modern coaching platform? Jump into this free lesson to see Seismic Learning firsthand.

The post 8 qualities of effective sales coaching programs appeared first on Seismic.

Daniel Pink, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of To Sell is Human, sums up the “art” part well: “The ability to move others to exchange what they have for what we offer is the art of the pitch.” It takes significant training and coaching to perfect a sales pitch and refine any seller’s soft skills.

As for the “science,” sellers need the right content, skills, insights, and analytics to connect with prospects and prove their product or service’s value. Without a doubt, one of the most vital pieces of sales content they need in their toolkit is an excellent sales pitch deck. 

A sales pitch deck is a visual representation of the value your organization provides. It’s an indispensable piece of sales collateral that anchors millions of virtual and in-person pitches each year. 

Most decks combine data, storytelling, and emotional engagement to create a compelling narrative — a narrative that convinces buyers to move forward in the sales cycle and eventually make a purchase.

So, what do the most successful sellers include in their pitch decks? In this post, we’ll share five key components of a winning, revenue-driving sales pitch deck. 

What should a sales pitch deck include?

Most markets are saturated with good options for buyers to choose from, so your pitch deck has to stand out and answer this question: Why should people buy your product or service instead of someone else’s?

An impactful sales pitch deck includes: 

1. Your solution to a burdensome problem
2. The standout features of your product or service 
3. Proof that your product is better than your competitors
4. Real stories from happy customers
5. Pricing information

We’ll dig into each of these five things shortly, but remember that the overarching goal of your deck is to combine visuals and concise text in a way that communicates your value proposition loud and clear. 

But here’s the kicker: No two customers are the same, and neither are the best sales decks.

Source: Zendesk, 2023

That’s why personalization is the backbone of any great pitch deck for sales. (Hint: Tools like Seismic’s pitch deck generator make it simple for sellers to customize every pitch deck to their prospect’s interests, industry, and potential use cases in seconds).

With personalization in mind, let’s dive into the five elements your sales deck design should address to make the best impression.

1. Challenges and pain points

A great place to start is with the specific challenges and pain points your prospect is experiencing. Every impactful sales deck outline shows a clear understanding of the prospect’s pain, right from the get-go.  

This shows the prospect you’ve done your homework and have a deep understanding of their world. This slide (or a couple of slides) should always be personalized based on any initial conversations or past interactions you’ve had with a prospect before the call.

2. Your solution and value proposition

This part of the deck is where you demonstrate how you’re the pain relief they’ve been looking for. Share what your product or service can do and how it’s going to make a difference. 

Don’t be afraid to dive into the details of your solution. Highlight, at the highest level, the value you provide by showcasing a benefit or two that demonstrate your competitive edge. Charts, graphs, and data points are powerful elements that bring your value prop to life in this section.

This is the moment in your sales pitch deck that needs a compelling narrative. In other words, there is a better time to list off features.

3. Product features and capabilities

Once you have a solid narrative, transition to the highlight reel of your business. A great sales pitch deck outline includes slides showing key features and personalized product screenshots and GIFs.

The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of what you offer, complete with technical specifications prospects will care about, like integrations, and any unique capabilities your product offers that your competitors may not.

A word of advice for this section: Your prospects will either tune in to what you’re saying in this section or tune you out if what you’re saying doesn’t apply to them. Know who you’re talking to. If it’s a champion who’ll be an end user or, perhaps, an Ops person who’ll be responsible for implementation, share the technical details you feel are relevant. But if it’s a C-suite decision maker, they want value and proof of ROI — not a list of features.

4. Industry-specific customer testimonials

“When people are uncertain, they are more likely to use others’ actions to decide on proper behavior for themselves.” 

Robert Cialdini, the author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion said this, and it couldn’t be more true.

Social proof is everything. Seeing how others in the same space solve problems with your product is often just the push prospects need to affirm their decision. Be sure your sales pitch deck includes real customer feedback, complete with the exact wins they enjoyed because of your solution. Short quotes, headshots, and stats often work well on these kinds of slides.

Again, personalization is so important here. Work to find a story or two that will resonate most with your prospect. 

5. Pricing and packages

As you approach the end of a pitch, it’s time to talk numbers. The best thing you can do in these concluding slides is be transparent about your pricing model.

Outline the cost structure and all available packages or options. Cover all pricing tiers, any discounts or incentives, and what’s in it for the customer. Your prospects should leave this meeting with a clear understanding of how you can help them, and what it looks like to partner with you. 

One last bit of advice: A sales pitch should never feel like a monologue. Engaged prospects will have questions along the way, so be sure your deck isn’t so inflexible or that you don’t have time to listen to the prospect and address their questions and concerns.

Personalize every single pitch deck with Seismic

A one-size-fits-all approach to sales pitching simply doesn’t cut it anymore. 

To create the best sales deck and pitch experience for sellers and prospects alike, consider Seismic’s suite of revenue enablement tools, including Guided Assembly and Seismic for PowerPoint. These two tools enable thousands of global sellers to create personalized, informative B2B sale pitch decks that incorporate all five elements above and resonate deeply with prospects. We also have a free toolkit with a customizable pitch deck generator to create the best presentation possible.

Personalized selling at scale is possible with Seismic.Think you’re ready to see Seismic’s pitch deck personalization in action? We’d be thrilled to show you our platform.

The post 5 components of a revenue-driving sales pitch deck appeared first on Seismic.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. There are scrappy, “we’ll-figure-it-out” sellers and leaders around the globe navigating today’s challenges excellently. Most of them are leaning on sales enablement tools to adapt their messaging, strategy, and workflows to the needs of their target market.

In fact, 92% of global revenue leaders who plan to increase or retain their sales enablement tech agree that it’s integral to weathering difficult economic times.

Whether you’re part of a more mature sales organization with sales enablement software in place, or your company hasn’t gotten there yet, we invite you to read on. We’ll review data from the 2023 Value of Enablement Report that proves why it’s the prime time to invest in better sales enablement to boost buyer engagement. 

But first, a quick note: It’s easy for companies to say things like “Now more than ever is the time for [OUR PRODUCT].” These statements always feel biased and sales-y. Our goal here is just to publicize what our data says about the impact of using a top sales enablement software.

The people have spoken: Sales enablement is worth it

Here at Seismic, we, of course, believe that sales enablement software is a competitive differentiator. But this is also supported by the enablers and sellers who use the technology day in and day out.

As mentioned above, we published a report earlier this year where we surveyed and then studied more than 1,200 full-time sales, enablement, and customer success professionals. These people work in managerial and leadership roles throughout the United States and Europe. 

75% of them — whether they have a sales enablement solution in place or not — say that implementing new enablement tools is a priority for their company in 2024. Here are the four main reasons why.

1. Sellers are facing a tough crowd, day in and day out

Closing deals is not what it once was. By the time a prospective client is on a first call with an AE at a tech company or a private banker in the financial services space, they’ve already done their homework. They’re largely informed about what you do, and they expect you to know what they need. 

Prospects expect a personalized sales experience because that’s what your best competitors offer. But this takes so much time.

On top of this, new companies and products are entering the market regularly and clients’ priorities and behavior are constantly evolving. Sales enablement software empowers leaders to better equip their salespeople with the skills, content, insights, and tools they need to engage with clients and close deals.

In fact, 97% of survey respondents who use sales enablement software say it gives them quick access to content, information, and/or coaching, so they can consistently speak to clients from a more informed standpoint.

2. Sellers expect top-of-the-line tech

If you want to attract or retain top sales talent, an intuitive, modern tech stack is non-negotiable. Period. 

Sellers who have experience working at companies with robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform integrations, data analytics tools, and sales automation tech expect sales enablement tech. They want to:

• Be in the know about new processes and market trends
• Streamline tedious tasks so they can focus on client relationships
• Go to a single place to go for all of their learning and content.

Case in point: Based on our data, a seller who’s working without enablement tech spends an average of 10 hours per week tracking down, comparing, or revisiting content to send to clients. And 74% are currently considering leaving their company due to a lack of tools to support their success.

3. Sellers will stay (or go) where they can grow

This goes hand in hand with the top-of-the-line tech reason above. 59% of our respondents went so far to say that they won’t work for a company without enablement tools. Good enablement software and programs make sellers better in their current roles. But great ones make them better sellers, leaders, teammates, and client advocates for their entire careers.

Continuous learning is a major priority for today’s sellers. With a sales enablement solution, you can easily disseminate relevant industry trends and product knowledge, yes — but also selling techniques, certifications, mock practice scenarios, and more to make your sales team more skilled for even future roles they’ll take.

Here’s the best part: When organizations prioritize ongoing training and development for sales representatives with enablement, sellers want to stay. Nearly 80% of the respondents we surveyed believe that their company’s enablement tools will help them retain and attract more employees in 2024. And 100% of those with plans to decrease enablement efforts are concerned that it will lead to lower employee retention.

4. Sellers want to work for agile, adaptable employers

Last, but not least, the best sales enablement tools equip sellers with everything they need to operate with agility, even in times of economic uncertainty. 

Compare these results from the report:

Organizations, especially hybrid or remote ones, without an enablement tool can’t pivot quite as quickly if they notice a new sales tactic that’s closing deals 20% better. They can’t prevent sellers from finding, let alone sending dated content. They can’t create a highly-personalized slide deck in less than five minutes.

Sellers want to work for organizations that are built with resilience in mind and who have the tech and infrastructure in place to handle the ever-evolving landscape they’re working in.

The bottom line about top-notch enablement

It pays big dividends to prioritize sales enablement. The report reveals that an investment in sales enablement grows revenue, retains and attracts great sellers, and gives clients an experience that’s on par (or better than) their expectations. 

If you’d like to learn how you can go to market quickly and smoothly, download our eBook, Kick Go-to-Market Chaos to the Curb.

The post Why sales enablement is worth prioritizing in 2024 and beyond appeared first on Seismic.

Sellers, you know the feeling, too: Your marketing team creates new versions of your go-to-market collateral and you don’t know where to find it. And if you do, you don’t have time to personalize it or demonstrate that it helps move the needle with your clients.

Enablement practitioners, you are the solution to this content chaos. With an excellent sales enablement content strategy, your sellers shouldn’t waste time searching for content.

A 2023 study we commissioned revealed this: 97% of people who said that sales enablement software gives them quick access to content also said that such quick access lets them communicate with their clients from a more informed standpoint. As an enablement professional, it’s your job to make it easier for your client-facing teammates to grow revenue. Reducing content chaos plays a big part in that.

Picture your content chaos, solved

At this point, we’ve established that sales enablement is an efficient, scalable way to control content chaos. Now let’s dig deeper. 

Here are just four (of many) reasons why including a sales content management system keeps your content organized, accessible, and up-to-date. 

1. Sellers find what they need faster

Right now, sellers without sales enablement tech spend an average of 10 hours per week tracking down, comparing, or revisiting content to send to their clients. There’s a better way with content management software. See what we mean by checking out this video.

The best sales enablement practitioners leverage sales content management tech that gives sellers:

• AI-powered search capabilities
• In-context content recommendations (right in their inboxes and CRM instances)
• Custom fields to personalize and send always-compliant content 

One quick note here: Watch for sales enablement content management software that lets admins create content libraries for various profiles and personas, complete with tagging functionality and easy version control. This helps sellers find, customize, and send content at lightning speed. After all, your sellers didn’t join your organization to chase their tails for content; they want to sell. 

The ability to find content quickly and efficiently is actually a recruiting point. The 2023 Value of Enablement Report revealed that 91% of respondents who don’t use sales enablement tools to organize their content have noticed a dip in morale because sellers have to focus on non-revenue generating activities at work, which negatively affects their income. In short, give your sellers fast access to the content they need and you’ll attract and keep top talent.

2. Sellers rest easy because their content tells a cohesive story

With a sales enablement platform, content isn’t being created in ad-hoc, one-off ways. Everything internal (think playbooks and process documentation) and external (think client presentations, case studies, product one-pagers) can be well-planned out and cohesive.

Sales enablement software empowers admins to control who can create or modify content. This allows practitioners to partner with their product marketing teammates to equip sellers only with the most up-to-date messaging. This aligns sales and marketing departments — which historically has been no small feat — and, more importantly, it makes it so your content resonates with clients. They should find the same information on your website as they do in sales conversations and the follow-up content from your sales reps.

3. Sellers personalize content without going off-script

An all-too-common content chaos struggle is rogue content; sometimes sellers create their own materials. Occasionally, these ad-hoc slide decks and PDFs are good, but more often than not, they’re off-brand, noncompliant, and untracked, so no one knows how they perform.

Sellers have no bad intentions in customizing content for their clients. In fact, a desire to personalize content is a sure sign of a great salesperson. But savvy enablement practitioners will give sellers a way to easily personalize their content to make it industry-specific, use-case-specific, and even client-specific.

Earlier this year, we surveyed more than 1,200 full-time sales, enablement, and customer success professionals. 63% of them said that the content they use at work right now is not personalizable enough for their customers. You can solve this with technology that prioritizes sales enablement and marketing content personalization, making it easy for sellers to update fields and send all of their content from one platform. 

This is critical in solving content chaos. Case in point: Companies that prioritize personalization experience a 57% increase in buyer engagement.

4. Most importantly, sellers deliver a “wow” buyer experience

Fact: It’s nearly impossible to deliver exceptional buyer experiences at scale without well-enabled sellers who have powerful content management tools at their fingertips. 

Clients don’t really care if you have an organized content repository; they care that you’re sending them relevant content when they really need it. So, find a sales enablement platform that offers AI-guided sales content recommendations. The best tech should be able to suggest high-performing content across different deal stages based on what’s converted clients in the past. This doesn’t take the humanity out of selling — just the gut feelings and guesswork.

It’s possible and worth it to solve content chaos

From the largest enterprises to the smallest businesses, it’s possible to solve content chaos with a sales enablement platform that’ll scale as you grow. As you consider whether or not better sales content management is something you need, consider these stats:

• 95% of buying decisions are made with the help of sales content
• 82% of buyers view at least five pieces of content before purchasing
• 95% of sales reps say they don’t have access to high-value, shareable content
• 65% of content that’s created by marketing goes unused without enablement 

The numbers speak for themselves. Sellers need a better way to distribute great content. The solution is sales enablement. 

Think it’s time to level up your content organization, distribution, and analysis? Check out some G2 reviews, watch a few led-by-you demo videos, or reach out to the Seismic team today for a glimpse of how we help 2,200+ companies put their best foot forward with better content.

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Evaluating sales performance requires a strategic blend of analysis, assessment, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By embracing a comprehensive evaluation process, you can ensure that your sales team operates efficiently and contributes to your organization’s goals and objectives. 

Evaluating vs. measuring sales performance

The words ‘evaluating’ and ‘measuring’ are often used similarly when referring to sales performance. Both are equally important for sales leaders to focus on, but evaluating performance and measuring performance are two different things.

Sales performance measurement involves quantifiable metrics and numerical data. It assesses and tracks KPIs related to revenue, conversion rates, and deal volume. The goal of measuring sales performance is to understand how certain areas of the sales process or team operate.

Sales performance evaluation is a broader concept and considers several different factors. Evaluating sales performance includes data and metrics as well as customer satisfaction, sales strategies, and greater alignment across the organization. Ultimately, evaluating sales performance provides a comprehensive understanding of how the entire sales function contributes to the organization’s success. 

This blog post explores essential strategies and tips for evaluating your team’s sales performance. Let’s dive in.

1. Define and monitor clear sales performance metrics

Sales performance indicators act as the compass that guides your team toward success. To effectively assess your team’s performance, clearly define the indicators you want to track. Identify metrics like conversion rates, average deal size, and customer acquisition cost (CAC). Then, regularly monitor these performance indicators to gain insights into the effectiveness of your team’s efforts. Tracking these metrics helps identify trends, set benchmarks, and make informed decisions based on real-time data.

2. Implement regular performance reviews

When it comes to analyzing individual rep performance, scheduled performance reviews are essential. Conduct regular one-on-one performance reviews to explore individual and collective achievements, challenges, and trends. During these sessions, emphasize open communication and encourage sellers to share insights on their experiences. Documenting these reviews over time will identify patterns and provide a historical perspective for more accurate assessments.

3. Leverage technology for data

Sales teams generate extensive amounts of data, and leveraging technology is key to meaningful analysis. Integrate a comprehensive dashboard for sales performance to visualize and interpret your team’s data effectively. This consolidates your sales performance metrics into an easily digestible format and facilitates a quick overview of your team’s performance. Then, combine this with specialized sales performance tracking tools, such as CRM systems and analytics platforms, to conduct in-depth analyses. These sales tools provide actionable insights, enabling sales leaders to make informed decisions based on real-time data.

4. Encourage peer feedback

We can’t stress this enough — assessing sales team performance is not just about numbers. It’s also about the team’s dynamics, culture, and collaboration. Foster a culture of peer evaluation where team members provide constructive feedback to one another. This feedback can uncover insights that traditional performance indicators might not capture. Additionally, observe how sellers collaborate during joint projects or initiatives. How well team members work together, share information, celebrate wins, and contribute to shared goals can provide valuable insights into the team’s effectiveness.

5. Complete a training needs assessment

It’s also essential to identify skill gaps within your team. To do this, regularly assess the skill set of each seller using targeted sales performance indicators. You can also create a skills matrix to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each seller. This matrix will assist with the development of a personalized training and coaching strategy for each rep. Remember, the goal is to identify gaps and address them through continuous learning opportunities. This approach ensures that your team has the skills and knowledge needed to excel in a competitive sales landscape.

Drive sales performance with Seismic

Effective enablement directly impacts sales performance. That’s why the Seismic Enablement Cloud is purpose-built to help sales organizations equip sellers with the right content, tools, and training to meet and exceed performance goals. Ready to learn more? Get a demo to see how teams drive greater performance and growth with Seismic.

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From how to get better sleep to how to be more productive at work, the advice feels endless. 

However, in the sea of suggestions we’ve seen, one bit of advice stands out — 2024 is the year to develop a world-class sales enablement framework. After all, according to The 2023 Value of Enablement Report, 81% of revenue professionals say that having quick access to information and/or content helps them prepare for client meetings and presentations and succeed in their roles. This “quick access” simply doesn’t happen without the proper systems in place. 

That’s why a solid sales enablement framework lies at the heart of an excellent sales enablement strategy. It serves as the blueprint that defines how you’ll empower your sales team with the resources, tools, and knowledge they need to succeed.

The goal of establishing a framework is to enhance the productivity and performance of your sales force.

There are four stages to follow when building a sales enablement framework:

1. Plan
2. Enable
3. Engage
4. Improve

In this blog, we dive into how you can build a framework that lasts and scales as your team evolves. 

Stage 1: Plan your sales enablement framework  

Imagine your sales enablement strategy as your house — the framework is the foundation. 

Here’s what’s involved:

1. Define your goals and objectives: First, ensure your sales enablement framework supports your business and sales enablement goals. 

2. Assess the current state of your revenue teams: Next, take a look at your current team. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What knowledge gaps need attention? Do they have the right tools and resources? Gather feedback from the team (and maybe even a few trusted customers) on the current sales process. 

3. Design your framework: Make sure all of your GTM counterparts understand (and are bought into) your sales methodology. This is a great time to determine the essential collateral and training your team needs. In addition to the collateral, it’s important to understand if you’ve got the right sales enablement platform in place. 

4. Build a measurement plan: You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Develop KPIs and processes to measure within your sales engagement plan. 

With goals set and a comprehensive framework established, you’re ready to move to the next stage: enabling your team.

Stage 2: Enable and equip your sales team for success 

With a solid foundation in place, it’s time to add the finishing touches to make it shine. 

Here’s what’s involved: 

Content delivery

Sales collateral like pitch decks, videos, case studies, and whitepapers are only useful if they can be found, right?

HubSpot shared that their reps were spending five hours per week, and sometimes more, just searching for resources and content to do their job. Be sure you’re supplying reps with updated content that’s tailored to resonate with specific customer segments and buying journeys. 

Learning and coaching

It’s vital that your team knows how to apply their skills and knowledge in real-world scenarios. Our recommendation? Invest in coaching software and sales enablement tools to give them safe environments to practice in.

If you implement bite-sized coaching and informal training programs, you’ll soon notice all of the benefits below.

Steady feedback loops

This is an important piece of your sales enablement plan. It’s up to you as an enablement professional to foster and facilitate a culture of open communication. 

So, gather feedback directly from the people you’re enabling and make adjustments accordingly. This “Enable” phase requires continuous monitoring but, by providing your team with the support and resources they need, you can ensure your sales enablement framework is driving results. 

They’ve got the resources they need, and you’re ready to move to the next stage.

Stage 3: Engage and put your sales team into action 

Your metaphorical house has a rock-solid foundation and good craftsmanship; now it’s time for the grand reveal. 

Here’s what’s involved: 

The implementation of new content and skills

This is where you see your hard work come to fruition. During the “Engage” phase, your team applies the knowledge and skills they’ve learned to their sales interactions, tailoring their approach to meet specific needs and situations. 

Bonus points if reps start using data to drive their decisions throughout the sales process or leaning on a tool like Seismic for a hand with AI-guided selling. 

Excellent measurement

Top enablement leaders look at KPIs like win rates, sales cycle length, and customer satisfaction to gauge their framework’s effectiveness. During this stage, even though things are up and running, don’t forget to routinely gather feedback from your reps to find out what’s working and what’s not. Use this feedback to refine your framework and content. 

Extra motivation and engagement

If your revenue-generating teammates are adopting your framework, collateral, and training, recognize them for it and reward the wins. Keep morale high by driving enthusiasm and momentum for the framework with ongoing learning and development across your team, too.

After all of this, you’re ready to move to the final stage, and the process continues. 

Stage 4: Enhance and fine-tune your sales enablement framework  

At this stage, you’re living in your dream house, and all of your hard work has paid off. 

But it doesn’t stop here. This is, and will continue to be, an ongoing process. Every good sales enablement specialist and leader needs to:

• Continuously look at how sellers performed
• Audit content and identify opportunities for improvement

The sales enablement process starts again, so your team can plan, enable, and engage all over again.

New Year, new sales enablement framework

The start of a new year is the perfect time to reset. 

While we can’t provide you with the magic tip for better sleep, we can help you achieve results like a 39% increase in average deal size and a 54% increase in quota attainment.

These results, as seen by Aerogen’s success with Seismic, showcase the power of a well-crafted sales enablement framework.

Think it’s time to chat with someone from Seismic? Request a demo to connect with our team and learn more about our platform, or lead the demo yourself. 

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