- The document discusses how to strengthen the connection between sales managers and sales enablement teams by using data. - It recommends translating sales quotas into leading indicators of success and using performance and readiness data to diagnose problems and prescribe solutions. - An example is given of how to use this approach to improve onboarding of new sales reps by mapping their key performance indicators and required skills to an onboarding timeline.

1. Sales Managers & Sales Enablement:
Strengthening the Connection
Alex Laats
EVP, Product & Strategy
Brainshark
in/alexlaats/
alaats@brainshark.com

2. Agenda
• The Sales Management – Sales Enablement Connection
• Where Does the Connection Break Down?
• How to Strengthen the Connection
- Translating quota goals into leading indicators of success
- Using data to diagnose problems and prescribe solutions
• The Onboarding Use Case

3. Why are We Having This Conversation Now?

4. Company
Goals
Sales Goals
Sales Team Quotas
Readiness Programs
Skills and knowledge
to fill the gap to quota

5. Where Does the Connection Break Down?

6. Failure Happens – What Do You Do About It?
Sales Enablement
What’s not working?
Do we have a training course?
Did she take it?
Why didn’t it work?
Sales Manager
What’s not working?
Is it a skill problem?
What coaching action should I
take?
Sales Rep
What do I do to improve?

7. How to Strengthen the Connection

8. Metrics and KPIs that
serve as leading
indicators of success
Creating a Common View of Sales Reps
Skill and knowledge
required to succeed

9. Translating Quota Goals into Leading Indicators of Success
work backwards

10. Example – Sales Process for Full-Stack Outbound AE
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6
Pain is known
and Sponsor is
identified
Sponsor has
agreed to
Mutual Action
Plan, including
need to get to
Power
Power
identified and
signed off on
Mutual Action
Plan, including
success criteria
for POC
POC is
complete;
success criteria
have been met
Negotiation
and legal
review of
order form and
master
agreement
complete
Closed Won

11. KPIs and Metrics (Performance Data)
Stage 6 Opps – quota number and stage 5 to 6 conversion rate
Stage 5 Opps – pipeline number and stage 4 to 5 conversion rate
Stage 4 Opps – pipeline number and Stage 3 to 4 conversion rate
Stage 3 Opps – pipeline number and Stage 2 to 3 conversion rate
Stage 2 Opps – pipeline number and Stage 1 to 2 conversion rate
Stage 1 Opportunities – pipeline number and demo
to opp conversion rate
Number of calls; call connect rate; and demos set
Number of emails sent; email connect rate; and demos set
Sourcing the right number of leads with the right persona
Skills & Knowledge Required (Readiness Data)
Training on closing skills.
Training on negotiation skills and understanding legal terms
Training on managing a successful proof of concept
Training on getting to power and creating success criteria
Training on creating a Mutual Action Plan and identify power
Training on identifying pain and qualifying sponsor
Cold call and call technology training, coaching challenges on
cold call pitch
Training on crafting an effective email cadence on sales
engagement platforms
Training on personas and on how to use tools to source leads

12. Performance
Data
Readiness
Data
Holistic View
of Sales Teams
and Reps

13. more
data is
not
better

14. Scorecards Put Data in Coachable Context
1. Comparison to peers
2. Comparison versus goals
3. Tracking over time

15. Using Data to Diagnose Problems and Prescribe Solutions
Sales Manager
• Diagnose problems
• Motivate reps to improve.
• Take specific action with
training and coaching
• Hold reps accountable over
time
Sales Rep
• See how I stack up
• See where I need to improve
• Get clear direction on what I
need to do to improve
Sales Enablement
• Diagnose programs and courses
that are ineffective
• Identify gaps in training
materials
• Track improvement of courses
and programs over time

16. Real-World Example:
Onboarding New Reps

17. Use Case: Onboarding
• Big payoff for improvements in ramp up times
- Companies with sales readiness solutions reduce
ramp time for new reps by 24% (Forrester)
- On average new sales hires become productive after
11.2 months (SMA)
• Hypothetical Business Development Rep
onboarding program
- Goal is to generate a certain number of qualified
demos for AEs every month
- BDRs receive inbound leads
- 3-stages
§ Prospecting calls
§ Discovery calls
§ Qualified demos

18. Step 1 – Work Backwards to Create Leading Indicators
KPI(s) and Metrics (Performance
Data)
• Lead response time
• Number of calls per lead
• Number of emails per lead
• Conversion rate from leads to
prospecting calls
• Time to first prospecting call
• Conversion rate from prospecting calls to
discovery calls
• Time to first discovery call
• Conversion rate from discovery calls to
qualified demos
• Time to first qualified demo
Inbound
leads
Calls and
emails
Prospecting
calls
Discovery
calls
Qualified
demos

19. KPI(s) and Metrics (Performance Data)
• Lead response time
• Number of calls per lead
• Number of emails per lead
• Conversion rate from leads to prospecting
calls
• Time to first prospecting call
• Conversion rate from prospecting calls to
discovery calls
• Time to first discovery call
• Conversion rate from discovery calls to
qualified demos
• Time to first qualified demo
Step 2 – Map to Readiness Data and Onboarding Timeline
Onboarding Timeline
First 30 days
First 60 days
First 90 days
Skills and Knowledge
Required (Readiness Data)
Training topics:
• CRM
• Target personas and on how to use
tools to research leads
• How to craft an effective email
cadence
• How to use sales engagement
platform
Training topics:
• Cold calling
• Product pitch
• Overcoming objections
Training topics:
• Discovering pain and qualifying
sponsor

20. Step 3 – Create Common View of Onboarding Reps
Sales Manager
• Who is falling behind on early
indicators?
• What is the gap in skills or
knowledge?
• What action can my reps take
with specific coaching and
training?
Sales Rep
• Am I on track with my
onboarding?
• How do I stack up with my peers?
• What training will help me get
better?
Sales Enablement
• Are reps completing onboarding
program in timeline?
• How are they scoring?
• Is it translating into ramp up
performance?
• Are programs getting better from
one onboarding class to another?

21. Put it into action:
Standardize weekly 1-on-1s with
onboarding scorecards

22. Strengthening the Connection
Readiness to Revenue

23. Correlate skills & competencies to
revenue-generating activities across
multiple data sources
Give reps visibility into how their
performance measures up
Diagnose what’s not working & provide
the personalized learning reps need
Readiness to Revenue: Making the Connection
Are they ready?
Content
Do they have what
they need?
Training
Did they learn it?
Coaching
Have they mastered it?
Is it working?
Take action with data-driven readiness!
Scorecards

24. Readiness to Revenue: Making the Connection

25. Readiness to Revenue: Making the Connection
Data-Driven Sales Readiness
$
Efficient onboarding
Improved outreach & prospecting
Effective cross-sell/up-sell
Stronger pipeline building
Successful product launches
More relevant learning content
Lower rep turnover rates

26. Key Takeaways
• In sales, failure happens
• With a common view of Performance
Data and Readiness Data, sales
managers and sales enablement can
identify problems that cause failure
and take action to fix it
• The benefit is greater quota
achievement
Performance
Data
Readiness
Data
Holistic View
of Sales Teams
and Reps

27. Questions?

28. Thank you.
Alex Laats
EVP, Product & Strategy
Brainshark
in/alexlaats/
alatts@brainshark.com