ITSMA Online Survey. Four Critical Success Factors. Julie Schwartz Senior Vice President Research and Thought Leadership

Transcription

1 ITSMA Online Survey Enabling Sales: Four Critical Success Factors Julie Schwartz Senior Vice President Research and Thought Leadership Abbreviated Summary April 2012 Note: This Abbreviated Summary highlights some of the significant findings from Enabling Sales: Four Critical Success Factors. A more in-depth analysis can be found in the full report.

2 In response to changing buying behavior, marketing has moved on but the sales team has been left behind

3 Why has sales been left behind? Critical The depth and quality of thought leadership is one of the key criteria that determine which providers make it 45 Important While it isn t critical, it is considered when evaluating solution providers and building our shortlist 5 4 Somewhat important We consider good thought leadership a bonus but not a deciding factor for our shortlist Of minor importance It s a small factor in deciding our shortlist Of no importance We don t feel that it contributes at all to our decision (N=465) 2010 (N=486) Marketing is generating and nurturing leads with thought leadership 88% of buyers of complex solutions report that thought leadership is important or critical to their buying decisions* However, sales is still promoting offerings and capabilities! *ITSMA, How B2B Buyers Consume Information Study, 2011; N=465

4 Nearly half the sales people are order takers, still selling based on feature/function What percentage of your sales people sell based on? Mean % of Sales People (N=2) Epiphany/thought leadership selling: Proactively identify opportunities for the buyer to gain competitive advantage based on a deep understanding of the buyer s business and use subject matter expertise/thought leadership to add value and engage in conversation 1% Solution selling: Identify buyer pain points, map to company s offerings, and make a solution recommendation 42% 45% Product/services selling: Describe relevant features and function and take orders Source: ITSMA Survey: Sales Enablement, April 2012

5 The sales force is challenged to communicate thought leadership insights and points of view On average, how well do your sales people communicate the following to customers and prospects? % of Respondents (N~2) Mean Rating Details of your offering What your company brand stands for Their understanding of their accounts business and key business issues Your company s differentiation Mapping of buyers pain points to the company s offerings Your company s point of view on key business topics relevant to buyers Application of insights and thought leadership to solve buyers business issues 40.0 Insights from recent research or thought leadership initiatives = Not at All Well = Very Well Note: Mean rating based on a 5-point scale, where 1=Not at all well and 5=Very well. Source: ITSMA Survey: Sales Enablement, April 2012

6 After the lead hand off, sales must be enabled to do thought leadership selling Capture and hold their attention with relevant thought leadership Create community, both on- and offline Build relationships with thought leadership selling

7 Marketing and others responsible for sales enablement must teach sales to use thought leadership to open doors and nurture relationships Sales success depends on: 1. Tight marketing and sales alignment 2. Training on how to use sales tools and thought leadership content. Pursuit support and sales concierge services 4. Formal processes to measure effectiveness, gather feedback, and adjust as needed

8 Study Methodology During March 2012, ITSMA used a web-based survey to gather data from its members and select non-members about its sales enablement content and initiatives. ITSMA received responses from 5 representatives from 0 companies and analyzed the collected data in three ways: Comparison to the ITSMA Survey: Sales Enablement, August 2009 Company type (sells products and services vs. primarily services) Sales enablement performance (high performers vs. average or below) Note: High performers reported that their sales enablement programs are having a significant impact on sales performance. Type of Company Which of the following best describes your company? % of Respondents (N=5) Primarily sell services 49% 51% Sales Model Which of the following best describes the sales channels you and your organization are responsible for enabling? % of Respondents (N=5) A mix of direct sales and channel partners/ alliances 46% 54% Sell both products and services Primarily a direct sales force For the purposes of this study, ITSMA defines sales enablement as: Source: ITSMA Survey: Sales Enablement, April 2012 Content and initiatives designed to help individual sales people to increase productivity by reducing the effort, cost, and time to move a prospect through the buying process.

9 Study respondents answered from both marketing and sales perspectives and represented organizations in 6 major industries with revenue ranging from less than $500 million to over $5 billion. Industry Subsector Which of these categories best describes your industry subsector? % of Respondents (N=5) 6 Other hardware/software systems and solutions 9 Information management services 17 Computer systems and solutions provider Software provider Respondent Titles From which perspective will you be answering this survey? % of Respondents (N=5) Sales management % Sales operations % Field marketing 26% Other 9% Corporate marketing 29% Product/ services/ solutions management or marketing 0% Organization Size How large is your company s services business (annual services revenue)? % of Respondents (N=5) 4 Network/telecommunications systems and solution provider Professional services firm 51 Source: ITSMA Survey: Sales Enablement, April Less than $500M $ M $1 5B Greater than $5B

10 Table of Contents for Enabling Sales: Four Critical Success Factors Slide Executive Summary Methodology and Respondent Demographics Detailed Findings 42 Appendix: Sales Enablement Performance Assessment Crosstabs 72 By Sales Enablement Performance 8 By Company Type 117 For More Information Julie Schwartz Senior Vice President Research and Thought Leadership ITSMA jschwartz@itsma.com