The Role of Instructional Design in Creating Effective Sales Enablement Programs

The B2B sales world has completely changed over the last few years, and businesses all over the world are struggling to keep up. Not only are teams having to continually learn new trends and information about their products and their clientele, but the manner in which they sell is having to shift as well. This makes a sales enablement program a vital tool when running a business.   Creating a strategy that keeps your team informed and motivated can drastically change how much you sell and how engaged your employees are. Not sure where to start? Bring in an instructional design agency. They’ll help create a specific plan for you and your business based on your particular needs so that you can harness a group of top-performing employees and make more money. Still not sure if it’s right for you? We’re breaking down the purpose of a sales enablement program, how important it is for your business, and how instructional design helps make it possible. What is the Purpose and Goal of a Sales Enablement Program? Sales can be extremely difficult, and if a team is not equipped with the right tools, they’re not reaching their full potential. That’s why a sales enablement program is essential. It gives your team the tools needed to succeed in their roles. This can include the newest information on products, customer service tips and tricks, communication skills, and more. The more knowledge they have, the higher the likelihood of making sales and earning more money.   However, because sales are ever-evolving and new technologies are being introduced consistently, it’s important to keep the training far beyond just an annual workshop or two. With a sales enablement program, as a business, you can focus on a digital model that is more convenient, easier to understand, and give you better results. Importance of Sales Enablement in Improving Sales Performance As we just mentioned, sales enablement ensures that your team is up-to-date on all of the training to maximize their success in the field. However, it goes far beyond that. It also helps the marketing team and sales team stay on the same page so that the business can create a cohesive plan that brings in revenue. B2B selling has become a difficult task, and it’s even harder if there’s no strategy put into place–which is where sales enablement comes in. How Instructional Design Can Enhance Sales Enablement Programs Instructional design can be highly beneficial in creating an effective sales enablement program. If not careful, training can become incredibly dull for the trainees, dramatically decreasing their retention rates. Simply showcasing a presentation or attending a workshop where they’re required to sit for hours on end isn’t productive.   When you incorporate instructional design into creating training tools that grasp their attention better, you’ll find that they absorb the information better and are more motivated to want to apply what they’ve learned to their work. Thus the importance of instructional design agencies. They help create an effective strategy to build the sales team up to help them perform better. Instructional Design Consultants Create a Needs Analysis for the Sales Team Before any strategy can be created, it’s important for instructional design consultants to identify the pain points within the company. That’s to say that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. They can’t just create a strategy and apply it to every business they encounter. Every business is unique and has its own set of problems. Typically this is done through interviews and observation. An agency will meet with a higher-up to get a sense of what they’re struggling with and what the end goals are. From there, a strategy is then created. Develop Customized Learning Objectives that are Aligned with the Goals of the Sales Team Once a needs analysis is created, it’s time to develop customized learning objectives that are aligned with the goal of the sales team. These learning objectives could include everything from better communication skills, detailed information about what is being sold, brand messaging, social selling, etc. Instructional Design Consultants Measure the Effectiveness of the Program While creating a sales enablement program that works is essential, you won’t get anywhere if you aren’t tracking progress. And instructional design consultants do so by measuring the effectiveness of the program. By looking at the average sales cycle length, number of employees hitting quota, and the average deal size, you can get a better understanding of whether or not something is working.   Instructional design consultants take it a step further. When creating a program, they pick and choose different aspects tailored to your employees and their needs. For example, if you find that your team is struggling to get into the competitive spirit of sales, your consultants may include gamification into their program. This turns training into a game with “winners” and a leaderboard. If paired with rewards, your team will be more incentivized to participate, and the consultants can then track their progress. Incorporate the Latest Instructional Design Trends to Build an Engaging and Effective Training Technology is always changing, and with it comes a variety of instructional design techniques that can be applied to a training program. Some of the most popular trends that you should keep an eye out for in the next year include:  

• Video – Thanks to apps and sites such as YouTube, TikTok, and Netflix, it’s no surprise that people spend hours every day watching some kind of video content. It’s easy to grab the attention of the user and is perfect for visual learners. That’s why, according to a study done by Insivia, 94% of marketers reported that video content has helped increase user understanding of a product or service. The videos can be short, easy to digest, and replayed multiple times, making them a valuable tool for training programs
• Mobile learning – Speaking of technology, people worldwide are glued to their phones constantly. So why not create a training program that is mobile-friendly so they can take part in it from anywhere?
• Virtual reality – VR, albeit new, is quickly making a name for itself in the training industry. That’s because it gives users a fully immersive digital experience that feels real. When creating a sales enablement program, you can have trainees act out as if they were in a real-life sales environment
• Interactive – No one wants to sit and stare at a textbook for hours at a time. There needs to be some kind of interaction to help keep them interested–such as quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, games, and polls. Not only does this help keep them from getting bored, but if you’re tracking their results, you can see where people are struggling and adjust the training accordingly

Provide Ongoing Support and Coaching to the Sales Team You may be under the impression that once a sales enablement program is created, you’ll never hear back from the instructional design agency again. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the consultants stay in touch with sales managers to see how their strategies are working, if changes need to be made, and how the employees are progressing. If there are gaps in the information or the trainees are having a difficult time, the consultants will continue to tweak the program to ensure that everyone walks away feeling confident, with as much information as possible under their belt. Reach out to Clarity Consultants, a Top Instructional Design Agency to Create a Resourceful Sales Training Program If you’re ready to take your business to the next level and make the most out of your sales team, you need Clarity Consultants. We help with eLearning development, learning strategy, instructional design, and more. Our consultants can help with your sales enablement program by assisting with new hire sales training, CRM and sales tools training, sales methodology training, and sales leadership training (just to name a few).   If you’re ready to get started, contact us today!