Trend I'm seeing: WAY too much enablement on process & not enough on skill improvement
It's the #1 reason why pipe gen is down right now. And why win rates are so low.
You've been there.
Sitting through days of onboarding. Or hours every week of meaningless training calls on process, product updates, etc.
But zero help on how to EXECUTE. The nitty gritty tactics of what to do when a prospect picks up a cold call and says, "Hello?"
What most reps get:
⛔️ Hours of onboarding videos
⛔️ Templated 40-page sales decks that talk all about the product
⛔️ Enablement on CRM process & other tools
What they need (but don't usually get):
✅ Messaging on their prospect's key goals & problems
✅ Training on how to use the messaging in live situations (calls, emails, etc.)
✅ Feedback, coaching & reinforcement from their front-line leader
I'm not saying reps shouldn't be taught how to properly use their CRM. It's important.
But nothing trumps skill development.
→ The skills to engage a prospect in the first 60 seconds of a cold call (where most die)
→ The skills to write a reply-worthy cold email in 4 sentences or less
→ The skills to handle tough objections on cold calls
→ The skills to run an effective discovery conversation
→ The skills to run an engaging demo
→ The skills to have the multi-threading conversation when you're single-threaded
→ The skills to negotiate without losing all the profit in a deal
These skills lead to measurable sales outcomes.
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The majority of enablement calories should be spent on skill improvement, not teaching new processes.
The process isn't the problem. It's the rep's ability to execute the process in live situations with prospective customers.
And the ability of their front-line leader to provide feedback & coaching.