Are You Thinking About Sales Enablement in the Right Way?

In the world of retail, companies invest significant resources for sales enablement–read, budget–toward learning and training tools. The question then arises: is learning for the sake of learning truly effective? Why pour money into learning when the outcomes remain unknown? Perhaps workforce learning should be thought of as one small piece of a larger puzzle toward data-driven performance management and enablement.

While developing learning materials and effectively training your workforce is undoubtedly crucial for sales success, retail organizations must go beyond conventional approaches and implement a strong, KPI-based system that lets data not only educate but enable the seller, at every step of their journey, to achieve personal and corporate goals: from onboarding, product knowledge, and customer experience training, to actionable alerts to nudge each seller to do what they need to be successful, to targeted sales incentives. Investing on learning tools alone will not yield ROI, but thinking of them strategically as an attribute to enhance data-driven performance management can yield results. When companies are able to merge training and performance data, it makes the seller experience more holistic, complete, and effective.

The value of data-driven performance management and enablement to seller experience

Data is a useful tool toward sales growth, which can enhance seller capabilities. And seller performance is a primary lever for sales growth. It is crucial to go beyond simply training and disseminating learning materials to sellers by integrating performance data and using this data intelligently to drive performance and behavior, at scale, using a diverse set of sales-stimulating activities, not only learning-related ones.

Driving performance and behavior at scale

How do you use data-driven performance management at scale?

Consider the case of AMG: Derek Scott, the Marketing Director of AMG Group Ltd., and owner of the Vango outdoor brand, needed to expand and scale its reach. He reached out to all of Vango’s multibrand retail dealers with online learning content that would not only train recipients but do the heavy lifting of expanding brand awareness and increasing sales. 

Scott explained how in the past, AMG/Vango salespeople would use a training manual to increase brand awareness and train representatives on site. The training materials were physical and cumbersome, or disparate and difficult to integrate. They then used performance enhancement enablement (PEP) tools to adapt videos initially intended for consumers to create engaging retail learning content purposes. The tools helped to create engaging lessons, which were effective in helping retailers learn, but that isn’t where the opportunities ended. Instead, it was only the beginning of whole-associate enablement.

For AMG, these tools helped to eliminate the possibility of extraneous learning by offering training when it was actually needed as well as user insights to allow for informed planning for the future. In this way, the technology offered an approach that diverged from the usual, siloed training practices. Instead of urging associates to take top-down orders from headquarters that offer little insight into the rationale, the suite of tools suggested tasks that mattered to the user based on their performance and behaviors with clear indication of how their actions would lead to personal and collective success. 

PEPs offered real-time performance analytics, gamification and motivation elements, and the ability to improve performance based on data-driven achievements. In this way, AMG transformed its pre-existing educational materials and integrated them into a larger system of learning that was results-oriented, targeted to boost real-time performance metrics. 

Retail sales associates proved absolutely critical in helping to communicate the AMG brand. Keeping an active user audience on the platform led to a 140% increase in sales. This is the power they uncovered in data-driven performance management.

KPI-Based Product Knowledge: From Theory to Practical Application

Acquiring product knowledge is helpful for retail associates, but knowledge alone may not lead to desired sales outcomes. Data-driven seller experience enables organizations to identify areas where associates may need extra support and deliver targeted learning content. This approach ensures that retail associates not only grasp product details theoretically but also know how to effectively apply that knowledge during customer interactions to achieve company-defined KPIs. 

Actionable Nudges: Guiding Retail Associates Towards Success

Conventional reminders and one-size-fits-all advice may not be the most effective way to drive retail success. Data-driven seller experience introduces personalized nudges based on each associate’s performance data. Whether it’s reaching sales targets or following up with customers, associates receive real-time guidance tailored to their unique goals. This means the right person is receiving the right message at exactly the right time.

A Holistic Approach to Seller Experience

The mistake some make is in thinking ticking the boxes is enough to motivate sellers and make an impact. Leveraging performance data, associates receive timely and relevant training that aligns with their progress and objectives.

Learning is one piece of a complex puzzle. The goal in solving this puzzle is not only to increase sales but to design a system and algorithm to meet a specific goal using diverse and versatile data sets, internally and externally. The correct approach involves integration with external systems, which monitor commissions level, retention tracking and much more. And, internal integrations, including CRM activities. All of these pieces work together to enhance each other, work in harmony, and target individualized KPIs such as revenue goals and recruitment.

Taking this innovative approach of merging training with live performance data, as well as integrating training and learning content with other types of enablement activities (sales incentives, for instance), expands possibilities. Using training for the specific purpose of driving business KPIs is an innovative approach as well, as it presents a path forward for training and learning tools, in a time of uncertainty for many companies. 

Discover how a holistic approach to seller experience can transform your retail organization and give you a competitive edge in the ever-evolving market.

Request a personalized demo of Rallyware’s platform today, and see firsthand how data-driven sales engagement can augment your retail team’s effectiveness and drive sales growth.