You're striving to boost technical sales. How can you harmonize them with R&D innovation strategies?

In my experience, I have seen multiple such instances where engaging technical sales in “Early Adopter” programs have yielded positive outcomes. This engagement is symbiotic and gives an edge to the organisation if executed collaboratively. It’s an excellent platform to gain early insights and collect feedback, it also gives a sense of the market’s affinity towards the product. The Tech Sales Team also helps set the foundation for a quick rollout once the product hits market

Be careful... The product managers and marketing experts will analyze every last bit and byte detail of the new product. They will compare it to competitors and tell you how these specifications are so far superior. These data points are great, and these people are very good at what they do. But, ultimately it comes down to what the customer cares about. There is a comparison of data sheets for sure, but that is usually just the first checkpoint to get invited to the table. (btw, encourage this same team to make sure your product/company comes up near the top of a Google search, it is how that data sheet is found in the first place) Listen to the customer, they want support from you and your company as much as the newest technology.

Involving technical sales early in the R&D process is crucial. When sales teams understand the innovative features being developed, they can start preparing targeted strategies to introduce these products to the market. Early engagement also allows sales teams to provide insights from customer feedback that can shape product features. For example, at Codup, we regularly sync with our Project and development teams during the ideation and prototyping phases to ensure market needs align with product innovation. Utilizing tools like Jira or Trello for cross-department collaboration can facilitate this early involvement.

Engage Early Cross-Department Collaboration: Involve sales teams early in the R&D process to ensure they understand the upcoming innovations and can provide input from a market perspective. Prototype Testing: Allow sales teams to test prototypes and provide feedback on market viability, ensuring that products meet customer needs. Joint Planning: Collaborate on go-to-market strategies that incorporate both the technical strengths of the product and the sales team’s insights on customer demands.

Collaborative Planning: Foster regular communication between the sales and R&D teams. This ensures that the sales team’s insights on market demands and customer feedback are incorporated into the R&D process.

Train Thoroughly Product Knowledge Training: Provide in-depth training on new products, focusing on features, benefits, and unique selling points to empower the sales team. Use-Case Scenarios: Equip the sales team with real-world scenarios where the new product can be effectively positioned, enhancing their confidence in selling it. Continuous Learning: Offer ongoing training sessions as the product evolves, ensuring the sales team remains up-to-date with the latest innovations.

Equip the sales team with comprehensive knowledge of new technologies and innovations. This ensures they can effectively communicate the benefits and technical details to customers.

Thorough training on new products and innovations is critical for sales teams to effectively communicate value to potential customers. Sales teams should be educated not only on product specifications but also on the problem the product solves, the technology behind it, and its unique differentiators. At Codup, we implement comprehensive training sessions using platforms like Udemy or Linkedin Learning, ensuring our sales teams are equipped to handle technical inquiries confidently and effectively

Establishing a feedback loop between sales and R&D is vital. Sales teams are on the front lines, gathering feedback from customers that can guide future innovation efforts. By regularly communicating this feedback to R&D, you can ensure that future product iterations or new developments align more closely with market demands. Tools like Salesforce and HubSpot can be used to capture and share customer insights with R&D, fostering a continuous improvement cycle

Feedback Loop Regular Updates: Establish a structured feedback loop where sales teams regularly share customer insights and challenges with the R&D team. Iterative Development: Use sales feedback to guide iterative product development, ensuring the final product meets market demands. Transparency: Keep sales teams informed about how their feedback is being implemented in product improvements, fostering a sense of ownership.

Implement a system for the sales team to provide real-time feedback on customer needs, competitive landscape, and product performance. This feedback can guide R&D in developing features that address market gaps.

Align Goals Unified Objectives: Align sales and R&D goals around common objectives, such as market penetration, customer satisfaction, or innovation leadership. Shared KPIs: Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect the success of both sales and R&D, encouraging collaboration and mutual accountability. Strategic Planning: Integrate sales insights into the R&D roadmap, ensuring that innovation efforts are aligned with market opportunities and customer needs.

Joint Development Sessions: Organize sessions where sales and R&D teams can brainstorm together. This helps align product development with customer needs and ensures that the technical aspects are communicated effectively

Incentivizing both sales and R&D teams to prioritize innovation can drive better collaboration and results. For instance, offering incentives to sales teams for successfully selling new and innovative products can encourage them to focus on promoting new offerings. Similarly, recognizing and rewarding R&D teams for developing market-leading innovations can motivate them to stay ahead of the curve. Companies like Apple and Microsoft have used such incentives to drive innovation across departments

Incentivize Innovation Sales Incentives: Offer incentives for the sales team to promote new products, encouraging them to focus on innovative solutions. Recognition Programs: Create recognition programs that reward sales and R&D teams for successful collaborations that lead to innovative product launches. Innovation Contests: Organize contests or challenges that encourage both sales and R&D teams to contribute ideas for new products or enhancements, fostering a culture of innovation.

Innovation Champions: Designate team members who act as liaisons between sales and R&D. These individuals can advocate for the sales team’s needs in R&D meetings and keep sales informed about upcoming innovations.

Fostering a collaborative culture where sales, Pre-sales, and R&D regularly interact is essential for harmonization. Encouraging regular cross-department meetings, knowledge-sharing sessions, and joint brainstorming can break down silos and promote a better understanding of each department's challenges and contributions. Tools like Slack, Google chat, Meet, and Microsoft Teams can support this collaboration by providing a platform for constant communication and project sharing across both teams