Analysts relations' unasked questions about sales

We recently invited a group of clients to a best practice discussion on sales enablement. We viewed the topic through an interesting pair of lenses: What questions did you start off asking and answering, and what questions have not been asked so far?

Interestingly, even though these people came from rather different organizations, we had many common answers to what our colleagues didn't raise but which would have provided a lot of value if companies had addressed them earlier in developing sales enablement.

Seven things AR was most likely to not ask early on about sales enablement

1. Measuring success: We haven't touched on how companies can measure the effectiveness of using analyst content in sales enablement. It would be useful to discuss key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics that can be used to evaluate the impact of these strategies.
2. Differences between analyst firms: We haven't explored how content and approaches might vary depending on which analyst firms a company works with (e.g., Gartner vs. Forrester vs. IDC). Different firms have different strengths and methodologies, which could affect how their content is leveraged.
3. Budget considerations: We haven't discussed the potential costs associated with acquiring and using analyst content for sales enablement, or how companies can maximize their return on investment in analyst relations.
4. Tailoring strategies for different company sizes: The needs and capabilities of a large enterprise versus a small startup in leveraging analyst content for sales could be quite different. We haven't explored how these strategies might be adapted for different company sizes or maturity levels.
5. The role of technology: While we briefly mentioned sales enablement platforms in the first document, we haven't delved into how emerging technologies like AI might be used to enhance the use of analyst content in sales enablement.
6. Global considerations: We haven't discussed how these strategies might need to be adapted for different global markets or cultures.
7. Training and skill development: While we touched on this briefly, we could have explored more deeply how companies can develop the necessary skills in their sales and AR teams to effectively leverage analyst content.

Why do so many firms not ask these questions?

These unasked questions reveal several important insights about our approach, as an analyst relations community, to sales enablement:

1. Focus on tactics over strategy: The emphasis on specific tactics (like cold emailing) rather than broader strategic considerations suggests we may be taking a somewhat narrow view of sales enablement. A more comprehensive approach would consider long-term effectiveness, measurement, and adaptability.
2. Assumption of one-size-fits-all: The lack of discussion about tailoring strategies for different company sizes or global markets implies an assumption that these techniques work universally. In reality, sales enablement strategies often need to be customized based on company size, industry, and geographical location.
3. Short-term perspective: The absence of questions about measuring success and ROI suggests a potential focus on short-term actions rather than long-term impact. Effective sales enablement should consider both immediate results and sustained performance improvements.
4. Limited consideration of technological integration: While we touched on some tools, the lack of deeper exploration into how emerging technologies like AI could enhance these processes indicates we might not be fully leveraging available technological solutions.
5. Siloed thinking: The minimal discussion about integrating these efforts with broader marketing strategies or other departments suggests a potentially siloed approach to sales enablement. In practice, sales enablement often requires cross-functional collaboration.
6. Underemphasis on skill development: While training was mentioned, the lack of in-depth discussion about skill development implies we might be underestimating the importance of ongoing learning and adaptation in sales teams.
7. Overlooking financial implications: The absence of budget considerations suggests we might not be fully accounting for the financial aspects of implementing these strategies, which is crucial for sustainable sales enablement efforts.
8. Limited differentiation between analyst firms: Not discussing the differences between analyst firms suggests we might be treating all analyst content equally, when in reality, different firms have different strengths and methodologies that could impact sales enablement strategies.

These gaps indicate that analyst relations teams' current approach to sales enablement using analyst content might benefit from a more holistic, strategic, and adaptable framework that considers long-term effectiveness, organizational context, technological integration, and ongoing skill development.

if you need help with any of these issues, SageCircle is working on them now with firms like yours. Drop us a line and find out more.