AMA: UserTesting Head of E-commerce, LeTisha Shaw on Sales Enablement

Choosing just three essential sales enablement collateral pieces can be tough because the needs of each team vary based on what they're selling and their buyer personas. That said, the goal is always to provide resources that move prospects through the funnel. Some of the most effective assets include email templates for outreach, demo videos that showcase your product in action, and case studies or success stories highlighting real-world results. Other valuable tools are tailored slide decks and detailed datasheets to support in-depth discussions.

I stay in touch with the sales team through regular check-ins, listening to their sales calls, and watching them pitch. Seeing them in action really helps me understand what’s working and what’s not. Feedback comes in many forms—meetings, quick chats, emails, or Slack threads—and sometimes the best ideas come from the sales team or even customers, if you’re paying close enough attention. This helps us quickly adapt our content to match real-world needs.

The optimal cadence for creating and updating sales enablement content really depends on the type of content and how quickly things evolve in your market. For high-impact assets like case studies or demo videos, updating at least once or twice a year usually works, since these are tied to longer-term results. For things like email templates or product one-pagers, a more frequent review is helpful to stay current with messaging and product updates. I've never been on a team that we've had enough people to keep everything all perfectly up-to-date, so the key here is staying flexible and responsive to shifts in customer needs and sales feedback.

When creating sales enablement material for a global product, the approach can depend on the team structure. If the global team owns content creation, they should take regional nuances into consideration from the start, ensuring it’s flexible enough for localization. However, if regional teams are expected to localize, the global team provides core materials that can be adapted for local needs. Collaboration is key—global provides the foundation, and regional teams fine-tune it to resonate with their specific markets.

Before tracking sales collateral usage, it’s important to know what you're tracking and why. This ensures you invest in the right solution. I personally find tools like Highspot extremely valuable because they not only track views but also provide insights into who has completed training and which documents are most frequently referenced. This helps prioritize updates and ensures the most relevant materials are being used effectively.

When enabling the team on small incremental features, I like to incorporate them into monthly or quarterly product update meetings alongside major releases. These enhancements, often driven by customer feedback, may not get the spotlight, but they’re valuable for the field team to know about. Offering recorded demos and help center content as resources gives them access when needed. The goal is to raise awareness and provide easy-to-find training for those features without overloading the team with too much live demo content.

The amount of deal support product marketers provide varies depending on their role within the organization. The level of involvement depends on company priorities, with the goal being to equip sales with the necessary insights and expertise. Some lean toward product-focused tasks, while others provide more sales and deal support. In the latter case, product marketers may join sales calls to present product demos, address questions about the product roadmap, or explain how a feature can solve the customer’s business problem. The level of deal support can also change over time as an organization grows and there are either more or less product marketers available for individual deal support on an ongoing basis. Listening to sales calls to uncover themes and leveraging enablement can be really effective ways to scale deal support when product marketing resources are stretched.

One common misconception about product marketing is that it's solely about aligning with the product and marketing teams, but it's just as important to align with sales. I've been lucky to work with great sales enablement teams, and early conversations about release plans and enablement strategies help ensure alignment. For teams with different business segments or regions, a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for enablement planning. Scheduling deeper dives with each team often helps get the traction needed.

Sales enablement training starts on day one. Sellers need foundational knowledge of the product and buyers, along with an understanding of sales processes. It's crucial to not just provide training materials but also opportunities for role-playing scenarios with prospects and customers. Continuously showcasing demos and use cases for ideal customer profiles reinforces learning. Since everyone’s at a different stage of their selling journey, training should be flexible and adaptive. Regular huddles and newsletters ensure ongoing support, making resources available for continuous learning and reinforcement.