AMA: Zendesk Director of Product Marketing, Polomi Batra on Sales Enablement

Great question! First thing you want to answer is “what is the goal of your sales enablement”? Is it increasing sales productivity, reducing sales cycle length, improving win rates, and enhancing rep onboarding, etc.. A couple of things we typically look into today to see how effective our sales enablement has been and the ROI of it. One thing to note is that it can be difficult to know for sure, but these are all indications of ROI of sales enablement.  Win rates: Percentage of deals won versus ...Read More

This is a tough one! A couple of things you can put into place: Regular training and updates by conducting regular training sessions,  workshops, office hours, certifications Weekly updates by sending out weekly emails with new terms and industry news, slack announcements  Centralized knowledge repository like Seismic for example At Zendesk, we use a tool called Gong to listen in on calls our reps are having with customers, we also join customer calls and EBCs to observe and provide feedback to ...Read More

This is a good question and one that is likely debate-able. I don’t think I’ve seen evidence to prove this one way or the other. However, being part of a global software company with a widely international customer base, my observation has been that certain markets like data sheets over others. Typically a data sheet is useful to provide an overview of the product’s features, specifications, and benefits. They help customers make informed decisions by offering detailed and relevant information a ...Read More

Great question! At Zendesk, we do provide sales enablement for a global product with a global sales team. Here are a couple of things I like to focus on: Region-specific case studies: Include relevant case studies and testimonials from each region to make the material more relatable. Whenever possible, localize the content for 1-2 priority regions Involve local teams early and often: Work with local sales teams and regional experts to gather insights and ensure the material is relevant and effec ...Read More

Working with sales is a collaborative effort; when you offer them assistance, they're more inclined to involve you in discovery calls. Here are some strategies that have proven effective for me in fostering strong relationships with sales: Show up in the calls as the product expert: Deepen your knowledge of the product so you can provide valuable insights during prospect interactions. Whether it's troubleshooting, sharing best practices, demonstrating ROI metrics, or sharing use cases from other ...Read More