Your Most Valuable Sales Tool: The Executive Briefing Center

Sales Enablement Has Changed Irrevocably Due to Modern Tech.

Sales are an absolute necessity for any business. For the most part, the sales process is relatively straightforward - similar across all fields and industries. The Executive Briefing Center (EBC) or Customer Experience Center (CEC) is the only exception.

You see, EBC sales are incredibly powerful, even amongst B2B markets. Just a single visit to this mystical facility can have a significant impact on your firm's financials. In fact, deals made within the walls of the EBC are often the most valuable.

The nature of the EBC and its design are meant to facilitate value and growth. All EBCs help shorten the sales cycle, provide clients with insight as well as help demonstrate the capabilities of your company. Also, the experiences delivered can help build a strong relationship between provider and client.

It isn't just that EBC sales are special, it's that the EBC is different because the entire business world is evolving, starting with the consumers you serve, and the space(s) they gather. 

"The traditional sales funnel still exists, but the players who move the pieces — clients and customers — are now doing so differently. Modern technologies such as mobile and mass personalization have changed the way sales works. @TheCXApp"

[EBC] Sales Will Never Be the Same Again

Sales have always been a persuasive  process on the part of the seller. The person selling often has to convince the buyer that the product or service in front of them is worth the cost. Things are no longer so simple.

While the old model honored talented salespeople who could close deals they had "ownership" over, the new system is a more collaborative process. Each win is now due to the efforts of everyone on the team, not a sole rep.

When and why did this happen? It's a direct response to the change in the way customers handle research and purchases.

Customers are now more informed and prepared than ever, and that's true before they step up to the counter to buy goods. Digital technologies have made information accessible to everyone. A prospect likely knows all there is to know about your services, products and reputation before they walk through the doors of your EBC facility.

Adapting to this customer-powered movement has called for the use of a technique such as social selling to do reverse research on customers before attempting a sale. The focus of a sales team becomes solving whatever problem or question the visitor may have, and that's exactly where teamwork comes into play.

Queue the Evolved Customer of Today

A more knowledgeable customer seems challenging initially, but with the right EBC environment, making the sale is easier than ever. The burden of success is shifted onto multiple shoulders, instead of just one or a select few. The selling point for customers is now the team, who is already working together to provide a unique, personalized experience.

 "So, you have x problem? We have x product or service that can help, and here's how it works."

This helps spread responsibility and it also divides talent across a department or team. You no longer have situations where your most talented salesperson leaves the company for good, bombing all your performance numbers in the process.

Once inside the EBC, your team can shower the customer with as much — or as little — information as you deem necessary. It is the best place to make a sale, because there are no distractions or ongoing external events like you might encounter within the client's own office. It's an open space for collaboration and conversation. 

Connecting the Players

Beyond sales, the EBC also serves as a "connector", working to match all players including briefing program managers, employees, customers, and partners. About 73 percent of sales teams claim cross-functional collaboration is very important to their overall sales process.

The cross-departmental nature of the EBC encourages the rollout of a proper organization and management solution. If briefing program managers have access to the right tools and technologies, they can further improve customer experiences to boost the bottom-line.

Consider how a manager might communicate with customers before, during and after an EBC meeting. The tools would not only help plan and track this information, but provide insights on ROI and future strategies.

Lacking the adoption of such tools could put you far behind the competition. Firms considered to be "laggards" in adopting sales tech saw their sales goal achievements drop 12 percent. The EBC is a great place to make a sale, but you need the tools to do it.

 Of course, not all tools are created equal.

What Do the Right Tools Look Like?

The proper EBC sales enablement tools would help all members of the team — not just briefing managers — interact with customers in a more meaningful way. According to Aberdeen, organizations with sales enablement programs are 96 percent more likely to achieve competitive levels of success and sales sophistication. 

Sales Enablement Technology Features: 

• Capabilities for tracking and analyzing customer data in real-time

• A central hub with seamless communication between all participants

• The ability for your team to store, organize and recall content from a searchable library, as well as options to easily share it with audiences

• Social features to help maintain perpetual online engagement

• Cross-platform, seamless experiences with a mobile mindset at the forefront

The traditional sales funnel still exists, but the players who move the pieces — clients and customers — are now doing so differently. Modern technologies such as mobile and mass personalization have changed the way sales works.

With the right tools and strategies in place, the EBC really is the best environment for making a sale — and not just any sale, the kind that increases in value as time goes on.