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Sales-enablement solutions specialist Brainshark announced the launch of the Sales Accelerator, a sales-enablement platform providing centrally accessible solutions for sales onboarding and continuous training, prospecting, coaching and engagement.
The platform also helps managers better understand what their best reps are doing, so managers can coach more effectively and know how prepared their teams are to sell.
Sales Accelerator makes it possible to create measurable, video-based content, and sales reps can access these materials in the context of their sales activities.
Embedded within the Salesforce environment, the Sales Accelerator is designed to help reps to learn, sell and track their results in an uninterrupted workflow.
Video content is mobile-ready, available in Salesforce1 and mobile browsers, and automatically optimized for the device accessing it, and content can also be filtered and accessed by type of prospect or target (based on job title, industry and so on) sales cycle stage and more.
“Video is one of the most effective forms of content. It often combines both text and audio to deliver a high-impact message that increases engagement and retention,” David Klein, vice president of product management for Brainshark, told eWEEK. “In addition, it’s so much easier and less time consuming to watch a bite-sized video than to search through PDFs and other product documents for just-in-time training and prospecting purposes – which is critical for sales reps, when time is money.”
Klein explained it’s also important for video content to be mobile-friendly, as smartphones and tablets make it possible to reach audiences anywhere, anytime.
“This continues to be a valuable way to communicate with reps, who need timely, convenient access to important materials when on the road and in the field,” he said.
Other features include analytics and dashboards that enable reps to see, within Salesforce, how their content is doing and prioritize follow-up.
Managers can identify which reps and which pieces of content are most successful, and they can also see how often specific content affects sales cycles and deals closed to improve coaching and content utilization and promote best practices.
Enhanced version control automatically replaces obsolete content, wherever it exists, with the newest version so reps are always up-to-date, while one-click content sharing to prospects and customers directly from opportunity, contact, lead and account records in Salesforce is also available.
“Brainshark has always differentiated itself by giving organizations the means to easily create engaging video content and extend the life of their existing content investments, including PowerPoints, PDFs, pre-existing videos and more,” Klein said. “By using the Sales Accelerator, companies can now give sales reps access to the right content in the context of their sales workflow to ensure they are having smarter, more measurable selling conversations that close more deals in less time.”
Analyst firm IDC recently reported that 75 percent of marketing materials aren’t used by sales, while a Brainshark survey of 400 sales professionals shows that reps struggle with content that’s off-base (28 percent), obsolete (41 percent) and of questionable version control (39 percent).