The Key Highlights of the 2023 Future of Salestech Conference

Last week, we held the 2023 Future of SalesTech Conference at The Brewery in London. Taking place at the same time as the 2023 Future of MarTech Conference, this event allowed attendees to hear from a large variety of industry leaders and to learn from brands such as Microsoft, LinkedIn, Virgin Active, New Statesman Media Group, Getty Images, Hitachi, Adobe, and the DMA, among others.

More specifically, the two events converged at the start and the end of the day, when speakers discussed the importance of promoting collaboration between sales and marketing teams. This topic was explored on multiple occasions and by different speakers, including Microsoft’s Sales and Marketing Enablement Lead, Karina Battaglia.

HOW TO CONNECT TEAMS

Karina addressed the reasons why companies should connect their teams, pointing to the way the buyer journey has changed. Expanding on this, she revealed that B2B buying groups are larger than ever before and that buyers now expect digital experiences. The complexity of the buyer journey was stressed time and time again at the conference, as numerous speakers named it as the reason why companies should transform their teams.

Considering that advancements in artificial intelligence, hyperautomation and digital scalability are also changing sales processes, companies must now work to change the habits of their sales reps as well. Sharing how they can do so, Karina explained that sellers must engage digitally, leverage marketing engines and data, and connect with more stakeholders.

Concluding her session, Karina revealed the four lessons Microsoft learned when aligning its teams:

• Sellers need technology and marketing to succeed.
• Sales enablement is the glue between teams.
• Change management is necessary.
• Proving the value is key.

SHIFTING SELLERS’ MINDSETS

Another widely discussed topic at the Future of SalesTech Conference was how to inspire sales reps to learn. This was touched on by Georgina Beard, Head of Sales Enablement at SEON, who revealed that only 3 of the 12 activities SEON’s sellers must perform after a meeting are viewed as revenue-generating. Moreover, learning is not perceived as an activity that generates revenue.

This was also addressed by Kate Philpot, the Senior Director of Global Sales Enablement at Getty Images. In an exclusive fireside chat event chair Andrew Hough, Kate shared that her team is currently focusing on upskilling managers and demonstrating that there is a difference between coaching and giving feedback. What is more, she shared that she is also prioritising shifting the mindset of sellers, showing them that coaching is a positive thing that can generate revenue.

When asked what companies should look for when choosing their sales tech, Kate advised that the technology has to be intuitive and responsive. Going further, she shared that it should enable the selling process and minimise the tasks that take away from selling.

TIPS FOR ONBOARDING

The significance of coaching was highlighted yet again as Virgin Active’s Head of Central Sales Penny Meade taught attendees how to effectively train their new sales hires. Penny discussed the four stages of a good onboarding programme (Prearrival, Day 1, Training, and Follow Up) and the four different learning styles (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic).

More importantly, she shared 10 tips companies should consider when welcoming new hires:

1. Spend time on a quality induction.
2. Find a balance of teaching and tasks.
3. Make the most out of the tech you have.
4. Activities and goals.
5. Make learning engaging and fun.
6. Book time with key stakeholders outside the team.
7. Follow up and ask questions.
8. Adjust activities to learning styles.
9. Teaching back.
10. Spending time with peers.

Over the coming weeks, we will be posting audio and video recordings of some of the event sessions. Make sure you keep an eye out for on-demand videos and podcasts as well as interviews on our Engage Sales blog.