In complex selling environments such as Xerox’s, one of marketing’s primary roles is to provide sales with the information they need to enable them to have conversations around clients’ issues before they discuss the relevant XGS offerings. Sales enablement tools such as Xerox’s XGS Tour enable salespeople to easily access the information and are a one-stop shop for all marketing materials.

But tools such as the XGS Tour can do more. By guiding salespeople through the selling process, Xerox’s XGS Tour lifts the productivity and effectiveness of the sales organization as a whole. The tool also helps top salespeople close business faster while giving less experienced salespeople the foundation they need to raise their game to the same level as these top performers.

Marketing benefits from “guided selling,” too, because these tools help maintain a more consistent marketing message and brand image in the marketplace. Additionally, through the ability to track sales’ activities and usage, marketing can more effectively invest in the right activities that add value to sales and the business as a whole.

This Case Study explains how Xerox developed, launched, and promoted adoption of the XGS Tour—a groundbreaking guided selling tool. Xerox’s experience provides valuable insight for other companies struggling to create effective tools that make client dialogues more meaningful.

Key Findings

• A sales enablement tool should bring every salesperson to the same level as the organization’s most experienced and successful sales professional.
• Marketing benefits, too, because these effective sales tools help maintain a more consistent marketing message and brand image in the marketplace.
• Adoption is an ongoing challenge. Marketing must provide sales with the resources to understand why they should use the tool and how they should use it to be effective.
• By designing sales tools with built-in mechanisms for tracking content and usage, marketing can see what is and what is not working in terms of positioning, messaging, marketing activities, and offerings.