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Changing your Sales Enablement solution: constraint or opportunity?
The technology rush regularly brings its share of innovations: sometimes merely cosmetic, and other times with a real paradigm shift.
And this flow has always shaken up business tools, but rarely with the intensity seen since the arrival of AI. It's shaking up our leisure activities and our daily lives, and is blossoming at the heart of many business applications. So it's only natural that more and more companies are questioning their existing sales reps tools, perceiving a form of urgency without haste.
When it comes to sales jobs, the tool in place may have been around for years. It has been tinkered with, patched and adapted to do what was expected of it. It may or may not have served its purpose. In any case, it's "done the job" or thereabouts.
So we hesitate to question it, because change is scary, it's never the right time, or if it "still works...". But when it comes down to it, given the functional impact of AI: is "still working" still acceptable?... or isn't the risk of falling way behind even greater?
Customer expectations have changed, and so has the pressure on teams. The competitive landscape has also evolved. Like the hype curve (Gartner), the technologies chosen a few years ago, if not renewed, are already outdated. In reality, today, to change nothing is to take a far greater risk than to evolve.
This article won't tell you to throw everything away. Nor will it tell you that there's a magic button to double your sales. It has just one objective: to help you see things in a different light and seize the opportunity of innovation. Changing your sales tool may not be the risky gamble you think it is. On the contrary, it could be a way to get back on track and get the ball rolling again.
Why rethinking your Sales Enablement platform often makes you hesitate
Existing comfort: a false sense of security
It's tempting to stick with an existing tool, however imperfect, simply because it's familiar. According to Mckinsey.com, many decision-makers admit to continuing to use outdated tools, even when they no longer meet expectations.
This immobility provides a deceptive sense of security: we avoid short-term upheavals, but forget that the world around us is changing (fast). Sticking with an outdated solution can give the illusion that "everything's fine", when in reality you're falling behind: not only technologically, but also in terms of posture, methods and skills.
And in an environment where AI is establishing itself as a new standard, this delay can become a real brake on performance.
Fear of change, costs, training: a false sense of difficulty
Changing tools is a project. And a project means budget, training, time and team commitment.
None of this is to be taken lightly. And yet... doing nothing can cost a lot more.
According to a study published on insights.co, 40% of companies consider their obsolete tools to be a hindrance to their digital transformation, but continue to use them... for lack of an alternative perceived as simple and cost-effective.
Worse still: organizations that delay their digital transition see their their customer loss rate rise by an average of 15 compared to proactive companies.
And what about the innovations brought about by artificial intelligence? Failure to embark on this transformation quickly is an inordinate business risk.
In other words, inaction sometimes costs more than action: in lost customers and in market share left to bolder competitors.
A market in constant motion
Despite these fears, the business environment is changing fast.
Just a few years ago, most B2B interactions were face-to-face. Today, they're done face-to-face, Gartner predicts that 80% of B2B sales reps will use digital channels by the end of 2025.
This is not a far-off prediction: we're almost there.
And in this new situation, more and more sales cycles are initiated, carried out and sometimes even concluded without a single physical appointment.
What this means:
- Your prospects search, compare and decide online.
- They expect a fast, smooth and personalized response.
- Above all, they can no longer tell the difference between your intentions and their reality. If the experience isn't up to scratch, they'll move on.
According to McKinsey, more than one in two B2B buyers say they're ready to switch supplier if the digital experience doesn't keep up.
In other words, it's become a criterion of choice. So yes, changing tools can be scary. But in 2025, postponing the question is tantamount to falling behind.
The best time to evolve was yesterday. The second best time is now.
The limits of an outdated sales tool
Less sales performance
It's not the tool that signs the contracts, we agree. But when it hinders teams more than it helps them, it ends up weighing on the whole business. Especially in the face of competitors who are likely to have adopted these technologies.
An outdated tool lengthens preparation times, limits the ability to react quickly, and locks up information in silos.
As a result, sales reps spend more time searching than selling. They miss out on opportunities, lose the thread of a customer exchange or find themselves improvising in the face of obsolete content.
Sometimes all it takes is a document that can't be found, or an interface that's too slow, to jeopardize an appointment. And these malfunctions don't cause any visible disruption: no error messages, no alerts. Just a slow deterioration in rhythm, until sales performance is silently eroded.
Less team commitment
Technology isn't everything, but it says a lot. An ill-adapted or slow tool, or one that is poorly connected to the rest of the ecosystem, sends a silent signal to teams: "we're making do with what we've got".
As time goes by, the sales reps adapt, then tire, then drop out. And it's not just a generational issue. Even the most seasoned reps now expect tools to help them do their job properly.
According to a Linkedin survey94% of employees say they would stay longer with a company that invests in their skills development.
By sticking with an outdated tool, not only are you holding back their productivity, but you're also sending out the message that their development is not a priority. The risk? Seeing your top performers drop out, and jump ship to an organization offering a more technologically stimulating work environment.
Less useful data for steering
Without reliable data, it's hard to make the right decisions.
And until you have a tool that clearly shows you what content is being used, when, by whom and in what context, you're in the dark. It's a situation familiar to many sales departments: cobbled-together Excel spreadsheets, media sent out without tracking, content you can't optimize because you don't know if it's been used...
Steering then becomes approximate, often based on impressions rather than facts. We have tools, yes. But there's no certainty about their real impact. Strategic decisions are taken with a persistent blind spot: we don't know what's performing well, or what needs adjusting.
When it comes to change, many teams discover the extent of the data they were not using, or even aware of. Not knowing what's working and what's stalling means missing out on an enormous lever for progress. And today, companies that take advantage of these insights move forward faster, adjust more finely and engage better.
Levers for controlled change
A tool aligned with your current uses
Changing tools doesn't mean starting from scratch. It's an opportunity to equip yourself in line with the realities of the field. Today's sales teams need rapid access to the right content, to follow more complex sales cycles, to personalize their approach according to their contacts... and all this, often within tight deadlines.
Modern platforms are designed for this purpose: they centralize, organize and connect. Thanks to this structuring, we avoid scattered documents, duplicates and media that lie dormant in shared folders. With a structured environment, each salesperson gains in legibility and autonomy.
After adopting Salesapps, some companies are able to enhance the value of their entire sales portfolio. Good content comes to the fore, usage becomes visible, and areas for improvement are identified more quickly. This is not the promise of a miracle tool, but of a framework that enables teams to do their jobs better.
Increased productivity without overloading teams
A good tool doesn't ask teams to work harder. It saves them time where they previously lost it. Preparing a meeting, retrieving content, responding to an objection, tracking next steps: these are all actions that can be streamlined with the right tool. And when enriched with intelligent functionalities such as automated note-taking, document synthesis or account analysis, it becomes a real efficiency lever.
The new AI Agents, doped with business knowledge, guide the sales reps without weighing down their routines.
This frees up their time, allowing them to concentrate on what's essential: customer relations, approach strategy and account development. When everything comes together in the right place, performance naturally follows.
Better marketing/sales collaboration
We often talk about alignment between marketing and sales. But without a common tool, it's often just an intention.
A good sales support tool creates this link. Content produced by marketing is accessible in real time, used by teams, and its performance can be measured. In return, sales teams can share their feedback, pointing out what's missing or what's working.
This back-and-forth process improves the quality of content, its adoption and, above all, the consistency of the message delivered to customers. Everyone works from the same base, and in the same direction.
Companies that structure this collaboration quickly see the effects: more consistent discourse, better lead processing, and better-informed decisions on both sides.
Adopting a new sales tool: 5 best practices to limit the risks
Changing tools is not something you can improvise. Here are 5 best practices to help you make the transition to a new business solution as smooth as possible and produce the results you're looking for.
1. Don't change for the sake of change
Define your objectives precisely before getting started. It's not a question of changing tools because it's fashionable or because "others are doing it", but rather of responding to identified friction points (lack of functionality, need for integration, etc.), taking advantage of the acceleration ofa new technology (Artificial Intelligence) and supporting an overall strategy.
Too many initiatives fail for lack of a clear vision: According to a study, 57% of executives admit to lacking a coherent digital strategy within their organization, leading to scattered and ineffective efforts.
Conversely, companies that define a clear roadmap for their transition achieve far better results, with up to 35% greater efficiency in project implementation.
So take the time upstream to define the reasons for the change: what problems does the current tool pose? What benefits do you expect from the new tool? Once you've established these criteria, it will be easier to choose the right solution and get everyone on board.
2. Involve your teams from the outset
This is one of the most underestimated factors... and one of the most critical. To limit natural resistance to change, involve your sales teams as far upstream as possible.
Involve certain key sales reps in the solution selection process or in a pilot. They'll become your ambassadors, ensuring the system's relevance and getting their colleagues on board.
Conversely, a lack of consultation fuels rumors and fears, and no tool designed and deployed by Top-Down can function properly. ("A tool is imposed on us without asking our opinion...").
So communicate from the outset about the reasons for the change, gather feedback (salespeople often have excellent ideas about what they need), and explain how the new tool will help them on a daily basis. By involving your teams, you'll turn a potential obstacle into a lever: they'll feel part of the project, and will be keen to see it through.
3. Choose a scalable platform (sales enablement + AI)
A good tool shouldn't just meet the needs of the moment. It must be able to keep pace with your future priorities and technological innovations, adapt to the evolution of your organization and integrate emerging uses, without requiring a redesign every two years.
Choose a modular platform, capable of connecting easily to your existing ecosystem, embedding new functionalities (such as AI) and growing with your teams.
This is all the more strategic as market expectations continue to rise: more speed, more personalization, more visibility on performance.
A static tool today is a guaranteed hindrance tomorrow.
Salesapps was designed with this in mind. The platform is designed to evolve: seamless integration with existing environments, a catalog of AI agents that can be activated according to your needs, continuous updates, multi-device compatibility... It adapts to your challenges, not the other way around. And above all, it doesn't freeze your organization: it helps you align it, move it forward, and stay one step ahead.
4. Support deployment
The tool change doesn't stop at the signature. That's when it really begins. To limit the risks and maximize adoption, provide solid support right from the start.
This involves targeted training, regular check-ups with users, and real availability of support. Organizations that devote 10-15% of their budget to this area report an average +25% increase in productivity after deployment.
At Salesapps, we systematically support our projects in this way, to help each sales person derive value from the system right from their first meetings.
5. Measure the impact from the very first months
To secure the project, and defend it internally, it's essential to measure the impact from the very first weeks.
Start with a few simple indicators:
- Adoption rate (how many sales reps use the platform, and how often?)
- Number of opportunities created or tracked using the tool
- Time saved on certain key tasks (preparing appointments, creating media, etc.).
- Evolution of conversion rate or sales cycle
This continuous improvement approach right from the launch ensures maximum ownership. Manage your new tool as you would a sales campaign: by monitoring metrics, and making adjustments if necessary. In this way, you'll have every chance of ensuring that the change takes root in a positive way.
The arrival of AI agents: a tipping point for sales reps tools
In 2025, it's hard to ignore the movement: AI is taking root in business practices, no longer as a distant promise, but as a real business lever.
Teams no longer have time to waste on fixed tools or gadget features. What they want are solutions that fit into their daily lives, helping them where it really hurts: before, during and after the appointment.
This is where AI comes into its own, provided it is properly integrated. Used at the right moment, it saves precious time in preparation, personalization of exchanges, follow-up... without changing useful habits or weighing down processes.
This is exactly what guided our choice at Salesapps: from the start of the year, we integrated a first series of specialized AI agents, each designed to intervene at the right moment, without complicating usage.
But we're not stopping there. New agents are arriving. A dedicated team works continuously to improve them, based directly on feedback from our customers.
Our logic is simple: develop the tool so that it adapts to our customers' needs, and not the other way round. If a functionality doesn't fit with the realities of our teams, we adjust it. If a need arises, we listen.
Because a sales support tool that isn't moving forward in 2025... will be moving backwards tomorrow. And when the market evolves this fast, it's no longer enough to have "a tool", you need a tool that keeps pace.
If you feel that your current tool is showing its limitations, we can talk about it. A demo is all you need to get an idea.
