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CSR & sales reps : the new challenge for managers sales reps !
Sales Enablement to meet the CSR challenges of sales managers!
Why do companies implement CSR policies?
Companies have gradually evolved in their adoption of CSR, moving from a Nice to Have to a Must Have approach. Some companies embarked on a CSR policy from the outset, out of conviction, while others followed the movement out of obligation or opportunism, aware that ignoring it could harm them in the future. This change was accentuated by various factors, such as the NRE law in the 2000s, which obliged CAC 40 companies to publish reports on their CSR, and the DPEF, which now requires large companies meeting at least two of the following three criteria: more than 250 employees, 40 M€ net sales, 20 M€ balance sheet total, to communicate on their CSR actions.
Under the effect of this regulatory framework, suppliers and partners have also had to integrate CSR practices to maintain their commercial relationships. Implementing a CSR policy and charter has become a necessity to support a company's employer brand. Indeed, CSR has become a major criterion of choice for almost half of French people and 55% of people aged 18 to 24 when they decide to join a company, as revealed by a Yougov survey.
CSR is also an excellent way for companies to become more resilient. In fact, it enables the company's strategy to be guided by the challenges of today and tomorrow. In this way, the company becomes more aware of the risks weighing on its business, enabling it to better cope with crises and external shocks. A company that adopts a CSR approach also strengthens its image by demonstrating a real commitment to society and the environment. This approach will be appreciated by future customers, investors and new employees.
Buyers aware of the CSR approach
Today's buyers are increasingly sensitive to social and environmental issues. In an ever-changing world, brand responsibility plays a central role in purchasing decisions. A trend that Sandrine Clion, Managing Director of Imediacenter, underlines with conviction: "78% of buyers say they are influenced by the responsible nature of a brand when making a purchase. The business reality in which we operate is changing. Nearly 1 buyer in 2 is prepared to pay more for a responsible brand. For the other half, purchasing power remains the top priority. Our Sustainable Brands study conducted with LSA confirms the pragmatism of the French on these issues. When choosing a good/service, buyers no longer look only at value for money, but also at the brand's values and CSR actions".
This trend is corroborated by YouMatter's study, which reveals that 90% of buyers appreciate more companies with a good CSR policy, 88% believe that a good CSR policy improves their perception of the brand... and 82% declare that if they learned that a brand they were customers of had a bad CSR policy, it would tarnish their opinion of that company. And 2/3 of buyers admit that a good CSR policy would help improve the image of groups they don't necessarily like in the first place. Almost 97% would even consider boycotting a company with poor environmental or social practices! Buyers are now better informed and more autonomous when it comes to assessing a company's CSR performance. In their search for information on CSR, they tend to place more trust in employee testimonials than in direct communications from the companies themselves (YouMatter). Companies need to adapt and find a new way of communicating on CSR issues, showing greater transparency, using new channels, co-constructing with third parties, with employees, see sales reps during their meetings.
CSR: the big absentee from the pitch sales reps
The sales reps are still little or not at all involved in CSR issues. Their ability to grasp these new challenges is still far too weak, for a number of reasons: poor knowledge of CSR issues and the approaches adopted by their company, poorly understood customer CSR issues, a lack of managerial support, a lack of support adapted to the field, and a lack of awareness-raising and training. Prejudices and reticence on the part of sales reps themselves also reflect this lack of commitment: "Is this really an issue for my customer?", "We don't have the right CSR/Marketing content to talk about it in meetings", "I don't feel comfortable enough to talk about it", "It's not one of my objectives".
A study by Ekopo reinforces the lack of CSR awareness within companies: fewer than one in 2 employees are aware of their company's CSR commitments. Beyond the importance of training, which appears to be an essential lever for improving sales skills, a significant mobilization effort is needed. This aims to raise awareness and persuade sales reps of the importance of CSR as a selling point with buyers.
CSR: A challenge for managers sales reps
1 - CSR: a field historically driven by Communications
Historically, CSR has mainly been a subject for corporate communications departments, or driven by senior management as part of a strategic plan. At the time, a commitment to CSR enabled companies to present their environmental and societal actions to potential buyers. Communication on this subject offered them the opportunity to stand out in the market by positioning themselves as a committed company, reinforcing their image and making them stand out from the crowd. Over time, CSR has become a broader concern, involving numerous departments such as Human Resources, Logistics, Production and Sales. Today, it's an approach that needs to be instigated, or at the very least strongly supported, by sales reps in order to convey a clear message of commitment to their customers.
2 - CSR: a subject that buyers have taken on board
Buyers are interested in CSR and the overall performance of companies. They attach importance to the way companies manage their activities, particularly with regard to environmental issues, working conditions, business ethics and contributions to society. This awareness is driving buyers to actively seek out products and services offered by companies that integrate the CSR dimension. They are also more inclined to support companies that adopt ethical business practices and have a positive impact on society.
3 - CSR: a subject not yet mastered by companies sales reps
A lack of CSR discourse can mean losing a sale to a more committed competitor, so the CSR approach becomes commercially vital! Nonetheless, CSR is not yet an integral part of sales sales reps' sales pitches, and some of them don't feel comfortable broaching the subject with their customers. How can we support sales reps to make them ambassadors for the company's CSR approach ? It is imperative to initiate a process of awareness-raising and training within sales teams.
Sales Enablement: the solution to the CSR challenges facing sales departments
To be effective, it is of course necessary to raise their awareness and train them, but also to integrate CSR into the salesperson's daily routine, and therefore into their pitch to customers. Sales Enablement, the sales force's quotient tool par excellence, is perfectly suited to this challenge.
The awareness-raising process begins with a brainstorming session with sales reps, supported by simple but key questions: why is CSR a subject of interest to your customers? do you feel comfortable talking about it? what spontaneous questions do your customers have on the subject? do you know your customers' CSR challenges? are you familiar with our company's CSR charter?
Then comes the training! If we consider that 87% of the knowledge acquired during a traditional training course is forgotten by the participants one month later (Hermann Ebbinghaus), it is legitimate to question the relevance of the training courses currently offered in companies. How can we accelerate skills development? How can we reinforce sales reps ' knowledge on an ongoing basis? How can we improve our mastery of CSR arguments in meetings? How can we build confidence on the subject? That's where SalesEnablement comes in! Animated training formats (audio, pop-up, etc.) to help sales reps master the picth of sales on content presented to customers, and Quizzes are ideal for reinforcing and testing sales reps ' knowledge in a fun way. They enable them to train at their own pace while gaining confidence in the subject. Competence is quickly and thoroughly built up.
In addition, and this is a decisive factor, the Sales Enablement application integrates all CSR content directly into the sales process. This means that sales reps employees are exposed to the content on a daily basis, encouraging them to consult it regularly. Exposure is high, so training becomes effective! The added value of a Sales Enablement application also lies in its ability to provide marketing/sales management with usage statistics. It enables you to monitor the rate of use of CSR content in appointments, and to analyze the rate of reading of this content by end-customers.
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FAQ
How do we define CSR?
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a concept that integrates social and environmental concerns into a company's operational activities and management strategy.
Why is CSR important for a company? CSR is now an integral part of a company's sustainable development strategy. Its importance is emphasized by buyers, by employees who are increasingly aware of environmental causes and the actions taken by companies, and by suppliers who play a decisive role in raising companies' awareness.
What are the benefits of CSR?
The benefits of a CSR strategy are numerous! In addition to improving your company's reputation and image, it also enhances your brand's attractiveness to talent. Integrating CSR into your strategy also opens up new market opportunities, gives you a competitive edge, and saves you money through more sustainable practices and more efficient resource management.
How does CSR improve corporate performance? CSR is a cross-functional policy designed to improve corporate resilience in a variety of areas. It enables the various players in a company to identify risks and weaknesses, and to find sustainable solutions to them. This approach to improving a company's internal processes logically leads to an improvement in its overall performance.
How to train your sales reps in CSR? The level is not there! To optimize training effectiveness, CSR needs to be integrated into the salesperson's daily routine. Using a Sales Enablement application allows you to professionalize this approach by integrating CSR content directly into the sales process, and allowing sales reps to test their knowledge using a quiz format. The application also helps to identify the best practices of a successful salesperson, and to apply them to the rest of the sales force.
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