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Digital Sales Rooms

Tired Tactics? Use Digital Sales Rooms for Sales Enablement (+ Download)

We all know that sales enablement is bloated, so why do companies still cling to it? For years, the focus has been on content creation—churning out ebooks, case studies, and sales decks like they’re going out of style.

Here’s the harsh truth: content alone doesn’t close deals. It never has.

Digital sales rooms (DSRs) for sales enablement are finally here to take your tired sales enablement tactics out of the game.

But what’s in it for you?

By centralizing the entire sales process, they streamline workflows, provide real-time insights, and—most importantly—help sales teams deliver the right message at the right time. No more guessing, no more clutter—just a clear path to better results.

Senior Content Marketing Writer
emlen
10
min read
October 10, 2024

By the end of this post, you’ll understand:

  • Why focusing solely on content creation is sabotaging your sales enablement efforts.
  • How DSRs are the key to streamlining processes and improving buyer engagement.
  • Actionable steps to implement a digital sales room solution into your sales strategy—without the headaches.
  • The measurable benefits your team can expect, from faster sales cycles to stronger buyer relationships.

Ready to finally get sales enablement right? Let’s get started.

What sales enablement has looked like so far (and what’s gone wrong)

Sales enablement has become synonymous with content creation. Companies (maybe even yours) are pouring resources into building out a vast library of assets—ebooks, whitepapers, webinars, you name it.

The logic seems sound: give your sales teams the tools they need, and they’ll close more deals, right? Not quite.

The traditional focus on content creation

Let’s be real—most sales enablement strategies stop at content creation without thinking about how that content is actually used.

Your sales teams end up overwhelmed with material but can’t find what they need when they need it. And even if they do, they often don’t know how to effectively apply it to their sales interactions.

Here’s how this typically plays out:

  • You’ve invested heavily in sales enablement content strategies like ebooks, case studies, and product guides.
  • That content? Scattered across platforms—Google Docs, SharePoint, or buried in emails.
  • Your sales team can’t find the right content at the right moment, or worse, doesn’t know how to use it in a real sales scenario.
💡Pro Tip: If your sales team is more confused than empowered by the content you’ve created, it’s a clear sign that your sales enablement strategy is broken. You need to rethink how content is delivered and accessed—quickly.

The pitfalls of misalignment

Here’s another problem we see all the time: sales enablement content that’s built in a vacuum. It’s created by marketing but disconnected from what sales actually needs to win deals.

This misalignment between marketing and sales means your content ends up gathering dust because it doesn’t speak to your buyers—or worse, it’s dropped into their laps at the wrong point in their journey.

Let’s look at where things often go wrong:

  • Content overload: Your sales team is drowning in material that isn’t relevant to your buyers’ immediate needs.
  • No real-time insights: You have no visibility into how buyers engage with content, leaving your team guessing about what actually works.
  • Low adoption rates: Your beautifully crafted content never gets used because it doesn’t address real sales pain points.
💡Remember: If your sales and marketing teams aren’t speaking the same language, the content you’re creating is essentially invisible.

Why the focus needs to shift beyond just content

Content alone won’t drive results.

Sales enablement needs to be more than just pumping out resources—it requires tools that deliver the right message, to the right buyer, at the right time, and manage the deal cycle by having all necessary materials readily available throughout the sales process.

It's not just about dumping content into a buyer’s inbox. With DSRs, you can:

  • Engage buyers in real-time, allowing your team to interact with them while gathering actionable insights instantly.
  • Personalize every experience, making the sales journey feel bespoke for each buyer’s needs and preferences.
  • Streamline your content management in one seamless platform, so your sales team always knows where to find and deliver the right materials.

We’ve seen the transformation ourselves. Companies that once struggled with bloated, misaligned content strategies are finally seeing the results they deserve by shifting beyond traditional sales enablement models.

So, what’s the solution?

If traditional content-driven sales enablement isn’t cutting it, how do you move forward? It’s time to take a modern approach, and that’s where digital sales rooms, or as we call them at emlen, Collaborative Spaces, come in. Let’s dive into how they’re redefining the game and transforming how you approach sales enablement.

How a digital sales room solution support modern sales enablement

Traditional sales enablement strategies struggle with one glaring issue: scattered, hard-to-find content. This is where these collaborative spaces step in and truly transform how your team operates.

A digital sales room aligns with the sales cycle by integrating seamlessly into each stage of the sales process, from lead generation to deal closure and ongoing relationship management.

Centralized content management

Imagine this: all your sales content—case studies, product demos, pricing sheets—stored in one central hub. No more scrambling through email threads or digging through outdated folders.

A well set up digital sales room offers your sales teams instant access to the exact materials they need, exactly when they need them.

Instead of creating more content, collaborative spaces streamline the distribution of what already exists. It’s a sales enablement content strategy that ensures your team isn’t just drowning in documents—they’re using them effectively.

Here’s how a digital sales room can help centralize your content:

  • A single, easy-to-navigate Destination for all sales materials
  • Instant access to the most up-to-date content, tailored to each deal
  • No more confusion or delays caused by outdated or scattered files

One of our clients, Babbel, faced this exact issue. Their sales team struggled to find the right content at the right time, leaving prospects waiting and deals stalling.

After implementing our DSR solution, Babbel saw an immediate improvement in how their team could quickly pull relevant materials for each unique buyer. The result? A faster, smoother sales process that led to better engagement and higher close rates.

💡Did you know? Sales teams spend up to 30% of their time searching for or creating content instead of selling. Centralizing content in DSRs can drastically reduce that wasted time.

Personalized buyer experience

A digital sales room isn't just about organizing content—they’re about delivering a personalized buyer journey, something modern sales enablement desperately needs.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, collaborative spaces allow your team to tailor every interaction based on who the buyer is and where they are in the decision-making process.

By centralizing essential content such as product details, pricing, and legal documents, DSRs give you a smooth sales process, making it easier for your sales reps to access necessary information and provide a more efficient and consistent sales experience.

Here’s why digital sales rooms improve the buyer experience:

  • Your team tracks buyer engagement in real-time, knowing exactly which content resonates with them.
  • Buyers receive personalized, relevant content at every touchpoint, leading to deeper engagement and faster decision-making.
  • You create a buying experience that feels customized and meaningful, setting you apart from competitors.

Radancy was able to create personalized spaces by using emlen's digital sales room solution. The were able to personalize the Collaborative Spaces for each prospect, where every interaction was tracked and adjusted in real-time.

This level of personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore—it’s essential. Buyers expect content that speaks directly to their needs, and if you can’t deliver, they’ll quickly lose interest.

Improved collaboration across teams

Digital sales rooms do more than just organize content for sales—they break down silos between teams. With everyone—marketing, sales, and customer success—working from the same set of data and insights, collaborative spaces foster alignment across departments.

They also enhance each stage of the sales cycle, from lead generation to closing and post-sale management, by centralizing information and improving communication.

Here’s why this matters:

  • Teams share insights easily, ensuring that every interaction with the buyer is relevant and valuable.
  • Sales gets what they need from marketing without the back-and-forth emails.
  • Customer success teams can step in with full visibility into the buyer’s journey, ensuring smooth transitions after the deal closes.

By centralizing sales materials, Schweitzer experienced this first-hand. With a personalized digital sales room, their teams could collaborate more effectively, sharing insights and keeping all departments on the same page. The result? A smoother handoff between marketing, sales, and customer success, with everyone contributing to a unified strategy.

💡Pro Tip: Aligning your sales, marketing, and customer success teams isn’t just about efficiency—it directly impacts how effectively you can deliver value to buyers.

Need more convincing? Here's why every company needs digital sales room software!

Now it's time for you to make the shift! In the next section, we’ll explore the key features that make digital sales rooms a must-have for any company looking to level up their sales enablement strategy.

Key features of digital sales rooms for sales enablement

At this point, you know that digital sales rooms are a game-changer for sales enablement, but what exactly makes them so powerful?

A DSR  (sometimes know as a virtual sales room, content hub, or deal room) is a space where sales professionals engage with potential buyers and collaborate with their teams.

But it's vital you choose the right digital sales room software for your business. Let’s dive into the key features that drive real impact for your team.

Real-time tracking and insights

One of the biggest advantages of digital sales rooms is the ability to track buyer engagement in real time. No more guessing whether your content is hitting the mark or falling flat.

With real-time tracking, your sales team knows exactly when a prospect opens a document, how long they spend on each section, and what’s capturing their interest.

With actionable data on buyer behavior at your fingertips you can:

  • Adjust your strategy based on how prospects engage with content.
  • Prioritize follow-ups with the hottest leads based on their level of interest.
  • Tailor your approach for each buyer, ensuring you’re speaking to their exact needs.

Many B2B sales enablement tools integrate seamlessly with digital sales rooms to provide these insights. Tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and others allow you to track buyer interactions and trigger follow-ups at exactly the right time. One of our clients, SimpleSystem, used these integrations to streamline their lead generation process, leveraging real-time data to boost conversions by more than 20% .

💡 Did you know? We've found that sales teams that use real-time insights are 33% more likely to improve their win rates. Why? Because they know exactly when—and how—to engage with their prospects.

Easy integration with existing sales tools

We know that adopting new technology can feel like a headache, but many digital sales rooms are designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing sales tools. Whether you’re using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system like Salesforce or HubSpot, or other sales enablement platforms, digital sales rooms plug right into your workflow without causing disruption.

Here’s how integration makes life easier:

  • All your data is synced in one place, so your sales team doesn’t have to toggle between multiple systems.
  • You can automate actions—like sending follow-up emails or triggering reminders—based on buyer behavior.
  • Your team continues working in the tools they already know and trust, reducing the learning curve.

When Radancy integrated their digital sales rooms with their existing CRM, they saw an immediate improvement in efficiency . Their sales reps spent less time manually updating systems and more time actually selling, with all data flowing seamlessly between platforms.

💡 Pro Tip: The easier your sales tools are to integrate, the faster your team can focus on closing deals instead of learning new software.

Secure and professional presentation

In B2B sales, trust is everything. A sloppy presentation or a shaky process can erode confidence fast. That’s why digital sales rooms aren’t just about ease of use—they deliver a polished, professional experience that builds trust with your buyers.

Here’s what that looks like:

  • Secure access: Only authorized users can view the materials, so sensitive documents stay protected.
  • Brand consistency: Every presentation is on-brand, ensuring a cohesive experience for your buyers.
  • Professional delivery: No more clunky PDFs or confusing email threads—just clean, well-organized sales rooms that impress from the first click.

When Schweitzer began using digital sales rooms, they noticed a significant boost in buyer confidence . The ability to present materials in a secure, professional format helped them shorten their deal cycles while reinforcing their brand’s reliability.

💡 Remember: A professional, polished sales experience can make the difference between closing a deal and losing out to a competitor.

Ready to take your sales enablement to the next level? Up next, we’ll break down how to implement digital sales rooms into your strategy, step by step.

How to implement digital sales rooms into your sales enablement strategy

Integrating digital sales rooms into your strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow this simple step-by-step guide to make the process seamless and effective.

Steps to get started

Here’s how you can start using digital sales rooms to transform your sales enablement strategy:

1. Assess your current content library

Review all your existing sales materials and identify what’s useful and what’s outdated. Clean out any irrelevant content that could clutter your digital sales room and create confusion.

2. Choose your digital sales room platform

Select a platform that integrates with your existing CRM and sales tools. Look for features like real-time tracking, easy customization, and secure document sharing.

emlen covers all those requirements, and more! With emlen, you can easily create personalized, secure digital sales rooms that give your buyers exactly what they need, when they need it.

Example emlen Destination
An example of a Destination in emlen

Plus, real-time engagement tracking means you’ll know exactly when to follow up and which content resonates most with your audience.

emlen's analytics dashboard
emlen's analytics overview

Ready to see how it works? Take an interactive tour of emlen and experience the future of sales enablement.

(We know we're not the only vendor in the game so be sure to check out our detailed comparison of the top 16 digital sales room software.)

3. Centralize your content

Upload all relevant content—case studies, product demos, pricing sheets—into your digital sales room. Organize it in a way that’s easy for your team to navigate and for prospects to access.

4. Customize for each buyer

Create personalized sales rooms for each prospect. Tailor the content to their specific needs and buying stage. This ensures every interaction feels relevant and adds value.

5. Train your team

Make sure your sales teams know how to use the platform effectively. Provide them with a walkthrough of the tool, showing how to find content, personalize rooms, and track buyer engagement.

6. Track and optimize

Use real-time engagement metrics to see what’s working and what isn’t. Based on these insights, refine your strategy. Eliminate content that isn’t resonating, and double down on what drives engagement.

👉🏼 Free Download

Want a detailed, step-by-step guide to creating a digital sales room strategy?
Download our free DSR Strategy Checklist here to get started!

Best practices for success

To make the most of digital sales rooms, follow these best practices:

- Keep content fresh

Regularly update your content to ensure it stays relevant. Buyers don’t want to see outdated information or irrelevant materials—keep it current and valuable.

- Align with your overall strategy

Digital sales rooms should complement your existing sales enablement efforts. Ensure that the content and messaging align with your broader marketing and sales goals.

- Optimize for engagement

Use the data you gather from buyer interactions to continually optimize your approach. The more you personalize the experience based on buyer behavior, the more effective your digital sales rooms will be.

3 Core benefits you should see once you’ve executed the strategy

Once you’ve implemented digital sales rooms into your sales enablement strategy, you’ll start to notice tangible improvements.

Here’s what you can expect:

1. Faster sales cycles

By centralizing content and streamlining communication, digital sales rooms help reduce the time it takes to move buyers through the funnel. Here’s how:

  • Buyers can access everything they need in one place, eliminating delays.
  • Your team can track engagement in real-time, allowing for well-timed follow-ups.
  • The entire process becomes more efficient, shortening the time to close deals.

2. Enhanced buyer engagement

Digital sales rooms provide a tailored, interactive experience for buyers, which leads to stronger engagement. Here’s what happens:

  • Buyers get personalized content that speaks directly to their needs.
  • They can engage with your materials at their own pace, but with the ability to ask questions or request follow-ups in real-time.
  • Your team can monitor which content resonates most, adjusting their approach as needed.

3. Measurable ROI and sales performance metrics

The data from digital sales rooms allows you to measure success with precision. Here’s what you’ll be able to track:

  • Engagement metrics: Know how much time buyers spend in the sales rooms, what they look at, and how often they return.
  • Content performance: Identify which content is performing best and what needs to be updated or replaced.
  • ROI tracking: Justify your investment with concrete data on how digital sales rooms improve sales cycles, buyer engagement, and close rates.

Over to you: Get Sales Enablement Right With Digital Sales Rooms

You've made it through and now it's time for you to take charge of your strategy.

Think about where your sales enablement is right now. Could it be sharper? More streamlined? More personal? With digital sales rooms, you can transform how your team connects with buyers, delivering the right message at the perfect moment and standing out from the competition.

So, what’s next? It’s time to take action. You’re ready to throw those bloated processes away and finally get sales enablement right using digital sales rooms.

👉🏼 Time to book a demo or take a look at our digital sales room tool in our product tour to see the difference emlen can make for your tired sales enablement strategy.

Belinda is responsible for shaping emlen’s content strategy and messaging. She helps bring emlen’s vision to life by creating content that resonates with modern B2B sales teams to support every stage of the buyer journey and ensuring emlen’s voice stays clear, relevant, and buyer-focused.

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