Saint-Gobain centralizes content for 167,000 employees across 60+ countries

THE CHALLENGE

Three content problems holding back a global salesforce

Operating across 60+ countries with multiple business units, Saint-Gobain’s content management had become unmanageable. Three challenges were compounding:

1. No visibility into how content was being used. The central marketing team had no way to track what assets sellers were sharing, whether they were current, or how customers responded.

“We had no insight into what content our salespeople were using, why they were using it, or how useful customers found it,” says Jacqueline Kersey, CRM Facilitator at British Gypsum, Saint-Gobain.

2. Content spread across too many systems. Sales assets lived on file servers, Dropbox, and Google Drive — making it difficult for reps to locate what they needed or know if they had the most recent version.

“Reps would be using out-of-date content without anyone being the wiser,” adds Kersey.

3. A homegrown mobile app that couldn’t keep up. Saint-Gobain had equipped its sales teams with tablets, but the existing app required a reliable internet connection, a lengthy authentication process, and offered no way to share content with customers on the spot.

“If you’re showing a prospect a brochure or video, you should be able to share it with them immediately, and shouldn’t need to go to the office to do so,” says Cyril Denonain, Global Communications & Digital Manager at Gypsum & Ceilings Activity, Saint-Gobain.

THE SOLUTION

Guided selling that gets new reps up to speed and experienced reps cross-selling

New hires at Saint-Gobain need to absorb a vast amount of product and industry knowledge before they can hold their own with customers. Showpad’s guided selling features help accelerate that process.

“When a newcomer is meeting with a client and isn’t familiar with one of our solutions, we can use Showpad to display a list of suggestions on how to proceed,” says Denonain. “Showpad can also direct more seasoned salespeople towards cross-selling and upselling opportunities that they may not be aware of.”

Content is now managed per business unit, country, and product line — with the right access and restrictions layered across the organization. This gave the central marketing team the control they needed while keeping things simple for sellers.

THE IMPACT

Less time managing content, more visibility into what works

With Showpad in place, Saint-Gobain’s central marketing team spends significantly less time updating and maintaining content. Sellers now find everything in one location — accessible on any device, online or offline.

“This gave us the control we needed,” says Denonain. “It let us provide the right level of support to help our sales force prepare for customer visits.”

Administrators also benefit from a streamlined backend. “Showpad is a great product to work with,” adds Kersey. “It’s so simple and user friendly. As an administrator, uploading and changing files couldn’t be easier.”

Most importantly, marketing now receives insights into content usage from both internal teams and customers — visibility they never had before.