Showpad vs Highspot: Comparing Sales Enablement Tools for B2B Success

You’re looking to compare Showpad vs. Highspot? If so, it's likely that your organization has outgrown the use of basic tools like Dropbox and Google Drive, and you are now in search of more advanced sales enablement solutions. Both Showpad and Highspot are well-established names in the sales enablement landscape. However, with so many options available, it can be difficult to determine which one would be the best fit for your organization.

In this article, we will compare Showpad and Highspot and evaluate how they stack up in terms of meeting the needs of today's B2B sales teams. We will take a closer look at their features, capabilities, and overall performance to help you make an informed decision about which platform is right for you. 

Showpad vs. Highspot: Matching Today’s Business Needs to the Right Sales Enablement Platform

Before we compare Showpad vs. Highspot, it is essential to understand the current demands of sales representatives, expectations of their buyers, and the requirements of sales and marketing leaders. In order to achieve maximum ROI from your investment, make your brand stand out in a competitive landscape, and increase company morale, it is critical to consider both the creative and technological aspects of sales enablement.

From our perspective, sales enablement leaders need to assess these factors from two angles: creativity and technology. Our sales enablement evaluation considers the needs of the buyer, seller, and organization from this lens.

Let's start by assessing the needs of each stakeholder.

For the Buyer:

The days of sending static sales sheets to potential clients are long gone. Today's buyers require visually compelling stories and interactions to tell your brand narrative. Buyers want to know quickly, and without confusion, what your product is, and how it can benefit their business. The need for well thought out and beautifully designed sales presentation content is imperative. 

For the Seller:

For sales teams, speed and ease are of utmost importance. They don't want to waste time searching through multiple cloud-based storage systems, such as Dropbox and Google Drive, to find the right sales assets for their clients. They need a system that supports a sales enablement roadmap that aligns with their sales cycle and allows them to send sales content in seconds, not hours.

For the Organization:

We put this into two categories:

1. Control: Sales and marketing leaders must ensure that their story is delivered with 100% consistency and control, especially if they operate in a regulated industry. Sales teams should not be creating rogue presentations or sales content to send to potential clients. 
2. Analytics:  Sales content must be delivered through a platform that delivers rich insights, providing teams the ability to optimize their sales story and its effectiveness. 

As we compare Showpad and Highspot, these three criteria are used in our sales enablement evaluation to ensure they meet the needs of today's sales representatives and buyers.

Showpad Assessment for B2B Sales Enablement

Founded in 2011, Showpad is one of the legacy Highspot alternatives on the market.

Showpad is a comprehensive sales enablement platform that combines training and coaching software with content solutions to drive sales growth. With two main SaaS offerings, Showpad Coach and Showpad Content, organizations have the flexibility to choose either solution or utilize them together for their sales enablement strategy.

Let’s see how Showpad stacks up to our 3-point sales enablement evaluation:

For the  Buyer:

Showpad does not seem to offer any creative services to help brands develop and create engaging sales stories. However, they do offer a few tools of interest. 

1. 3D Models and Augmented reality: With Showpad's virtual product demonstration, buyers can experience your products within their real-life environment, delivering a more engaging and immersive experience. This innovative approach to product showcasing streamlines the learning process for buyers, without requiring additional time or expense. Sellers can easily present their product portfolio in detail and in real time, making complex objects and options easy to understand, regardless of the setting.
2. Showpad Video: A screen video recording service, similar to Loom, allows sellers to record themselves over backdrops, such as a presentation, and send highly personalized messages. 

Both can be effective tools in helping to engage your buyers and allow them to understand how your product or services can benefit their brand. But please note that tools are just tools. You need to make sure you’re putting the right content into them.

For the  Seller:

Showpad, like most sales enablement platforms, is built around a robust content management system that allows marketers to upload and categorize content to be distributed to their sales teams. If your main objective is consolidation for easy team access, you’re covered here. 

For the Organization:

1. Control: Because of Showpad’s content management system they check the box for control. Their CMS is built on a recommendation engine that provides content guidance to sellers based on the sales cycle stage.
2. Analytics: Showpad offers a wide range of analytics from content to end-user and sales team engagement—all designed to help better inform sellers and optimize sales content. 
   

Showpad Pricing: We couldn't find a specific pricing structure on the Showpad website, but our web research indicates that plans range from $35 to $45 per user per month on an annual contract.

Highspot Assessment for B2B Sales Enablement

Founded in 2012,  Highspot is another legacy sales enablement solution designed to help sales teams use content and data to improve their sales effectiveness and their efficiency. Their platform is designed to manage content, onboard and train employees, guide sellers, and, ultimately, help businesses engage with customers better.

Let’s see how Highspot stacks up to our 3-point sales enablement evaluation:

For the  Buyer:

Highspot does not provide internal creative services or technology for enhancing the visualization and delivery of sales content. However, they have a marketplace where users can access Highspot-certified partners for these services. The marketplace is the place to look for creative agency options, if available.

For the  Seller:

Highspot offers a robust content management system for a “one source of truth” that prevents sales reps from going off-message or using contradicting, outdated, or incomplete sources of information. It comes equipped with browsing and filtering features to reduce wasted time hunting for content. 

Plus, it offers intelligent recommendations that adapt to the needs of each user, pairing team members with appropriate content based on their roles.

For the Organization:

1. Control: Because of Showpad’s content management system they check the box for control. 
2. Analytics:  Highspot offers ease of content analysis, quality assessment, and upkeep: Highspot's features allow you to track down and update content, remove duplicates, and learn which content has less engagement so you can fix or eliminate it.

Highspot Pricing: We couldn't find a specific pricing structure on the Highspot website, but our web research indicates that plans range from $35 to $60 per user per month on an annual contract. 

Showpad vs. Highspot: Which Platform is Best Equipped for Today's B2B Buyers?

If you need a strong content management system, either of the two sales enablement platform leaders would suffice. Both offer the control and analytics necessary for today's B2B organizations, AND both provide easy access to sales-ready content. 

However, both platforms are lacking in the creative department, but Showpad has a slight competitive edge as they offer creative technological solutions with their Augmented Reality module.  Remember, working with a sales enablement partner that not only provides technology but can also develop a visually compelling story can be your competitive advantage in the sales field. 

Overall, we’d recommend Showpad, but if cost is an option and all you need is a better Dropbox for organizing and sharing your sales content, then Highspot is a fine choice. 

Showpad and Highspot alternative: A complete sales enablement solution

Ask any sales representative if they value a well-designed sales story and its supporting content, and the answer will be a resounding yes. Today's sales enablement landscape offers a variety of tools, all claiming to be effective due to their robust content management systems and AI-powered recommendations and playbooks. However, the key to success is having the right story at the core. Working with a sales enablement partner that brings creativity will give you a competitive edge.

At Nuvue, we know how to build effective and visually compelling sales stories. Our team comes from a rich production background and years of experience working with sales and marketing leaders in the B2B space to create visually smart sales content. We pair this with the market's most simplistic content management system that allows sellers to quickly create compelling presentations and provides your organization with control and insights to optimize your sales story as your brand grows.

To put a cherry on top, Nuvue's platform pricing can save you a lot when compared to Showpad and Highspot. Nuvue offers a tiered pricing structure with discounts for annual commitments, which can result in your organization saving between 25% and 50% compared to these legacy platforms.

If you're curious about what a creative-first sales enablement tool could look like, schedule a 30-minute Hello Call with Nuvue today. You'll learn how to craft the sales story your brand deserves, deliver it consistently, and empower your team to sell smarter and faster.