With content, marketers can answer the audience’s most pressing questions. Content is used to build trust with your audience, improve connections, generate leads, and nurture them. Relevant, high-quality, and engaging content influences the audience’s decisions more than any other marketing technique. HubSpot’s State of Inbound Report claims that content creation is the top priority for 53% of marketers. An increasing number of marketers are incorporating content strategies into their marketing efforts.
So, how can content help your sales enablement process?
With the right content and resources, your sales team can effectively communicate with their audience and close more deals. Every successful deal needs content that is tailored to your customer’s journey. In this article, we will look at how you can create sales enablement content which will help your sales reps connect with your customers and convert them.
What is Sales Enablement? Why is it Important?
Sales enablement is a process that involves providing your sales team with the resources they need to close more deals. These resources consist of content, information, tools, etc. to sell your products or services. Sales reps need these resources to drive conversations with their prospects from the beginning to the end of the deal. Sales and marketing teams can collaborate to create materials that can be useful in the sales enablement process.
Here are the ways how sales enablement can be useful for your business:
- It can help you in creating awareness about your products or services to get you inbound leads.
- Encouraging collaboration between sales and marketing teams to create educational content about your products.
- Helping the sales process by providing tools that sales reps need to close deals.
- Sales reps can have access to relevant, updated content and messages on the products.
- Tailoring content that appeals to various audiences and using it for various stages of the sales funnel.
How Sales Enablement Benefits the Marketing and Sales Teams
When marketers create sales enablement content it helps them focus on the most important aspects of the products or services the business offers. Sales enablement enables marketing teams to get a deeper understanding of the sales process, product positioning, customer’s interests, and pain points. It can open a communication channel between sales and marketing teams allowing them to share ideas and feedback. Sales teams are the ones coming directly in contact with the customers first. Hence, they can provide valuable insights to the marketing teams which can help them create personalized sales enablement content.
With sales enablement, sales reps have access to updated information, messaging, and content about your product or service. Sales enablement can make resources accessible and easy to use. The sales teams can have all the tools and content in one place where they can reach and utilize it whenever needed. This can help them to focus on the customer and conversation. They can give their customers quick and accurate answers by referring to these resources. Content can also help managers give training to new sales reps.
Sales and Marketing Alignment
Sales and marketing collaboration are important when creating sales enablement content. Both teams have opportunities to discuss what type of content is required by the sales teams. This content could be about product information, customer interests, pain points, etc. It will help sales teams communicate effectively with customers. Without alignment, marketing teams would not know the requirements of sales teams. Marketing teams should not assume the needs of sales teams. Instead, conduct meetings with the sales team to understand the content gaps and create content that is needed.
Sales and marketing alignment allow both teams to share their knowledge and expertise. It improves communication between them. Both teams can also share feedback and look at areas that need improvement. Messaging tools like Slack can allow teams to share sales enablement materials immediately when needed.
Type of Sales enablement Content
So far, we have covered sales enablement and how marketing and sales teams can collaborate to create sales content. Now, let’s take a look at the types of content that you can create for the sales enablement process. These content types include content for lead generation and to provide support to the sales team to help them communicate with their customers.
One-Pagers
A one-pager is a good way to educate your customers on what your business has to offer. It communicates relevant and updated information about your products or services to the audience. It describes what your business is about, what problems you are trying to solve, and what actions you want your audience to take. To create one-pagers, marketing and sales teams can work with products or design teams to get up-to-date information about products or services. The information should be presented in a visually appealing format that will engage the customers and keep their attention. It should also reflect your brand identity.
A one-pager provides an overview, so you do not have to go into details here. The content should be crisp and concise. The audience does not like to spend too much time reading details. Highlights of important features will be enough to keep them engaged and interested. Along with product information, one-pagers can also announce any milestones or upcoming opportunities.
Case Studies
Audiences look for social proof before they make any decisions. It is an important part of a sales conversation. Most audiences like to look at reviews before making a purchase. Your customers can be your advocates for your business. Having case studies about customers that you successfully helped, can be a good reference your sales reps can use in their sales conversations. The case study will include a description of your customer, the challenges they faced, and how you were successful in solving their problems. Case studies can convince your potential buyers to invest in your products or services.
Sales Scripts
A sales script is an important tool that can help your sales reps in their conversations with customers. Create a sales script that includes key points of conversation during a sales call. Sales scripts can be created for new products, features, events, follow-up calls, etc. It can help the sales reps have control over their language and they can fluently pitch the products or services. It can also keep messaging consistent. Having a sales script can enable sales reps to speak about key points without forgetting anything.
Email Templates
Email templates are a handy tool that can speed up the sales process with pre-written emails, outreach emails, check-in emails, etc. These can be sent after a phone call with the buyer. There should be automated emails relevant to all types of interactions with the potential buyer. When you keep a list of emails ready, the sales reps can easily choose which email matches the buyer’s requirement. Sales reps can save a lot of time. The messaging will be consistent, well written, and organized.
Competitor Comparisons
Competitor comparisons can be useful for sales reps to understand what the competition is offering. It can also give them an insight as to how their own products or services are positioned in the industry. Summarize key information on various aspects of the competitors. Sales reps need to understand what differentiates their own brand from that of the competitor. This can enable them to explain to the buyers what makes your brand unique. It can help them in their sales pitch.
Social Messages
Social media is mainly seen as a marketing tool, but it can certainly be used as a sales tool. Sales reps can interact with prospects through social messages. Sales reps can be prepared with the content or other resources to message them to potential buyers.
Content should be created with collaboration from both sales and marketing teams. The insight and expertise shared by each team can make it a successful resource in the sales enablement process. The types of the content discussed above are important for all businesses. Incorporate them into your sales enablement process to get maximum results that can help your business grow.
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