There’s no questioning the critical role that content has to play in sales enablement. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that 58% of sales pipelines grind to a halt as a result of sales representatives’ inability to add value — something they’d be able to do with the right content at their disposal.1
There’s also the small matter of 95% of buyers ultimately selecting a solution or service provider who delivered content that was aligned with each stage of the buying process.2 The numbers don’t end there, but the case is made: content is critical in sales enablement.
Naturally, then, the next question you’d have is about how to get sales enablement content right. It’s a nuanced topic that doesn’t have a simple answer, but there are a few pointers that can set you on the right path to creating high-value sales enablement content.
Let’s get right to it.
Cut the Fluff
Enablement content is not marketing content. While marketing content works its magic at the top of the funnel, enablement content is geared towards the lower end of the funnel. It’s not about attracting prospects; the purpose of enablement content is to convert them.
This means that it must be product-centric and clearly communicate how the product will meet customer needs and deliver value. It’s about convincing prospective buyers that your solution solves their problems in a way that’s superior to what your competitors can offer.
This is not the place for inspirational stories — get straight to the point, answer your prospects’ pressing queries and eliminate any doubts they may have about your offering.
Involve Sales Reps
Who better than your sales reps to tell you what kind of content they need for various sales situations? They’re the ones on the frontlines, communicating with prospects and closing deals, so they have a level of insight nobody else comes close to. It’s not hard to see why taking their inputs during the content creation process would be highly beneficial. Work with your sales reps to identify and fill in the gaps in your enablement content. Further, when your reps do utilize this content, garner their feedback; make this a continuous loop for progressive content optimization.
Go Visual
94% of video marketers agree that video has helped consumers better understand products or services.3 Also, it’s been proven that the human brain processes visual information significantly faster than text and retains it better too. Considering all this, you definitely need to include visual media as part of your sales enablement strategy. Use infographics, videos, charts, etc. appropriately to enhance the content’s impact on consumers.
Update in Realtime
In the SaaS world, frequent product updates are a way of life. Rather than pushing out an entirely new collateral to explain each update, revise the existing document to reflect changes in the product. Having a repository of all product-related content, which is updated in realtime, would serve your sales reps well. This ensures that they don’t run the risk of presenting outdated information to prospects and will never struggle to find the latest among multiple versions of a collateral.
Analyze and Optimize
Enablement content development should be a continuous process. Studying how your existing content is viewed and used will uncover useful information that can help shape your future content for the better.
Analyze everything you can: who views each piece of content, how many times they’re viewed, what contexts they’re viewed in, which parts of the content prompt engagement and more.
Every data point you have is a guideline for optimization; your high-performing content should serve as benchmarks for newly developed content. Keeping these points in mind during the strategizing and creation of your sales enablement content will improve its performance. By putting such consideration and purpose behind your content, you’re effectively empowering your sales reps to close more deals faster and at a higher success rate.
References:
https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2016/03/6-ways-sales-enablement-impacts-bottom-line.html
