Sales Enablement Content Strategy: 18 Essential Types to Drive More Closed Deals
sales enablement content strategy: Increase sales, close more leads. Don't let your customers get overwhelmed by the constant influx of new products and services.
With well-crafted sales enablement content, your team can effectively address questions, overcome objections, and tackle concerns, transforming prospects into loyal customers.
When your sales reps have tailored resources at their fingertips, their performance improves dramatically. But what exactly should your sales enablement team provide, and how can you ensure these resources are easily accessible and utilized by your reps?
In this article, we'll explore the most impactful types of sales enablement content and how to equip your team with the right materials to succeed.
Table of Contents:
Understanding Sales Enablement Content
Defining External Sales Enablement Content
Defining Internal Sales Enablement Content
The Importance of Sales Enablement Content
Organizing Your Sales Enablement Content
Creating Effective Sales Enablement Content
Identifying Buyer Personas
Influencing Your Prospects
Engaging with Sales Reps
Mapping Content to the Customer Journey
Crafting a Sales Enablement Strategy for Success
Maximizing Deals with Various Types of Sales Enablement Content
Empowering Your Team with Internal Sales Enablement Content
External Sales Enablement Content for Customers
Building Effective Sales Enablement Content for Your Team
Understanding sales enablement content strategy
Sales enablement content refers to the resources sales reps use throughout the sales process. These resources might include detailed product information or essential knowledge that helps convert leads into customers.
This content can come from different departments within your organization. For instance, your marketing team might develop an infographic or sales sheet that you can incorporate into your email templates. Alternatively, you might compile a list of product features that every sales rep should discuss with qualified leads.
The right sales enablement content must be available at the appropriate stage of the buyer’s journey to address any concerns or pain points effectively.
Sales enablement content falls into two categories: internal and external. Internal content is designed to improve sales reps' performance, while external content is meant to boost leads' confidence in your solutions and brand.
Defining External sales enablement content strategy
External sales enablement content includes customer-facing materials like flyers, sales sheets, and testimonials that your sales reps share with leads. These assets are crucial for answering common buyer questions, showcasing the specific benefits of your solutions, educating buyers, and helping them justify their purchase decisions.
Unfortunately, up to 90% of B2B sales reps don't utilize sales materials because they find them irrelevant, outdated, or challenging to customize. By providing targeted, customizable external content, your sales enablement team can significantly increase the chances of these resources being used effectively.
Defining Internal sales enablement content strategy
Internal sales enablement content empowers your sales reps to handle objections, navigate unique situations, and encourage customers to make a purchase. The 2023 State of Sales Enablement report indicates that sales reps using sales playbooks to manage various scenarios saw a boost in their confidence and a 3% increase in win rates.
Internal content also helps reps understand the customer buying process, enhances their virtual selling skills, and enables them to add value to leads. To determine the most helpful content, simply ask your reps. Gathering their feedback will improve your training efforts, and they’ll be more inclined to use resources they've requested.
The Importance of sales enablement content strategy
Without external sales enablement content, you’re asking customers to rely solely on your word without proof that your product will solve their problems. When your messaging is supported by reliable sources and delivered confidently, it builds credibility and establishes authority on your customers' issues.
Similarly, without internal sales enablement content, you’re leaving your reps to "wing it" when applying sales assets to the buying process, often resulting in less effective outcomes.
Quality sales enablement content is crucial for building strong customer relationships. According to Melissa Regan, Assistanova Senior Sales Enablement Manager, "Creating an optimal customer experience hinges on dynamic selling because reps need to align with the customer buying process and come prepared to every conversation. Enablement materials that are consumable, accurate, and relevant equip reps for value-based conversations and boost their confidence as they navigate each unique customer journey."
Sales enablement content solidifies the customer's purchase decision by demonstrating that you understand their pain points and can provide a solution.
Organizing Your sales enablement content strategy
The organization of your sales enablement content should be tailored to your company’s needs, ensuring reps can quickly access the right content based on the prospect’s position in the sales process.
Reps typically have around 1,400 sales assets to choose from, but the growing variety of available resources can lead to a disconnect between content producers, managers, and users.
Creating effective sales enablement content is only half the battle; you also need to organize it for easy access. Here are some methods to consider:
Store materials in a database or Wiki for on-demand access.
Use a sales content management system (CMS) to organize assets so reps can easily find and use them.
Implement a learning management system (LMS) as a unified platform for all training materials, allowing you to create learning programs and track progress.
Develop a content map as a visual guide to show reps which types of content are available and when to use them.
Combining an LMS with a CMS gives you a comprehensive solution for managing all your enablement content, training, and programs. To learn more about Assistanova CMS and join the waitlist for its release in early 2024, click here.
Creating Effective sales enablement content strategy
Start by understanding your ideal customer profile (ICP) so you can develop a strategy that addresses their specific pain points. Follow these steps to create impactful sales enablement content that empowers your reps to close more deals:
Identifying Buyer Personas
If you already have buyer personas, take the time to ensure they are as detailed as possible. You may have gained new insights into your customers' needs since you first developed these profiles. If you have existing customers, build your personas based on what you know about their daily lives and challenges.
If you're starting from scratch, research your ICP by focusing on a niche market and determining which individuals in that industry or lifestyle would benefit from your product or services. Consider the following questions:
What industry do they work in?
What is their job title?
What are their interests?
What is their family life like?
What pain points are they facing related to your product?
Influencing Your Prospects
Once you understand what drives your ideal customer, you can identify which sales enablement content will most influence prospects.
For example, if your ideal customer is a wellness company needing project management software for a new product launch, you might need to provide case studies, customer success stories, pricing options, and a sales script or slide deck to demonstrate how your software can help them organize their work by project, team member, and product.
Engaging with Sales Reps
Your sales reps are a valuable resource for determining the types of content your team needs. They can offer crucial insights into what helps them understand your product, address customer concerns, answer questions, and close deals.
Since your reps interact directly with customers and prospects, they may also identify pain points or product benefits that should be highlighted in your enablement materials.
Mapping Content to the Customer Journey
Having the right sales enablement content is only half the battle. You also need to ensure your reps have access to the right materials at the right time. Create a map of the customer journey and use it to determine which content is most effective at each stage.
For example, battle cards, which we'll discuss later, might be useful during the consideration phase when a prospect is comparing your product’s features, benefits, and price with competitors.
Crafting a Sales Enablement Strategy for Success
This is where internal and external sales enablement content intersect. By identifying which materials will be most beneficial for your team, you can develop a sales strategy that targets high-quality leads matching your buyer personas.
Your sales enablement strategy outlines your sales organization’s approach to distributing marketing materials to your reps and how you’ll measure success.
Here’s a high-level overview of how to establish your sales enablement strategy:
Set specific goals and KPIs (e.g., number of calls made, conversions, revenue goals).
Assemble a sales enablement team to train your reps on using and understanding enablement materials.
Track conversions and customers in a centralized CRM tool.
Equip your team with the right sales enablement tools (e.g., data tracking software, CRMs, LMSs, prospecting tools).
Make sales enablement materials accessible to the entire team.
Train sales reps on the tools and software you’ve provided to help them track and complete conversions.
Regularly follow up with team members to offer support and gather feedback on what works.
Analyze conversion data to identify which sales enablement materials are most effective and adjust your strategy as needed.
With the right content, tools, and a clear strategy, you can refine your enablement resources and generate more revenue by addressing your customers' pain points.
Types of sales enablement content strategy to Maximize Deals
Sales enablement content isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different tools serve different purposes, so familiarize yourself with various options to provide your team with the most relevant resources for their needs and customers.
Internal sales enablement content: Empowering Your Team
These are resources used internally by your team but not shared with customers or prospects.
Sales Onboarding and Training
Effective sales enablement starts on day one. Your sales onboarding and training should include the best internal enablement content your organization has to offer, updated regularly to reflect new best practices.
Buyer Personas
Buyer personas are key profiles that detail your customers' needs, challenges, and goals. By sharing these personas with your sales reps, you provide valuable insights into how they should approach conversations with prospects.
Battle Cards
A battle card is a summary of your product’s key features, benefits, pricing, and competitive advantages. Your sales reps can use these cards during the consideration phase to highlight your product’s superiority over competitors.
Discovery Call Guides
A discovery call guide helps sales reps ask the right questions during initial conversations with prospects to identify their needs and qualify them as leads.
Sales Scripts
Sales scripts offer a blueprint for how to approach different scenarios and conversations with prospects. These scripts help ensure your reps provide consistent, accurate information across all interactions.
Case Studies and Customer Success Stories
These real-world examples highlight how your product has helped other customers achieve their goals. Sharing success stories with your reps enables them to provide compelling evidence during sales calls.
Objection Handling Guides
An objection-handling guide prepares your reps to respond effectively to common objections raised by prospects during the sales process.
Competitor Analysis
A competitor analysis provides a detailed comparison of your product versus competitors, helping your reps understand your product’s unique value proposition.
Product Demos and Tutorials
Product demos and tutorials provide hands-on experience with your product, allowing your reps to showcase its features and benefits to prospects.
Sales Playbooks
A sales playbook is a comprehensive resource that outlines your sales strategy, processes, and best practices. It serves as a reference guide for your reps as they navigate the sales process.
External sales enablement content: Engaging with Customers
External sales enablement content is designed for customer-facing interactions. It includes a variety of materials that your sales reps can share with prospects to support their decision-making process.
White Papers
White papers offer in-depth insights into industry trends, challenges, and solutions. These documents help position your company as a thought leader in your industry.
Sales Sheets
Sales sheets provide a concise overview of your product’s features, benefits, and pricing. They’re ideal for sharing during sales calls or meetings.
Case Studies and Testimonials
Similar to internal case studies, external case studies and testimonials showcase how your product has helped other customers succeed. These stories build trust and credibility with prospects.
Product Videos
Product videos offer a visual demonstration of your product’s features and benefits. They’re a powerful tool for engaging prospects and highlighting your product’s unique value proposition.
Infographics
Infographics present complex information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. They’re an effective way to convey key data and insights to prospects.
Email Templates
Email templates provide your reps with a consistent and professional way to communicate with prospects. They can be customized for different stages of the sales process.
Brochures and Flyers
Brochures and flyers are printed or digital materials that offer a detailed overview of your product or service. They’re ideal for sharing during trade shows, conferences, or sales meetings.
eBooks and Guides
eBooks and guides provide valuable insights and information on specific topics related to your industry. These materials help educate prospects and position your company as an expert.
Related Articles
Building Effective sales enablement content strategy for Your Team
Creating impactful sales enablement content is an ongoing process that requires regular updates and feedback from your sales team. By providing your reps with the right resources, you empower them to close more deals and drive revenue growth.
Remember, the key to successful sales enablement is aligning your content with the needs of your reps and customers. Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your content and make adjustments as needed to ensure your team is equipped to succeed.
Brad
Author
Share It On:
Comments
