Back in the day, most businesses perceived sales content as something extra. Something to be used only in certain phases of the buyer's path. Today, an increasing number of successful companies employ suitably qualified sales enablement managers who are aware of the key role that valuable content plays at every stage of the sales funnel.
Furthermore, making use of appropriate content formats to increase profits and improve customer relations has become a common practice. And you can use it too! Provided that you equip yourself with the knowledge on sales enablement techniques and content creation! What exactly is sales enablement content? What are its types and forms? How to create effective sales enablement content and what for? This and much more you may learn from this post. Let's get started!
What is Sales Enablement Content?
Let's start from the beginning, namely by explaining the term sales enablement content. In terms of online marketing, content defines as the substantive material found on a website or in an application that primarily contributes to customer acquisition and increases the credibility and traffic to the site. Content includes everything from posts on Instagram to photographs, infographics, videos and the article you currently read. And how does sales enablement fit into this? Very simply!
Sales enablement content is all about text or graphic communication used to assist and build a relationship with a customer. Salespeople need to send the relevant content to buyers at the right time based on their approach, needs and preferences for a successful sale. Sales enablement content addresses product-related concerns and questions and helps convince potential customers of the superiority of your service.
Types of sales enablement content
As we've already mentioned, content is any information or material that helps to build brand image and supports the development of relationships with your audience. Regardless of the form, content is a tool in the hands of sales professionals that helps to engage and establish yourself in the audience's perception. What types do we have available? Here are some of the most effective and popular ones:
- Informative blog posts,
- Infographics,
- Whitepapers,
- E-books,
- Internal sales training materials,
- Content for social media, such as images, GIFs, and video materials,
- Podcasts,
- Presentations,
- Case studies,
- Customer testimonials,
- Product cards,
- Offer templates,
- Sales scripts,
- Competitor comparisons,
- Interactive content,
- Email campaigns.
We already listed a few examples of the sales enablement content types. Let's think who may find such content useful.
Five most popular types of sales enablement content
Blog posts
Posts tend to be perceived as more of a marketing tool than means of sales enablement. However, when you consider that buyers typically read three to five pieces of content before they engage with a sales representative, you quickly realise that blog posts are one of the most prominent ideas for a successful sales enablement strategy. Yet these are not standard articles, but ones that meet certain conditions. What makes sales enablement blog posts different from standard ones?The topic and the communication of the information, of course.
When it comes to finding the right topic for a sales enablement content blog post, you need to think about what questions your audience has and answer them! It's not about standard algorithm feeding but thoughtfully communicating methods and information about your product or service for the benefit of your customers.
E-books and white papers
White papers and e-books are powerful assets in the hands of both marketers and sales enablement managers. Armed with information about what customers are most interested in, the marketing team can create longer, more valuable content. Sales enablement content forms, such as white papers and e-books, allow us to take a closer look at the questions and concerns of real customers and answer them. Such research is, therefore, the foundation for establishing a successful marketing and sales enablement strategy.
What's more, a properly prepared e-book can serve two purposes – one as marketing material and the other as a sales support tool. Alternatively, we can bet on the creation of an internal e-book, which will become a kind of knowledge base for our sales staff. You should take its potential into account!
Sales scripts
We've already covered the two most important types of customer-oriented sales enablement content, so now it's time for something that has an impact on internal company standards. And while at first glance it may seem that the use of sales scripts is a relic, we're going to prove that this is not the case at all! Of course, no one wants to sound like a telemarketer or AI reading an assigned sales presentation. We all understand that.
However, the use of sales scripts is not at all about monotonously lying down and reading them word for word during customer interactions. Nothing could be further from the truth! The purpose of sales scripts as sales support content is completely different! Or at least it should be! Because a properly thought-out and constructed sales script is a valuable source of knowledge and a signpost for the sales team! Thanks to them, you will significantly reduce the time needed to train new employees and their effectiveness. Scripts are a great form of sales enablement content that will help you set appropriate standards of work quality!
Consumer-concentrated content
Another example of customer-focused sales enablement content is high-quality case studies or other audience-centric documents that help you better understand your customers and their wants, needs and preferences. Well-designed customer-focused content demonstrates the problems and challenges faced by the target group. And this, in turn, allows sales staff to share content and information that shows how their product or service can provide a valuable solution to these conundrums.
Customer-focused sales enablement content can take many forms. Some of the most popular include case studies, video testimonials or written customer recommendations. Customer-focused content should capture the company's services and the customer problems they have solved. It's also good to include how the brand got into action and what results came from using a particular service or product. These are great tools in the hands of sales enablement managers as they provide a foundation for building customer trust.
Social media content
These days, probably every entrepreneur and even novice manager is aware that social media channels are high-converting platforms. And this comes in handy for both content marketers and sales professionals. The information aspect is particularly important for sales enablement solutions, as it forms the basis for engaging potential customers.
High-quality content is a must-have in any sales environment as it helps to maintain an active brand presence online. Customers interact on social media several times a day, so it is a simple, effective and free way to connect with your audience. Because of this, it would be a shame if you don't take advantage of the potential of this type of sales enablement content for your purposes!
Why is Sales Enablement Content important?
Sales enablement content is not just a supplement to standard campaigns, but the advertising campaigns themselves! The proper sales enablement content has a significant impact on increasing sales and thus boosting revenue. With effective content, the work of marketing and sales teams becomes efficient, as potential customers have a better experience at every stage of the sales process. After all, only a well-equipped and informed sales team that knows the product and the company's business values well can stand out from today's competition.
And sales enablement content is the cornerstone of that! It's content that acts as a resource for the sales team, helping them convince and convert potential customers. Sales support content is essential for the sales team to deliver more value to customers, accelerate contacts in the sales chain, teach and develop their staff and create a professional image as all of this translates into increased revenue. Hence, there isn't a company that won't benefit from creating valuable sales enablement content. So regardless of your industry, if you haven't yet created your sales enablement strategy, you should consider it! And we'll help you do it right away.
Conclusion
In a conclusion, we would like to emphasise the great importance of sales enablement content for a modern business. Adequate sales enablement content enables salespeople to be successful in their endeavours. It gives them knowledge and opportunities to work while accelerating their results. That is why you should already be thinking about what type of sales enablement content best suits your business. Start by discussing customer concerns that require immediate attention, and use your content creation skills to develop valuable content that addresses those uncertainties.
Later, analyse your internal processes. Perhaps you'll find something that can be improved or accelerated with such content? Most importantly, though, remember not to underestimate the possibilities and power of Internet marketing. And for more information on sales enablement strategies and tools, check out our blog.
