Utilizing sales enablement content helps your reps communicate the right information to buyers at every stage of their buyer journey.
One of the most important aspects of sales is knowing how to communicate with the buyer at each stage of their buyer’s journey. Providing the right sales enablement content can help reps push buyers into the next stage of their journey by giving them the information they need to reach a purchasing decision.
While today’s buyers will “consume between three and seven pieces of content before speaking with a salesperson,” over 90% give more credence to online or peer reviews (Source: Demand Gen Report). Buyers are looking for information that can improve their confidence in making a purchase. Sales enablement content is key to empowering buyers with educational information that will serve up a solution to their most pressing pain points.
In fact, when done well, according to a B2B Buyers Survey by Demand Gen Report, nearly 80% of respondents look favorably on vendor’s content, which had “a positive, significant impact on their buying decisions.”
So, how do you create sales enablement content that helps your reps communicate product value? The key lies in understanding that sales enablement content is meant to support sales conversations by:
Below, we’re sharing everything you need to know about sales enablement content, what it is [with examples], and detailing how to use it.
We've updated this list in our latest blog - Top 12 Sales Content Assets Every Sales Organization Needs.
It’s key to understand that not all content created for your business is made explicitly to drive sales. Some content like blogs or social media posts are top-of-funnel resources with the purpose of attracting new leads. Sales enablement content is purpose-built to close deals later on in the buyer’s journey.
For instance, both a blog and a case study are created to communicate with the buyer — but they approach the buyer in two different stages and for two different reasons. Blogs are designed to bolster search engine optimization (SEO), positioning your website higher in search rankings to attract new leads into your pipeline. This way, when a buyer in the awareness stage comes across your site during their search for a solution to a specific pain point, they are presented with your blog and now know that your company is a viable resource.
On the other hand, a case study detailing customer successes or a guide demonstrating the product’s ROI is specially created for the sales team to share with buyers who have already demonstrated interest in the product. These buyers have transitioned from awareness to consideration, and the sales team shares this content to demonstrate the product’s value and help buyers make an educated purchasing decision.
The case study is an example of sales enablement content as it helps the buyer determine whether or not they want to purchase the product. Whereas the blog is a top-of-funnel piece to attract new leads, not drive sales.
Understanding the difference between sales enablement content and other forms of content is great, but how do you know what sales enablement content to create? The content you create should suit the benefits of your product and what you’re looking to showcase to the buyer. If you’re looking for the most impactful content, consider which of these would best communicate your product’s value:
B2B buyers respond well to video content — over 90% say that videos help them make purchasing decisions. Videos are visually engaging and can communicate information in a concise and informative manner for the buyer, making them one of the most impactful forms of sales enablement content. Demo videos show the customer exactly what the product can do for them, helping them confidently reach a purchasing decision.
72% of buyers say that positive reviews and case studies increase their trust in a business. Providing well-laid-out information demonstrating previous customer successes with the product helps provide buyers with hard evidence of the product’s effectiveness, corroborating the company’s credibility.
Perhaps your buyer likes the product but wants to be 100% sure they will get their money’s worth out of it. Creating an ROI guide with a detailed breakdown of what your product can accomplish and how buyers can measure their return on investment can instill the confidence and leadership buy-in buyers need to reach a purchase decision.
It’s common for buyers to be more likely to trust the opinion of a fellow buyer over a salesperson. In fact, 97% of B2B buyers cite testimonials as the most reliable form of content when reaching a purchasing decision. Since they know the salesperson is showing the product in its best possible light, hearing from another buyer with no financial stake in their purchasing decision can be incredibly convincing. Presenting a customer’s successes and opinions of your product gives them a more objective view of the product’s effectiveness.
Providing the buyer with a Mutual Action Plan (MAP) allows both your sales rep and the buyer to see where the deal is going and what both parties expect from communications. This creates trust between the buyer and rep, allowing both to understand expectations before negotiating. Seeing where the deal is headed and giving it a concrete timeline with a MAP also accelerates deal velocity by ensuring both parties are prepared for any deadlines and intended communications.
Depending on what you’re seeking to accomplish, different types of sales enablement content can make a significant impact on buyers. Ideally, you should utilize each of these in communications to provide your buyer with the best, most impactful information that drives them toward a purchasing decision.
Creating sales enablement content is just the first piece of the puzzle. Sales enablement content is virtually useless unless it is being used effectively in sales negotiations to demonstrate value to the buyer. With the right sales enablement technology, managing all of your sales enablement content and presenting it to the buyer in a timely manner is easy.
A digital sales room (DSR) offers enhanced content management, allowing reps to upload resources to one platform as a single source of truth for all key decision-makers. In the modern era of digital sales, there are more decision makers involved in each deal (sometimes even as many as 20 people!). A DSR creates a single, centralized location for all buyers involved to view the same content and materials. Reps can easily store and organize content within the DSR, and buyers can quickly access any resources that have been shared throughout the deal.
A DSR doesn’t just stop at content management, either — every time the buyer clicks and views content, data is captured. Sales reps can leverage this data to gain insights into what content resonates most with that buyer, allowing them to tailor the sales enablement content within each DSR. A digital sales room is the ultimate tool for sales enablement content, allowing you to get the most out of each resource.
Creating and utilizing sales enablement content is one of the best ways to empower your reps to move buyers through the sales pipeline more effectively. With the right tools, sellers can provide buyers with the information they need to make an educated purchase decision, building trust between the buyer and seller and accelerating deal velocity.
When it comes to sales enablement content, a digital sales room is the ultimate tool for reps to manage and share resources with their buyers. Book a demo and see how a digital sales room can help organize your sales enablement content.
