Aligning Sales and Marketing Can be Done Through Content
The idea of aligning sales and marketing for sales enablement may seem out of reach.
It shouldn’t.
There are many strategies out there for closing the gap and bringing the two departments together for success. One strategy we’re going to focus on here is content.
Sales Enablement Through the Right Marketing Content
Content has multiple functions, of course. And the marketing team, focused on attracting prospects and customers, utilizes content to that end. But here’s a critical point:
Content is Not Just for Marketers.
If your content is helping generate leads, that’s key information for your sales team. If sales knows what type of leads the content is generating, it helps them better nurture those leads and close the deal.
Sales and marketing need to work together in the content creation process so that content can both attract qualified leads, and help convert them through a dedicated content sales strategy.
5 Content Ideas You Should Create for Sales Enablement
Hubspot reports that only 16% of sales reps were “extremely prepared” for their initial meeting, while 26% were “not prepared at all.” Marketers can enable their sales teams with dialed content that arms them with the information they need to convert qualified leads into sales—and this also means tailoring content to each prospect.
Here are 5 content types to aid in sales enablement.
Scripts – While a salesperson likely won’t stick to a script (and they shouldn’t), it’s a great way to give them basic talking points of the most important brand information.
Product and Sales Sheets – Enabling the sales team with detailed information about what they’re selling with a one-page, easy-to-read sheet will help any sales meeting go smoothly.
Persona Documents – Your sales team should understand your target audience, which includes their pain points, motivations, and habits. Arming sales with detailed buyer information will help them in their lead nurturing tactics.
Competitive Information – Keep the sales team informed about the competitive landscape to help them effectively sell your differentiating value and stand out in what could be a revolving door of sales pitches.
Customer Success Stories – Your sales team can benefit from learning more about the value of your offering through testimonials or case studies.
It’s important to remember that marketing content like case studies, blogs, and white papers is also critical for sales enablement. If sales and marketing work together, the topics and lead generation goals of that content will also align.
