How Content Marketing Drives Sales Enablement: 5 Key Strategies

“You don’t need a big close, as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customers when you save all the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout the presentation, and watch your results improve.” – Harvey MacKay

Overview:

• Introduction
• What is Sales Enablement Content?
• The Intersection of Marketing and Sales
• 5 Key Strategies for Driving Sales Enablement
• Conclusion

Introduction

The conflict between sales and marketing has been a long and messy battle, one that for many years has had a lasting effect on revenue, growth, team productivity and the overall operational efficiency of a business. According to a sales and marketing study, misalignment between marketing and sales teams costs companies an average of 10% of revenue per year but on the other hand a well aligned marketing and sales function can help to increase revenue by an astonishing 208%.

In this article we explore the benefits of sales and marketing teams working together more collaboratively. Within the field of sales and content marketing, a well-constructed content strategy to support sales enablement can help bridge the gap between the two departments to increase sales performance and ultimately drive growth. Stick with us as we explore examples and key strategies you can deploy to align your marketing and sales teams…

What is Sales Enablement Content?

Sales enablement content is a range of materials designed to equip sales teams with the information and tools they need to engage potential customers effectively. This content can include playbooks, scripts, case studies, sales software and more. The goal is for marketing to support sales professionals in their efforts throughout the sales process to close deals by providing them with valuable resources that address the needs and concerns of their prospects at every stage of the sales process.

The purpose of sales enablement content is to align marketing expertise with the execution of sales-based activity. Through marketing insights such as customer behaviours, market trends, and buyer personas, marketing teams can turn this key information into practical, actionable resources that the sales team can use in their interactions with potential customers.

This type of content plays a fundamental role throughout various stages of the sales process. For example, in the early stages of any sales process, it is supremely helpful to gain as much knowledge as possible about a prospect, as it enables the salesperson to fully understand their pain points, offer appropriate solutions and highlight their company’s unique value proposition. The right pieces of content can help a salesperson tease out extra insights into their prospect.

Furthermore, sales enablement content can even add value to boost post-sale engagement through content that supports customer onboarding such as presentations and live demos ensuring sustained client satisfaction.

The Intersection of Marketing and Sales

To find the point at which marketing and sales converge, we must first look at how sales enablement content and marketing content differ. Whilst both seem similar at first glance, it’s important to understand the definitions of each:

• Sales enablement content supports the sales function by simplifying the selling process with materials specifically designed to optimise each stage of the sales journey.
• Marketing content focuses on attracting prospects by creating and distributing content through various online and offline methods, with the aim of converting them to leads or customers.

The point at which these two departments converge is when there has been a clear structure put in place to drive business success. This intersection is where sales enablement content plays a critical role in bridging the gap between marketing’s strategic focus and sales’ execution.

Marketing teams are responsible for developing content that attracts and educates prospective customers, building brand awareness and generating high-quality leads. However, the job of the sales team is to nurture those leads, address their specific concerns, and guide them through the final stages of the buying journey.

The key to effective sales enablement lies in the seamless collaboration between marketing and sales teams. By taking the valuable insights, messaging, and assets created by the marketing department, sales enablers can transform this information into practical, sales-ready resources.

5 Key Strategies for Driving Sales Enablement

To drive sustained success and growth, businesses must adopt a sales enablement content strategy that combines the efforts of marketing, sales, and dedicated enablement functions. This strategic approach leverages content, training, and technology to empower the entire sales team and helps to foster a robust sales culture aligned with broader business goals.

At the heart of any cross-departmental strategy is the need for seamless collaboration between marketing and sales enablement teams. Marketing’s deep understanding of the target audience, buyer personas, and content types that resonate with buyers provides the essential foundation to any sales enablement strategy. Enablers then transform these insights into practical, sales-ready resources that equip the sales force with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to engage prospects effectively.

An effective sales enablement content strategy should include the following:

1. Content that aligns with your company’s mission and long-term goals

Marketing and sales must collaborate to create engaging, tailored content using customisable templates, guided by market research and sales team feedback. These types of content can include comparison charts, case studies and one-page summary documents, all designed to create a positive buying experience for the prospect.

This type of content is essential throughout the sales process at all stages in the sales funnel, and is actively used when engaging prospects, demonstrating value, and building rapport. This ongoing strategy should always refer to your company goals and growth objectives. By combining regular feedback sessions and consolidating new market research and sales team feedback, you can create a dynamic sales enablement content strategy that not only supports your sales team but also drives your company towards its broader objectives.

2. Interactive training and skill development programmes

The implementation of interactive training and skill development programmes are designed to go beyond the traditional, passive learning methods to actively engage sales teams in their professional growth. By providing bespoke sales training programmes that blend product education, sales techniques, and customer service best practices, organisations can benefit from the productivity increases that their sales teams gain. With the average ROI on a sales training investment said to be 353%, it just begs the question as to why more organisations aren’t investing more on sales training, with the average annual spend on sales training per employee remaining around the £1500 mark. By allocating more resources and investment to training, companies can unlock increased revenue and gain a competitive advantage.

At Firestarter, we emphasise the need for ‘rhythm and rigour’ with organised training and assessment programmes that boost your sales team’s skills, ensuring they’re always at the top of their game. This approach not only improves individual performance but also fosters a sales-led culture across the organisation. By equipping your sales force with the right knowledge and tools through interactive learning experiences, you empower them to utilise sales enablement content to its full potential, driving consistent performance improvements and long-term success.

3. Implementing a content distribution and management system

In today’s demanding sales environment, having the right content at your fingertips can make or break a deal. Implementing a robust content distribution and management system is crucial for maximising the impact of your sales enablement strategy. By integrating technology into your organisation through CRM automation or enablement software, you’re giving your sales team the power to access useful resources at every stage of the sales process, regardless of their location.

This technology-based approach not only streamlines your sales processes but also allows for better tracking and analysis of content usage and effectiveness. The implementation of a well implemented content distribution and management system will ensure that your team spend less time searching for materials and more time engaging prospects, ultimately driving higher conversion rates and accelerating your growth.

4. Creating a unified selling culture

Here at Firestarter, we’ve worked with many businesses that have often lacked a ‘selling culture’ in their organisation. A sales enablement team’s role is not only to build robust selling strategies but to create content and resources that align your entire organisation, from new sales reps to senior leaders, around a common set of values, attitudes, and behaviours. This strategy is crucial for building and executing successful sales strategies.

A cohesive sales culture ensures that everyone is on the same page when it comes to your company’s value proposition, target market, and sales approach. In reality, an aligned strategy that every employee in the business understands, supported by consistent sales enablement content, helps to create consistency, enhances team collaboration, and drives overall performance. By bringing together your entire sales function – including marketing, enablement, and senior leaders – and equipping them with unified messaging and tools, it helps to create a force that, when operating with a shared vision and a culture to sell, is a recipe for success.

5. Continuously measuring and optimising content performance

The fifth and final key strategy in driving sales enablement through content marketing is the need to measure, analyse, and continuously optimise your enablement content. By making use of data either tracked through a CRM system or sales enablement tools, enablers can make data-driven decisions that are essential for maintaining the effectiveness of the sales enablement content.

Through the implementation of analytical tools and reporting systems you can keep track of important metrics such as:

• Content usage – e.g. open rates, click rates and reply to rates
• Engagement levels
• Sales conversion rates
• Impact on sales cycle length

By closely monitoring these KPIs, you can gain valuable insights into what’s working well and what needs improvement. A study from the Content Marketing Institute highlighted that 39% of marketers are unsure how often sales content is audited within their companies.

It’s important to remember that the trick with KPIs is to not only monitor them but to continually use the results to refine your sales enablement content strategy. This might involve updating existing materials, creating new content to address identified gaps, or adjusting your distribution methods to ensure maximum reach and impact.

Conclusion

Content marketing plays a crucial role in driving effective sales enablement, bridging the gap between marketing strategy and sales execution. By implementing the five key strategies outlined in this article, organisations can significantly enhance their sales performance and overall business growth.

By aligning content with company goals, implementing interactive training, utilising effective content distribution systems, creating a unified selling culture, and continuously measuring and optimising performance, businesses can empower their sales teams to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.

As you consider implementing or improving your sales enablement strategy, remember that it’s an ongoing process that requires commitment and collaboration across departments. The potential rewards, however, are substantial – increased sales performance, improved team productivity, and ultimately, accelerated business growth.