Summer is in the air, vaccination numbers are on the rise and workplaces are opening back up. Within the U.S., there’s a feeling of optimism – and even excitement – as life starts to take on the first sense of normalcy since the pandemic hit. Companies are understandably eager to make up for lost time and business growth over the past year.
Marketing and sales teams need to be mindful though. Just because things are looking up doesn’t mean business will return to the way it was before 2020. What “normal” means going forward is anyone’s guess. This means it’s important to assess your current resources to be set up for success. According to Forrester, 59% of buyers say much of the content provided by solution providers is useless. So, let’s just say that assessing and improving sales content is a good place to start. Take stock of what’s working, understand what you need for the future, let go of what you don’t and ensure you have the most engaging means of distribution.
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That process might sound like quite the undertaking but it doesn’t have to be. Revenue teams can effectively refresh their content by following four important steps:
1. Develop a System: For commercial teams to manage and understand the content they have at their disposal, they need an accessible, logical and visual system that is easy to maintain. Companies that employ a sales enablement solution are the best-equipped because of the organization and data-driven insights the technology offers. A dedicated technology system helps marketing to distribute content easily and sellers to find the best possible content for every buyer touchpoint. Teams can see what works and maximize the return of it. Companies need to develop a system that is accessible by all sales reps, everywhere they are. This is vital now with dispersed teams and remote selling environments.
2. Determine Which Content Works: Once a system is in place, marketing and sales teams need to determine whether the content they use is helping them build demand and close deals. Again, this step is easier for companies with a sales enablement solution because the technology collects data on content usage and consumption, and analyzes it to determine its impact on pipeline and revenue. Once the best-performing material has been identified, revenue teams need to uncover how and when the content is used. This step should yield valuable insights to inform future sales motions.
3. Sort the Content: By now, your teams should have a dedicated system in place for their content and know which assets work the best. So, what happens to all the other sales content? You should sort it, just like you would if you were trying to determine whether to keep or toss items at home into piles. Evaluate the rest of the content against what should be archived, what needs to be optimized and what can be repurposed.
- Archive: Content that doesn’t fit your brand or sales strategy anymore should be archived. Keep a keen eye on outdated, irrelevant material, particularly now, given how much has changed in business over the past year. Letting go of the old frees up more space and effort to focus on what works. Content should be archived away from the sales application to avoid potential confusion or use.
- Optimize: You will likely find a decent amount of content that serves a purpose but could be optimized to make it more impactful. This step is also helpful in determining what makes an asset good or useful. Perhaps a piece is too text-heavy or doesn’t articulate the value proposition clearly enough. A sales enablement solution shines here through data. Tracking the use of materials enables teams to continually optimize the content until it matches the success of the assets already known to work.
- Repurpose: Finally, sales content that isn’t gaining traction or doesn’t seem to fit anywhere doesn’t always have to be discarded – it can sometimes be repurposed. Delivering the material on a different channel or presenting it in a different format – a short infographic instead of a long-form white paper for instance – just might do the trick.
4. Ensure an Engaging Content Experience: The final step to refreshing sales content is ensuring the new processes you have in place are flexible and tailored to the changing needs of your internal teams and external audience. After all, an asset that worked before COVID isn’t guaranteed to work later. With so much unknown about post-pandemic business life, sales content needs to continue to work for both remote and in-person sales conversations. Consider organizing your content resources accordingly. You should also explore animated or interactive presentation formats, beyond the static powerpoint or PDFs, to create a more immersive digital conversation. And don’t forget to ensure your assets are accessible on and offline by revenue teams in all settings.
Selling is harder than ever. Commercial teams have to work ever smarter to capture and keep the attention of increasingly remote buyers. As the country begins to navigate post-pandemic life, companies should use all the tools at their disposal to enable their revenue teams to navigate the unknowns toward success and shine in every buyer interaction. Content is a great place to start.
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