What is sales enablement content?
Sales enablement content isn’t (and shouldn’t be) just a random collection of dusty PDFs or Docs—it’s the bridge between marketing’s messaging and the honest conversations sales teams have with buyers.
Sales enablement content is the content shared internally that helps your sellers be more efficient and close deals. The content can be things like playbooks, training manuals, and buyer persona documents that empower sales teams to improve their skills, enhance knowledge, and ensure effective internal communication.
When you have the right sales enablement training and sales enablement content strategy, your teams can educate, engage, and close deals more effectively.
Sales enablement content vs. marketing content
Marketing content’s primary purpose is awareness—it attracts leads, drives traffic, and supports top-of-funnel engagement.
But sales enablement content? It’s designed to move deals forward. External sales enablement content focuses on materials designed to assist prospects and clients throughout their buying journey, including solution briefs, case studies, and product brochures.
Let’s break it down:
If your sales enablement content isn’t actively helping sellers close deals, it’s just more marketing collateral fit for the archives.
Why this matters
Buyers expect self-service access to information before talking to sales. But when they do engage, they want tailored insights, not generic content. Great sales enablement content ensures that every conversation delivers value, not just more noise.
But here’s the catch: most companies already have sales enablement content—they just aren’t using it effectively.
That’s what we’ll fix next.
The disconnect: why most sales enablement content fails
Sales enablement content fails when you create it in a vacuum.
Marketing builds assets they think sales will use. Sales ignores content they don’t find useful. And buyers? They’re stuck piecing together their own buying journey because they’re not getting the correct information at the right time.
It’s a vicious cycle:
Marketing creates content → Sales doesn’t use it → Buyers don’t get relevant info → Deals stall.
Sales and marketing team misalignment sound familiar? You’re not alone.
The three biggest reasons sales enablement content gets ignored
1. Sales teams don’t trust it
Most sales professionals have been burned by lousy content before. They open a pitch deck and find outdated messaging. They skim a case study and realize it’s too generic to help in real sales conversations.
So what do they do? They build their own materials—wasting time and creating inconsistency across sales teams.
2. It’s impossible to find when it’s needed
If your sales enablement content lives in 20 different folders, Google Drive links, and Slack threads, it might as well not exist. Sellers don’t have time to hunt for the right content—they need it at their fingertips.
3. It’s not built for real sales conversations
Most sales enablement content is too marketing-heavy. While it sounds great in a brand deck, it doesn’t help answer buyer objections, pricing concerns, or competitive questions.
If sales can’t use it in a real-world conversation, they won’t use it at all. The result is your buyers are left to figure things out on their own.
Buyers don’t stop needing information just because sales lacks the right content.
Instead, they:
- Ghost sellers while they hunt for answers themselves
- Slow down the deal cycle because they can’t justify the purchase internally
- Default to the status quo because they never get the clarity they need to move forward confidently
If your sales enablement content isn’t helping sellers sell and buyers buy, it’s not enablement—it’s noise.
But what does great sales enablement content look like? Most companies already have sales enablement content; they just don’t use the correct types in the right ways.
Let’s break down the must-have content types that help sellers close deals faster.
The best types of sales enablement content
Not all content helps sales teams close deals. Some types of content are great for brand awareness and demand generation. Still, sales enablement content is different—it’s designed to support live sales conversations and move buyers toward a decision.
If your sales team isn’t using the content marketing creates, it’s probably because they don’t find it helpful at key moments in the sales process.
So, what should you create instead?
1. Interactive & personalized content
Buyers don’t want another PDF cluttering their inbox. They want self-service access to key information tailored to their needs.
Examples:
- Digital sales rooms – Give buyers a centralized hub with everything they need in one place: product information, pricing, customer success stories, and next steps.
- Interactive ROI calculators – Help buyers justify the investment with customized cost savings & value metrics.
- Personalized sales decks – Instead of generic slides, tailor your presentations to the prospect’s use case.
📌 Takeaway: If your content isn’t dynamic and accessible, buyers will search for answers elsewhere—or stall the deal entirely.
2. Customer-facing sales content
Sales teams can send this type of content directly to buyers to answer questions, overcome objections, and reinforce credibility. It should be clear, concise, and easy to consume.
Examples:
- Case studies & success stories – Showcase actual results from similar customers to build trust.
- Product comparison sheets – Help buyers understand how your solution stacks up against competitors without overwhelming them with jargon.
- One-pagers & explainer docs – Quick, digestible resources highlighting key value props without fluff.
📌 Takeaway: Buyers don’t want to sift through 20-page PDFs—give them the information to solve their pain points at the optimal time.
3. Internal sales playbooks
Your sales team needs more than just marketing collateral—they need guidance on using it effectively in real conversations.
Examples:
- Objection-handling guides – Help reps confidently address common concerns and hesitations.
- Competitive intelligence battle cards – Equip sales with quick-reference insights on positioning your solution against competitors.
- Discovery call frameworks – Provide structured talking points so reps ask the right questions at the right time. A well-crafted sales script can guide both new and experienced reps during conversations, ensuring they deliver crucial information while maintaining a personalized approach.
📌 Takeaway: Great content is useless if sales teams don’t know when or how to use it effectively.
4. Post-demo & nurturing content
Most deals don’t close immediately after a demo. Prospects need time to evaluate, get buy-in, and finalize decisions. The proper follow-up content can keep the conversation moving and support the sales professional in preventing deals from going cold.
Examples:
- Follow-up emails with relevant content – Don’t just say, “Checking in.” Instead, send additional resources based on the prospect’s interests.
- On-demand product walkthroughs – Let buyers revisit key product features at their own pace.
- Implementation & onboarding previews – Show how easy it is to get started before signing the contract.
📌 Takeaway: The best follow-up content doesn’t just remind buyers about your product—it helps them make a confident decision.
5. Metrics-driven content
Sales teams need visibility into what content resonates with buyers. Without tracking content performance, they’ll be in the dark without a flashlight.
Examples:
- Content engagement analytics – Track which materials prospects engage with and adjust follow-ups accordingly.
- Industry benchmarks & reports – Provide data-driven insights that help buyers make the case internally.
- Customized business cases – Give decision-makers a clear, data-backed rationale for choosing your solution.
📌 Takeaway: If you’re not measuring what content drives action, you’re only guessing. Creating great sales enablement content is just the first step.
Now, let’s talk about how to build a strategy that ensures it gets used.
How to build a sales enablement content strategy that works (in five steps)
Knowing what content to create is one thing—making sure it gets used is another.
Too many companies dump content into shared drives, hoping sales will magically find and use it. But without a clear strategy, even the best sales enablement content goes to waste.
Here’s how to build a strategy that ensures your content gets used, drives revenue, and enables sales.
Step 1. Involve sales from day one
Your marketing teams shouldn’t create sales enablement content in their marketing bubble. If sales isn’t involved, they won’t use it.
What to do:
- Interview sales reps – Ask them what content they need most.
- Audit sales conversations – Identify common objections and questions buyers ask.
- Get feedback – Share drafts with sales before finalizing.
Step 2. Map content to the buyer’s journey
Buyers don’t move through a funnel in a straight line—they research, revisit, and loop back before making a decision. Your sales enablement content should match the real buyer journey.
What to do:
- Identify key touchpoints – What content does a buyer need at each stage?
- Create content bundles – Group relevant content into sales-ready resources.
- Align messaging – Ensure consistency across all materials.
3. Make content ridiculously easy to find
If sales can’t find it, they won’t use it!
What to do:
- Centralize everything – Use a searchable, structured content hub.
- Tag and categorize – Organize content by topic, persona, and deal stage.
- Use AI-powered search – Reduce friction in finding the right content.
4. Use analytics to double down on what works
Most companies create too much content without knowing if it helps sales. Instead of guessing, track content performance and optimize based on real usage.
What to do:
- Track engagement – Measure views, shares, and time spent on content.
- Identify winning content – Double down on high-performing assets.
- Cut the fluff – If sales isn’t using it, stop creating it.
5. Train sales on how (and when) to use content
Even the best content won’t work if sales doesn’t know how to use it. Training ensures sellers understand what’s available and when to use it in a deal.
What to do:
- Run training sessions – Walk sales teams through key content.
- Create internal playbooks – Include sales content in onboarding materials.
- Use real-world scenarios – Teach reps how to integrate content into conversations.
Make sales enablement content a competitive advantage. The best sales teams don’t just “use” enablement content—they rely on it to win deals.
When done right, your strategy will:
✅ Help sales teams sell smarter, not harder
✅ Empower buyers with the right information at the right time
✅ Turn sales enablement content into a revenue driver, not just a content library
Now, let’s look at real-world examples of companies that transformed their sales enablement content strategy—and the results they achieved.
Real-world customer examples: How companies transformed their sales enablement content
You've learned that sales enablement content only works when your teams and buyers use it.Here's how our customers tackled their sales enablement content gaps, streamlined content access, and made it easier for sellers to close deals faster.
Bookwire: Eliminating version chaos in sales materials
Before using emlen, Bookwire’s sales team struggled with multiple versions of the same sales materials floating around. Sales reps modified slides individually, leading to inconsistent messaging and outdated content shared with buyers.
"Every one of our sales managers had their own version of the same presentation. There was no single source of truth. We needed a centralized content hub where everything was updated and easy to find.”
The impact:
- Bookwire centralized all sales materials in an emlen content hub.
- Sales teams always had the latest, approved versions ready to use.
- Sales enablement content became a single source of truth, improving consistency.
Julia expanded, "Now, our sales managers know exactly where to find the latest and best presentation. That helped a lot, and we got great feedback from the team."
Babbel: Creating a seamless buyer experience
Babbel realized that their sales enablement content wasn’t supporting buyers effectively. Decision-makers needed easy access to relevant content, but scattered materials made it difficult for sales teams and customers to find the right resources at the right time.
The team at Babbel shared, "We had hundreds and hundreds of assets, and the challenge was that all of this information wasn't really easily accessible for the sales team."
The impact:
- Babbel streamlined their content strategy, ensuring buyers received the right content at the right time.
- Sales teams could easily share and customize digital sales rooms with relevant content.
- Buyers had a centralized destination for decision-making resources.
👉🏼 Be sure to visit Babbel's example Destination to see emlen in action!
Radancy: Accelerating deal cycles with digital sales rooms
Radancy wanted to empower sellers and reduce friction in the sales process. Instead of bombarding prospects with email attachments, they built dedicated content hubs that allowed buyers to engage with materials on their own terms.
"We had a client who invited their IT security team to an emlen room. They watched a five-minute video of our technology, and they said, ‘We got it already, we don’t need a meeting.’ That saved time for everyone and moved the deal forward faster."
The impact:
- Sales reps reduced back-and-forth emails by providing a single link to all key materials.
- Buyers could self-serve content, share it with stakeholders, and revisit information anytime.
- Radancy accelerated deal cycles by making it easier for customers to access critical information without waiting on follow-ups.
Datango: Using analytics to improve content relevance
Datango faced a common sales enablement challenge: They didn’t know which content was being used by buyers. Marketing assumed certain documents were important, but buyers engaged with different materials.
"We had a certain opinion about which documents mattered. But our customers had a different view. emlen helped us see what was relevant to them.”
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The impact:
- Datango used emlen’s content analytics to track which sales materials buyers engaged with.
- They eliminated underperforming content and doubled down on what buyers found useful.
- The sales team could focus on materials that helped close deals, not just what marketing assumed was important.
Pace: Keeping sellers and buyers on the same page
Pace had a long sales cycle, and new stakeholders frequently joined the buying process. Sellers had to send materials repeatedly without a centralized content hub, creating confusion and slowing deals down.
The impact:
- Pace centralized all sales materials in a single, always-updated content hub.
- Buyers could access content whenever they needed it without requesting it repeatedly.
- Sellers spent less time resending materials and more time closing deals.
These companies didn’t just create sales enablement content—they made sure it was used, relevant, and accessible.
Key takeaways from their success:
- Centralization matters – A single source of truth prevents outdated content from being shared.
- Buyers need self-service access – Digital content hubs empower buyers to engage at their own pace.
- Data drives better content – Analytics help teams focus on what moves deals forward.
- Sales adoption is critical – If your salespeople don’t see value in the content, they won’t use it.
Still have questions? You’re not alone. Here are some of the most common questions teams ask when trying to create sales enablement content that actually drives results.
Frequently asked questions about sales enablement content
1. What is sales enablement content, and why should you care?
Sales enablement content is any content that helps sales teams educate, engage, and convert buyers. This includes case studies, product one-pagers, sales scripts, competitive battlecards, and digital sales rooms. Unlike general marketing content, sales enablement content is designed to move deals forward by answering buyer objections, supporting decision-making, and aligning with real sales conversations.
2. What are the best types of sales enablement content for closing deals?
The best sales enablement content depends on the buyer’s journey and sales cycle. However, high-impact content typically includes:
• Interactive content – Digital sales rooms, ROI calculators, and self-service demos.
• Customer-facing assets – Case studies, comparison sheets, and FAQs.
• Internal sales playbooks – Competitive battlecards and objection-handling guides.
• Post-demo content – Follow-up materials, implementation guides, and security docs.
• Metrics-driven content – Content analytics reports that track engagement.
3. How can marketing and sales teams align on sales enablement content?
The biggest mistake companies make is creating sales enablement content in a marketing silo. To ensure alignment:
• Involve sales early – Get their input before creating content.
• Make content easy to find – Use a centralized content hub.
• Track engagement – Use analytics to see what content is actually helping sales.
• Refine based on feedback – Continuously optimize based on what sales teams actually use.
4. How do you measure the success of sales enablement content?
Success isn’t just about creating content—it’s about how well it drives revenue. Key metrics include:
• Content engagement – Which sales assets are being used most?
• Buyer interaction – Are prospects opening and engaging with content?
• Sales cycle impact – Does content help shorten deal timelines?
• Conversion rates – Are sales teams closing more deals with the right content?
5. How can a digital sales room improve sales enablement content delivery?
A digital sales room (DSR) allows sales teams to share all relevant content in one place instead of relying on scattered email attachments. Benefits include:
• Frictionless access for buyers – Prospects can engage with content on their own time.
• Real-time engagement tracking – See what content buyers interact with the most.
• A streamlined sales process – Keep all deal-relevant content centralized and updated.
Now, let’s bring it all together and talk about how you can start making sales enablement content a competitive advantage.
Turn your sales enablement content into a revenue driver
Sales enablement content isn’t just about creating more assets—it’s about making sure the right content gets to the right people at the right time.Now that you’ve seen what works, you can apply these lessons to your sales enablement strategy.
How to take action today
- Audit your existing content – Identify what’s being used, what’s missing, and what needs improvement.
- Centralize your sales enablement materials – Make content easy to find and access for sellers and buyers.
- Use data to refine your strategy – Track engagement and double down on what moves deals forward.
- Align marketing and sales – Ensure content is created with real sales conversations in mind.
You don't have to do this alone. Are you ready to transform your sales enablement content into a competitive advantage?
