What is B2B sales enablement content?
B2B sales enablement content is a strategic collection of resources designed to support your sales team throughout the buyer’s journey. This content can take many forms, from detailed product guides to engaging customer success stories.
The goal is to provide sales reps with the information they need to engage potential customers, answer their questions, and ultimately close deals more effectively.
Why it matters
Effective sales enablement content can significantly impact your sales outcomes. According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Sales Report, 88% of sales professionals who use sales enablement content say it is moderately vital in making a sale.
Additionally, companies with dedicated sales enablement teams perform 11% better than those without. Investing in the best sales enablement content isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a competitive advantage.
Key components of sales enablement content
This includes both internal and external sales enablement content, like customer testimonials or industry reports. Internal sales enablement content is things like training videos and onboarding materials to ensure your team is well prepared.
Educational materials
These include product guides, whitepapers, and eBooks that help prospects understand your offerings in-depth.
Case studies and success stories
Real-world examples of how your product or service has helped other businesses can build credibility and trust, particularly through b2b customer success stories. Sharing the best customer success stories can build emotional connections and demonstrate credibility.
Sales tools
This encompasses sales scripts, email templates, and ROI calculators that assist sales reps in daily tasks.
Training resources
Training videos, webinars, and onboarding materials ensure your team is well-prepared to use the sales enablement materials effectively.
But how can content support your overall business and your teams?
How the right B2B sales enablement content can help you win more deals
Creating effective B2B sales enablement content isn’t just about producing materials; it’s about producing suitable materials that address your prospects’ specific needs and pain points. The right sales enablement content can transform your sales approach and significantly improve your success rates.
Building trust and credibility
Prospective clients are likelier to trust a company that provides valuable and insightful content. By delivering high-quality case studies, whitepapers, and customer success story examples, you demonstrate your expertise and build credibility with your audience.
Enhancing sales rep efficiency
Sales reps equipped with tailored content can engage more effectively with prospects. This efficiency boost allows sales reps to spend less time creating materials from scratch and more time engaging with potential customers.
Shortening the sales cycle
Sales enablement content can help streamline the buyer’s journey by addressing common questions and objections upfront. By providing relevant content at the right time, you can speed up decision-making and close deals faster.
Improving alignment between sales and marketing
Effective sales enablement content bridges the gap between sales and marketing teams. When both teams collaborate to create and use content, it ensures consistency in messaging and strategy.
By leveraging the right B2B sales enablement content, you can build stronger relationships with prospects, enhance the efficiency of your sales team, and ultimately, win more deals.
Next, we’ll go into one of the more crucial strategies that you’ll need to execute to see true success:
Aligning marketing and sales for effective sales enablement content
Creating an impactful sales enablement content marketing strategy requires seamless collaboration between marketing and sales teams. A comprehensive sales enablement platform can help with that.
When these two teams align, content marketing and sales enablement efforts produce content that engages prospects and equips sales reps with the tools they need to close deals.
Here are the five best practices to make sure you’re all rowing in the same direction.
1. Understanding each team’s role
Understanding the distinct roles of marketing and sales teams is crucial to creating effective sales enablement content.
Marketing
Typically focuses on creating and distributing content marketing materials for sales that attract and nurture leads. They understand the broader market trends, customer personas, and the messaging that resonates with different segments.
Sales
Has direct interactions with prospects and customers. They understand the specific questions, objections, and challenges that arise during the sales enablement process.
Combined insights
By combining these insights, you can create content that is both informative and persuasive.
2. Establishing clear communication channels
For marketing and sales teams to work together effectively, clear communication channels must be established.
- Regular meetings and collaborative tools can ensure both teams are on the same page.
- A shared CRM system allows both teams to access and update information in real-time, fostering transparency and collaboration.
3. Collaborative content creation
Joint brainstorming sessions can be highly effective in generating content ideas that address real customer needs. Marketing can bring in data and trends, while sales can provide anecdotal evidence and feedback from the field, enhancing content marketing for sales enablement. This collaborative approach ensures the content is relevant, timely, and impactful.
4. Continuous feedback loop
Creating a continuous feedback loop is essential for refining sales enablement content.
Here’s how:
- Sales teams should provide regular feedback on which pieces of content are most effective and which need improvement.
- Marketing can then use this feedback to adjust their content strategy and produce materials that better support the sales process.
5. Unified goals and metrics
Aligning marketing and sales teams around common goals and metrics is vital. This alignment ensures that both teams are working towards the same objectives, such as:
- increasing lead quality
- shortening the sales cycle
- improving conversion rates
By measuring the effectiveness of sales enablement content through shared KPIs, both teams can track progress and make data-driven decisions.
When marketing and sales teams align, the sales enablement content they produce is more targeted, effective, and valuable. This collaboration enhances the sales process and drives better results for the entire organization.
Now that we’ve explored how marketing and sales teams can effectively collaborate let’s dive into some specific examples of B2B sales enablement content that can empower your sales team.
19 Examples of B2B sales enablement content to support sales
We previously skimmed through the main types of sales enablement content. But there’s so much more to discover.
We’ll explain each type of content and its purpose and give examples of sales enablement content and how they could be used. That way, your marketing team can develop the best sales enablement content to support sales.
Case studies, customer stories, and social proof
1. Case studies
Definition: Detailed accounts of how your product or service solved specific client problems.
Purpose: Showcase real-world applications and benefits, helping prospects relate to and trust your offerings.
Example: A case study for your sales team highlighting how your software improved a client’s sales efficiency by 30%.
2. Customer success stories
Definition: Narratives that describe the journey and successes of your customers
Purpose: Build emotional connections and demonstrate credibility.
Example: A story about a small business that used your solution to expand its market reach significantly.
3. Customer testimonials
Definition: Short, impactful quotes from satisfied customers.
Purpose: Provide quick, credible proof of your solution’s value.
Example: “Using solution X, we increased our lead conversion rate by 25% in just three months!”
4. Customer video testimonials
Definition: Video recordings of your buyers sharing their positive experiences with you.
Purpose: Offers a more engaging and authentic form of social proof.
Example: A video testimonial from a customer describing how your product helped streamline their operations.
5. Awards and recognition
Definition: Any praise or accolades your company or product has received.
Purpose: Establishes credibility and authority in your industry.
Example: “Awarded Best SaaS Product 2023 by [Awarding Body]”
Training and educational content
6. Sales playbooks
Definition: Guides that outline strategies and best practices for sales processes.
Purpose: Provide a structured approach to selling, ensuring consistency and effectiveness.
Example: A playbook detailing steps for handling common objections.
7. Product demos
Definition: Demonstrations of your solution in action.
Purpose: Help prospects visualize how your product works and its benefits.
Example: A personalized demo showing your product's key features aligned with the prospect’s use cases and pain points.
8. Training videos/webinars
Definition: Recorded sessions to educate and train sales reps.
Purpose: Make sure your team is well-prepared and knowledgeable about your products and strategies.
Example: A webinar on advanced selling techniques using your product.
9. Onboarding materials
Definition: Resources to help new hires get up to speed quickly.
Purpose: Facilitate a smooth onboarding process and reduce ramp-up time.
Example: An onboarding guide covering your company’s sales methodology.
Sales tools and templates
10. Battle cards
Definition: Cheat sheets that provide information on how to win against competitors.
Purpose: Equip your sellers with quick, accessible data to counter competitor arguments.
Example: A battle card highlighting key advantages of your product over a competitor’s.
11. Sales scripts
Definition: Pre-written scripts for various sales scenarios.
Purpose: Help sales reps stay consistent and effective in their messaging.
Example: A script for initial outreach calls.
12. Sales email templates
Definition: Pre-formatted emails for different stages of the sales process.
Purpose: Save time and ensure effective communication.
Example: A follow-up email template after a product demo
13. ROI calculators
Definition: A tool that helps prospective buyers calculate the return on investment of your product.
Purpose: Provide tangible proof of your product’s value.
Example: An online calculator showing cost savings and efficiency gains from using your solution.
Informational and analytical content
14. Whitepapers
Definition: In-depth reports on specific topics related to your industry or solution.
Purpose: Establish thought leadership and provide valuable insights.
Example: A whitepaper on your industry’s future trends.
15. Product comparison sheets
Definition: Side-by-side comparisons of your product with competitors.
Purpose: Highlight your solution’s strengths and advantages.
Example: A comparison chart showing features and pricing differences.
16. Competitive analysis report
Definition: This is similar to the product comparison sheets. However, it is a more detailed analysis of your competitors.
Purpose: Help your sales team understand the competitive landscape.
Example: A report outlining competitor weaknesses and your solution’s strengths.
17. FAQ Documents
Definition: Lists of frequently asked questions and answers.
Purpose: Provide quick, accessible information to address common queries.
Example: An FAQ document covering common customer concerns like “Is my data secure?”
18. Infographics
Definition: Visual representations of data and concepts.
Purpose: Make complex information easy to understand and engaging.
Example: An infographic showing the benefits of your solution in a visual format.
19. Cheat sheets/Quick reference guides
Definition: Key information summarized for quick access.
Purpose: Provide your sellers with essential information at their fingertips.
Example: A cheat sheet on your product’s main features and benefits.
When you have these diverse types of sales enablement content in your toolbag, your sales team will be better equipped to engage with prospects, answer questions, and close deals effectively.
But you can’t just create content for the sake of it and hope things work out. Next, we’ll look at some of the common mistakes teams make when creating sales enablement content.
5 Common sales enablement content mistakes
Knowing the types of content you could have is one thing. Understanding the common pitfalls so you can avoid them is another. When you know where things could go wrong, you’ll be on your way to creating more impactful and compelling content.
Here are the most common sales enablement content mistakes and how to solve them.
1. Lack of personalization and relevance
Mistake
Creating generic content that doesn’t address the specific needs and pain points of your target audience.
Solution
Personalize and ensure relevance in your content to cater to different buyer personas. Use data and insights from your sales and marketing teams to tailor content that resonates with your audience.
2. Information overload
Mistake
Providing too much information at once can overwhelm your prospects and sales team.
Solution
Keep your content concise and focused. Break down complex information into digestible parts and use visuals to enhance understanding.
3. Ignoring the buyer’s journey
Mistake
Failing to align content with the different stages of the buyer’s journey.
Solution
Develop content that addresses prospects' specific needs and questions at each stage, from awareness to decision. Ensure that your sales team knows when and how to use each piece of content.
4. Poor content distribution
Mistake
Creating great content but failing to ensure it reaches the sales team effectively.
Solution
Implement a robust content distribution strategy. Use a centralized platform where sales reps can easily access and share content. Regularly update the repository and communicate new additions to the team.
5. Lack of measurement and optimization
Mistake
Not measuring the effectiveness of your sales enablement content or failing to optimize it based on feedback and performance data.
Solution
Establish clear metrics to evaluate the impact of your content. Collect feedback from your sales team and analyze performance data to refine and improve your content strategy continually.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your sales enablement content is effective and a valuable asset for your sales team.
Creating sales enablement content is just the beginning. You need to measure its effectiveness regularly to ensure it’s making a difference, so let’s move on to the key metrics and methods for tracking content performance.
Measuring the effectiveness of sales enablement content
Content usage
Metric: Track which pieces of content your sales team uses and how often.
Method: Use a content management system (CMS) or a solution like emlen to monitor usage data.
Engagement and feedback
Metric: Measure how prospects and customers engage with your content.
Method: Collect feedback from your sales team about the effectiveness of the content in conversations. Use analytics tools to track engagement metrics such as time spent on content, shares, and downloads.
Impact on sales metrics
Metric: Assess how your content influences key sales metrics like lead conversion rates, deal velocity, and win rates.
Method: Compare sales performance data before and after implementing specific content pieces. Conduct surveys or interviews with your sales team to gather qualitative insights.
Alignment with sales goals
Metric: Ensure your content aligns with and supports your overall sales goals.
Method: Set clear objectives for each piece of content and measure its success against these goals. Use KPIs such as increased lead quality, shorter sales cycles, and higher close rates.
By regularly measuring these metrics, you can identify what’s working, make data-driven adjustments, and continuously improve your sales enablement content strategy. As mentioned earlier, a solution like emlen can help you track your sales teams' content usage, but its capabilities go even further.
Now we’re ready to explore how emlen can help you extend the effectiveness of your sales content.
How to make the most of sales enablement content with emlen
To fully leverage your sales enablement content, it’s crucial to create sales enablement content that aligns with your business objectives. To do that, you’ll need a robust tool.
Here’s how you can maximize the impact of your content with emlen:
Centralized sales content management
Streamline access and organization: emlen provides centralized hubs called collaborative spaces, where all your sales enablement content is stored, organized, and easily accessible. This ensures your sales team can quickly find and use the right content at the right time.
For example, Hyrise could tame their scattered sales materials by adopting emlen.
Content updates and access to current materials: With emlen, you can be sure that your sellers always have access to the most current and relevant content. Babbel could give all their sales reps access to the most current content assets with emlen.
This enabled Babbel to eliminate confusion, reinforce consistent messaging, and effectively empower their team with the latest information to engage with prospective buyers.
emlen’s Destinations
Personalized content delivery: emlen’s Destinations allow you to deliver personalized content experiences to your prospects. You can increase engagement and relevance by tailoring content to specific buyer personas and stages of the buyer’s journey.
An example of emlen’s Destinations
Interactive content experiences: emlen supports various content formats, including interactive content. This can engage prospects more effectively and provide a richer, more personalized experience.
Sales content analytics
Track content performance: emlen provides detailed analytics on how your content is performing. You can track metrics such as views, downloads, shares, and engagement time, giving you insights into the most compelling content.
Katrhin Ziebel, Sales Manager at INTERGATOR, and her team use emlen to see the content viewed, how long the person viewed it, and if the viewer shared it with a colleague.
Feedback and optimization: Use the analytics to gather input and continuously optimize your content strategy. By understanding what works and what doesn't, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your content’s impact.
Integration with sales tools
Seamless integration: emlen integrates seamlessly with your existing sales tools, such as CRM systems like Hubspot and Salesforce, as well as well-known email platforms. That way, your sales team can easily incorporate sales enablement content into their workflows without disruption.
Enhanced collaboration: The integration capabilities of emlen facilitate better collaboration between your marketing and sales teams. Shared access to content and insights ensures that both teams are aligned and working towards common goals.
Now you understand why sales enablement content is important for your sales team's success. When your marketing and sales teams are aligned, and you know how to avoid common sales enablement content mistakes, you can experiment with the different types of sales enablement content.
With the right tools and constant monitoring for effectiveness, nothing can stand in your way.
The next step for you would be to take our product tour to see what emlen offers. Reach out to book a demo so we can show you how emlen aligns and supports your business needs.
We know that implementing new methods and strategies can be challenging. Should you feel blocked in your progress with sales enablement content, contact us, and we’ll be more than happy to guide you through your first journey!
