Okay! 👏🏼 So, today, we’re going to talk about sales enablement collateral.
Wait, don’t leave. It’ll be worth it, we promise. Yes, the term sounds super jargon-y and technical, but it’s really not as hard to understand as it sounds.
Besides, it’s actually incredibly important. So, even if it were a major yawn, you’d still be stuck learning it if you want to ensure the most effective sales cycle possible.
Luckily for you, you’ve got us to help you learn all about it, and we don’t do boring.
In this guide to sales enablement collateral, you’ll discover:
- What sales enablement collateral is
- Why it’s vital for an efficient sales process
- What pieces of content are most helpful
- How to leverage them to close deals
Let’s break down this fancy term into a much more digestible definition so you can start using it to supercharge your sales.
Related: B2B Sales Enablement Best Practices for a Winning 2024 Strategy
What is sales collateral?
Sales enablement collateral, sales collateral, or sales enablement content are all just scary-sounding terms for content, resources, and other assets used to help your salespeople convert leads into buyers.
The best sales strategy starts with aligning the sales and marketing teams. Once Sales and Marketing are on the same page, they can design a unified strategy for creating and implementing content that speaks to every stage of the buyer’s journey.
This can include blogs, social media posts, and landing pages that are part of your content marketing strategy or more specific sales content like battle cards, buyer’s guides, and sales presentations.
Why is sales enablement content important for effective sales teams?
The right sales enablement collateral can work wonders. It’s like trying to choreograph the perfect dance. When done correctly, a good sales enablement content strategy helps everyone work together seamlessly and present relevant, consistent messaging every step of the way. Everything stays completely on-brand because the content creation process is designed with the customer’s needs and sales representatives’ perspectives in mind.
Marketing materials center prospective customers. You have to let your target audience lead. Then, it’s your job to respond with content that matches their needs. When they move, you move. Just like that.
Effective sales collateral is designed to equip Sales with the information and formats their team needs to create the ideal sales pitch and convert more leads into customers. They step forward, you step back, and vice versa.
Sales enablement collateral speaks to potential customers’ pain points, needs, and desires. Different types of content will be relevant to customers during different stages of the sales funnel. When the music starts, the dance begins.
It takes two to tango
First, you need to get their attention. During the awareness stage, identify their problem and introduce your product as a potential solution. Get them to notice you and like what they see.
The consideration stage requires marketing collateral that highlights how you outshine your competitors and provides Sales teams with the information they need to answer customer questions persuasively. Everyone learns differently, and each format has its strengths. So, a variety of content types work best. Show them your moves and help them realize how well you work together.
The decision stage is where you really want to show off. This is when you look into their eyes, dip them, and present them with a rose. Are we getting lost in this metaphor? Don’t worry; we’ll translate the tango lesson into content management advice for you.
To start, drive home your value proposition. Then, provide social proof to make them more confident in their purchase decision. Finally, arm your sales professionals with all the tricks to help seal the deal. This can be anything from a sales script with point-by-point responses, relevant metrics like customer success rates, or demo videos and free trials to make your offer irresistible and their decision-making process easy.
The better your choreography and rhythm, the more often you and your customers are so in sync that they have no reason to say no. Once they make a purchase, the music stops, but it isn’t over yet.
The best businesses know that customer service doesn’t stop with a sale. You can use sales enablement collateral for seamless customer onboarding. Furthermore, you can follow up with in-depth user guides and upselling suggestions to improve customer retention and make additional sales. This helps ensure the customer will save the next dance for you, too.
10 effective types of sales collateral to help sales reps convert leads
There are dozens of types of sales enablement collateral that you can use. However, today, we’ll be going over the top ten types to set you up for success. Neither your customers nor your sales teams can be experts on your products. So, it’s your job to ensure they have what they need to understand and/or communicate your products’ features, uses, and value proposition and answer any questions that arise.
Here’s where we think you should start.
1. Buyer personas
Buyer personas are the foundation of good sales enablement collateral. You need to understand your customers well enough to address their needs and concerns directly. All other content will be designed based on them. That makes buyer personas one of the most important sales enablement tools in your arsenal.
2. White papers and eBooks
White papers and eBooks provide an opportunity to go in-depth on topics surrounding your products. Use the buyer personas to figure out what topics your customers care about most and give them the answers and guidance they need. For customers who like to get into the nitty gritty and learn all the details, these are great resources.
3. FAQ pages
FAQ pages are perfect for customers who want their questions answered in a quicker and easier format. FAQ sheets help you cut to the chase and give them quick and easy answers, all in one place. They are also great for sales reps. When they get a specific question, they’ll have the answer right in front of them.
4. Infographics
Infographics are a great way to share information. The visual format allows you to show off your personality and present information in a fun and easy-to-digest way. Infographics can be created in so many different ways. Find the format that best fits the content you’re sharing.
Make sure the fonts, colors, and style are all on-brand and your name and logo are visible. This helps with customer awareness and tells people who created it when they see it shared on social media.
5. Datasheets
Datasheets are PDF documents that present all your product specs. This will give customers and sales teams all the details and specifications they need on your product. This helps customers understand what exactly they are getting and easily compare your product specifications to those of your competitors.
6. Case studies
Case studies are a great resource. Having different case studies for the various ways customers have successfully used your product in the past can help customers understand how effective it is in practice. Ideally, they will find one closely related to their situation, industry, or needs. This will show them step-by-step how your product will improve their life.
7. Customer testimonials
While case studies cover the cold, hard facts of your product in use and the results provided, customer testimonials are a first-hand account of how customers experienced your products. It allows customers to hear about your products from a human perspective that mirrors their own.
8. Product demos and webinars
Product demos and webinars allow people to see your product in action and learn about the hands-on steps to using it and getting the most out of it. Video content is also very compelling and makes it easy to understand what you’re talking about because they are watching you do it.
Many people prefer video to written materials. So, feel free to recycle some of your other customer education content into webinar videos to show, not tell. Video also lets customers get to know the people in your company and feel out your vibe to see if you click.
As technology improves, the things you can do with product demo videos expand considerably. Why just tell them the dimensions when you can use augmented reality (AR) to show your product in their space? Instead of having a boring product demo video of someone else using the product, why not use virtual reality (VR) to let them experience it first-hand? The possibilities are endless. Go a little wild with it where you can.
9. Sales playbooks
A sales playbook provides a template for making a sale. This is the sales collateral example that has the most obvious and direct connection between content and sales. It’s often the first thing people think of when you say sales enablement collateral. However, as you can see, many other content types come before it.
The other high-quality, top-of-funnel sales enablement content leads decision-makers here. Once here, they’re already considering your product, and they’re almost ready to buy. Your sales playbook should give your Sales teams checklists, FAQs, responses to common objections, and anything else they need to close the deal.
10. Pricing comparison guides
Pricing comparison guides should highlight how much bang they get for their buck with your product versus your competition. If your product costs more, show them how they’re getting more. If it costs less, show them how and where they save. Make them see your product is worth the price and is the superior deal.
Key takeaways
The right sales enablement collateral can help you move customers through the sales cycle and provide Sales teams with everything they need to convert their leads. The right content presented at the right time to the right people makes everything click, and sales just fall into place.
Did you know there’s an easy way to keep all your sales enablement collateral in one place? Learning management software (LMS) makes it easy for sales reps to access your sales enablement material and learn how to use it effectively.
Docebo is an LMS that keeps all your sales material in one place and makes using it easier, just like HubSpot is a CRM that keeps your customer information in one place to make communication easier. Contact us today to learn how we can help you personalize an employee onboarding and sales enablement process that works for your business. Wanna see us in action? Book a demo!
