Think back to the days before CRM when salespeople would peruse the phone book for a prospect’s number and track activities in a notepad. I imagine modern sales executives shutter at the thought of returning to such primal practices.
But believe it or not, some sales organizations still rely on similarly outdated tactics in the way they manage another important component of their business: content for the sales team.
Why Sales Content Management Matters
Companies pour time and money to develop content that supports salespeople and shape the modern buyer’s purchasing journey.
In fact, the average billion dollar enterprise organization spends $17.5 million on content creation alone. And, disturbingly 65% of these investments go to waste – we’re not just talking about chump-change here!
Content often goes to waste simply because salespeople can’t find it or don’t know it exists in the first place. This happens when organizations lack a central location for salespeople to access the most relevant and up-to-date resources.
When sales content isn’t managed properly, sellers spin their wheels digging through outdated resources or resort to creating their own presentations. This is a huge drain on sellers’ time and overall productivity. And a big waste of precious content investments!
To make matters worse, salespeople (and your wallet) aren’t the only ones who suffer when content isn’t managed properly – marketing and content teams suffer too.
When salespeople can’t find the right resources, they end up using outdated materials that may… or may not… contain the most recent branding or messaging. This makes it nearly impossible to put proper content governance measures in place or track what resources are being used.
This is especially detrimental in industries like financial services or healthcare, where failing to comply with the latest regulations can bring ruin to your brand and result in severe fines. The horror!
Fortunately, there’s a better way.
How a Sales Enablement Platform Improves Content Management
A sales enablement platform that’s built on a robust content management system makes instant content retrieval a breeze.
Sales enablement provides a single-source-of-truth for sellers to access the most relevant and up-to-date resources. By predictively serving up the right content – including things like client-facing presentations, competitive battle cards, access to SMEs, coaching tips, etc. – sellers always have the resources they need right at their fingertips.
When content is managed correctly, it’s a big win for salespeople and the entire ecosystem that supports them. That’s because with sales enablement…
- Salespeople can spend more time on high-value activities like researching their prospect’s business pains and prepping for on-site meetings.
- Marketing can rest assured that salespeople always have the most up-to-date messaging and resources when engaging with customers.
- Content teams can track resource usage and make more informed decisions about future content spend.
If you truly want to enable your sales force, you first need to ensure that salespeople have access to the right resources they need to engage with customers. This is where sales enablement comes in – and why it’s critical to incorporate content management into your sales enablement strategy.
