At B2B Marketing Exchange, a fellow marketer, Matt, asked me “Pam, what tools do you recommend providing the sales team with updated content? They are always asking where I go to find X or Y?”
I know… It’s hard. For sales to find any content, it’s easier for them just ask marketing directly. We’ll tell them, anyway.
There are many ways to address this, but three options have worked well for me:
Upload content to a sales content management library
Make sure that you have a sales-centric content library that only salespeople use. Upload your content there, tag them well by-products, geos, keywords, technologies and other categories so that it’s easy for salespeople to search. Nowadays, some platforms offer auto-tagging which makes content marketers’ job easy. When you source tools, you should check if they offer that feature. Typical content management library platforms are Highspot, Showpad, Seismic, Attach and more. Some tech companies have built their own content management library for both direct and indirect sales forces. A great example is Cisco. You should train salespeople to go to the sales content management library first to find whatever content they need before they contact you. They’ll do that if it’s easy and offers the benefit of a very quick response.
Share updated and new content at weekly sales calls
There are usually weekly and/or monthly sales calls. Sometimes, there are multiple sales meetings if your sales force is big. Find out the different sales meetings and determine if it makes sense for you to attend or present content at them. Get 10-15 min of the time and present finished and upcoming content. Also, let them know how and when to use these content pieces. Connect your content with their sales processes.
Yes, it’s a pain to attend several sales calls if your sales teams are big. The key is overcommunication is better than under-communication. Say the same things several times. In marketing, we all know that we need to hit the prospects at least 6-7 times to make an impression. Well, you need to do the same for the sales team. Say it multiple times at different meetings.
Send out regular newsletter updates
Again, it’s another communications channel. I know that the click-through rate is not high on regular newsletters. However, it provides sales team another way to see content. The newsletter is there when they need it. Ok, I’ve seen something content related to that topic, ok, let me go search my InBox. Another way to find content in addition to sales content library.
Matt, start with a content management library, then have a regular communications process in place. Let me know how it goes.
These three options minimize the numbers of email inquiries and phone calls that I got from my salespeople, but it didn’t eliminate the problem. The truth is that you’ll still get calls or emails from them on where to find stuff. That never ends. Embrace that as reality. That’s the way how salespeople shower you with love. I try to put a positive spin to this question.
If you have other recommendations on how to help salespeople finding content, please share.
Love to hear from you. Ok, send me your marketing question ANYTIME. If you like the podcast, please share your comments on iTunes.
Before you leave, make sure to check out the previous podcast episodes!
All right, keep hustling, my friends. You got this.
What can Pam Didner do for you?
Being in the corporate world for 20+ years and having held various positions from accounting and supply chain management, and marketing to sales enablement, she knows how corporations work. She can make you and your team a rock star by identifying areas to shine and do better. She does that through private coaching, keynote speaking, workshop training, and hands-on consulting. Contact her or find her on LinkedIn and Twitter. A quick note: Check out her new 90-Day Revenue Reboot, if you are struggling with marketing.
