Technical content creates a bridge between people and technology. Historically, that bridge has been between users and the technology they rely on to do their jobs. Today, technology is integral to business. Technology has moved from IT back rooms to C-level offices, and the decision-makers are more technology-literate than ever before. Technical content is now a bridge between executives and technical solutions that drive their businesses. What is your strategy for technical content as part of the sales process? In this session, Jennifer Fell discusses where technical content fits into the sales process. She looks at how your technical content is being used in the sales process already, and how you can begin to design the technical sales content experience. This session will offer you new ways to think about connecting customers and your business. www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferfell

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Technical Content in the Sales Process
Jennifer Fell
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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About the speaker
• Jennifer Fell
– Business strategist with content specialty
• Technical content strategist, information architect,
content experience designer, technical
writer, instructional designer, trainer
– VP of Engineering
– p s
IBM, Startups, Consulting
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 2 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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The client’s content journey
https://kauilapele.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/crossing_the_chasm.jpg
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 3
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Sometimes we even create a wall
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Brick_wall_close-up_view.jpg
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 4
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Formalized in our sales process
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 5
@jenniferfell #LavaCon
http://stevepatrizi.com/2012/10/23/the-new-marketing-sales-funnel/

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The client’s content journey
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 6
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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But wait…Two things wrong with that view
• “Sales funnel” includes the client journey
after the purchase point
• Technical content is being used before
the purchase point
• Both are opportunities for content creators
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 7 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Now: The new “sales” cycle
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 8
Relationship Management
(Client Success)
@jenniferfell #LavaCon
http://get2growth.com/marketing-hourglass/
Propagation

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Content is creating evangelists
• Good technical content moves the client
from purchase to evangelism
– Yes, product quality and relationship
management are also key here
– Good technical content isn’t just reducing
support costs.
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 9 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Content is creating evangelists
• The technical content we already create is part
of the new “sales” lifecycle. Its value can be
measured by
– Retention
– Future sales to that client
– Referrals that lead to new clients
– l i f l li nts
• This is the “easy” part. We just need to measure
the impact in a new way.
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 10 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Value of retention
http://www.customerforlife.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/ft-existing-customers-10-16.png
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 11
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Back to the top of the funnel
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 12
@jenniferfell #LavaCon
http://stevepatrizi.com/2012/10/23/the-new-marketing-sales-funnel/

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Technical content is accelerating sales
http://intercom.stc.org/2013/05/telling-the-right-story-proving-the-business-value-of-content/
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 13
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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There’s more…
• Buyers of technology spend 21% of the buying cycle
talking to sales people and more than 55% using
information (Albee, 2011).
• Buyers of technology report that interacting with
technical content is the second-most-important pre-sales
activity that they do (Hershey).
• Buyers of industrial products report that “the only
inf han pricing was
detailed product information and specifications”
(ThomasNet).
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 14 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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The client’s actual content journey
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 15
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Who is using this content?
• Informed, empowered consumer
– Desktop and mobile access to “official” and
community-generated information
– Open culture
• Consumers are more technical
– C l ri s n r st r nt m nus
– Bandwidth and speed for Internet access
– C-level executives are coming from tech too
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 16 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Who is using this content?
• Every purchase decision-making team has
someone leading technical evaluation
– CIO, CTO, IT manager
– Solution architect, IT architect
– Security expert
– M st t hni l rs n in ur family
• This person might make the final decision.
She almost always has veto power.
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 17 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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What are they using?
• Consideration
– Product overviews
– Technical architecture
– Data and process flows
• Evaluation
– Specifications: Hardware and software requirements,
– Up-and-running: Install, configuration
– Demos, tutorials, samples
– A note about sales demos and POCS
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 18 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Impact on content professionals
• Content types
– Existing types used in new ways
– New types that are amalgamations of
marketing and technical
• Delivery
– M bil ! N t j st ns m rs mobile business
• Lifecycle
– Speed of sales
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 19 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Concerns
Be Brave
• Providing technical details prior to purchase will only
“lose the deal” if you have the wrong product
• Your clients are getting those details anyway
• Ev g y w measures will
expose your content’s weaknesses. Yippee..now fix
them.
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 20 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Why it’s worth it
• Expands our ability to contribute to the
business
Profit = Revenue - Cost
• Leverages existing resources (ROI)
– Content that we already have
– we already have
• Provides a seamless client content journey
(delight the client = create evangelists)
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 21 @jenniferfell #LavaCon

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The client’s new content journey
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/016/2/c/rolling_hills_by_nard3456.png
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 22
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Call to action
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 23
@jenniferfell #LavaCon

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Contacting me
• LavaCon 2014
– Wed 3:30: Revenue Content Strategy 101
(with Christopher Ward, WebWorks)
• Year-round
–
– www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferfell/
© 2014 Jennifer A. Fell 24 @jenniferfell #LavaCon