Is your sales enablement content getting the attention (and use) it deserves? Start selling the sellers on what they really need.

1. Epic Sales Enablement in a Content Marketing World
Five Smart Steps to Sell the Sellers on What They Really Need
By Shelly Lucas
Smart Packaging Sales Acceleration

2. EPIC SALES EN ABLE ME NT IN A CONTE NT MARKETING WORLD
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The way your B2B marketing team churns out sales
enablement content would make Henry Ford proud.
A sales rep mentions a “need,” and you whip up a
new data sheet, upgraded PowerPoint, fresh white paper or (if
fate smiles) a prized case study. You serve it up promptly and with
aplomb, a little smug that you’ve triumphed over history yet again.
(76% of content marketers have been reported to “forget about”
sales enablement? That’s definitely not you.)
SO WHY A R EN’T YOU BREAKING INTO A
HA P P Y DA N CE?
You’re probably peeved. And frankly, I don’t blame you. Look—
you spend a lot of time, thought and effort creating this stuff,
right? Yet your stellar sales enablement material gets fewer views
than The Adventures of Pluto Nash. (Now what’s that about?)
And surely you’re not the only marketer who’s steamed. Only
9% of marketing-produced content is viewed more than five times
by sales. Compare this to the viewing frequency for sales-produced
content, 57% of which is scanned more than 5 times.
INTRODUCTION
It’s mighty hard to swallow.
But bellyaching about it isn’t going to help. Neither is producing
more, better and faster material. It’s time we called sales to the
carpet. You bet your Granny Smith apples it’s time. But wait—I
need to say one more thing: It’s time we marketers joined them.
As much as we may want to play the blame game, the brutal truth
is sales and marketing are in this together. In a content marketing
world, it takes a strong partnership between the two teams to fix
what’s broken with sales enablement.
Don’t worry, this isn’t the garden variety “marketing and sales
alignment” ebook. I’m not going to share tips for playing nicely
together. Instead, I’m going to focus on the one thing marketers
must do to make sales enablement work, and that’s sell the sellers
on the content they really need to close deals.
It takes a strong
partnership
between sales
and marketing
to fix what’s
broken with sales
enablement
content.

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#SALESCONTENTFAIL: THE WHY’S
– They assume what they want doesn’t exist and won’t
be available anytime soon. They stick by the stuff they
can throw together themselves or have stashed away on
their desktops.
Looking at this list, you can see the burden of sales content
failure doesn’t lie neatly on one team’s shoulders. Nevertheless,
this ebook is about what we, as marketers, can do to turn around
the dismal state of sales enablement content. The finger-pointing
ends here.
Despite dismal content usage levels, sales enablement
is a priority among B2B sales groups. In fact, 61% of
sales enablement teams report directly to executive sales
management. Yet, how many sales teams give marketing detailed
feedback as to why they feel marketing-produced content falls short?
We’ve been at this long enough to come up with feasible reasons.
If sales teams aren’t viewing or using our sales enablement content,
it’s because:
– They can’t find it.
– They don’t know how to use it; the content doesn’t fit
intuitively within their customer/prospect interactions.
– They use it as a scapegoat for failed sales interactions.
(They expect the content to map out the conversation
and open the way to a pitch; it doesn’t, and so it’s not
worth using.)
– Their customers simply aren’t interested in the material.
– The content is outdated and/or doesn’t stack up well to
competitors’ materials.
Only 22% of
B2B marketers
think their overall
content marketing
approach is extremely
or very successful
(Content Marketing
Institute).
If we were better
at selling that
content, the
percentage would
be higher.
CONTENT CREATED BY SALES REPS IS USED IN
61% OF CLOSED WON DEALS.
“State of Sales Enablement 2016,” Docurated.

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WHAT SALES WANTS ≠ WHAT SALES NEEDS
In the spirit of that goal, when sales requests a slide deck or white
paper, ask them about the customer’s mindset: the persona, buyer
stage, pain points and personal values. What is the main message
they want to convey and the ideal behavior they’d like to trigger
with the content? Also ask how they intend to use it. Are they
going to email it to a prospect and follow up with a phone call?
Maybe they’re going to share it during a VIP breakfast at a
customer relationship management technology conference.
These are two very different settings (and possibly different
audiences) that may impact content format and delivery—not
only of the initial piece, but also follow-up material.
WITH ANY CONTENT REQUEST, CONTEXT MATTERS.
First and foremost, snap out of order-taker mode.
Just because two sales reps ask for a white paper on
data privacy doesn’t mean that’s what they really need.
It may be, but it pays to investigate—especially if you discover sales
reps are better served with three to five conversation-starters about
how improper shredding practices are putting businesses in peril
(and, oh by the way, here’s what clients can do to safeguard their
companies right now). Imagine how much of marketing’s time and
effort would be saved by supplying a few provocative facts and
follow-up questions in place of a lengthy white paper.
This is not to say we should kill the white paper. B2B marketers have
had a long-time (and fairly satisfying) love affair with the format,
primarily because marketing has been laser focused on serving up
leads. Today, because the B2B buying process has become more
autonomous, there’s conceivably a content need for every situation.
Sales pros need engaging content to support more consultative
interactions. Everything they share with prospects and customers
must add clear business value.
Everything sales
pros share with
prospects and
customers must
add clear
business value
in the moment.

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ORGANIZE YOUR CONTENT CHAOS
Sales enablement platforms like Showpad offer customized
“channels” for content organization and feedback functionality
for sales teams to post comments and rate marketing materials.
Showpad also has a mobile app that enables sales pros to access
content on the go, online or offline. For even more seamless access,
sales enablement technologies (including Showpad) offer
integration with CRM and marketing automation systems.
How many times have you recommended a specific
sales enablement piece to sales, only to be met with
a blank look and “Great…Now where would I find
that?” It’s as maddening as suggesting your best friend wear
his gingham shirt to his mother’s birthday lunch—and he’s
clueless as to where it is in his chaotic closet. If it’s not easy to find
(and use), it’s a hard sell. The same applies to sales content. If it
doesn’t check the box on these two criteria, it’s ripe fodder for a
digital rendition of Storage Wars.
Quite understandably, sales teams are tired of rummaging through
skeletal, kludgy enterprise interfaces and tapping scattered
solutions like Google Docs and Dropbox. In fact, 68% of
organizations have five or more content storage repositories.
Thanks to technological advancements, sales enablement content
searches are getting a whole lot better. And burgeoning sales en-
ablement budgets are prime for sales asset management technology
spend. (66% of organizations report their sales enablement budget
increased from 2015 to 2016.)
Sales reps spend
4.5 hours per
week searching
for content.
(Highspot)
Browse-worthy: Kapost’s Gallery looks more like a Pinterest board than
a content repository. Image: Kapost.

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Sales enablement
technology can
make your sales
content more
findable, but it
won’t be
successful without
marketing’s
commitment to
maintain it –
and sales teams’
commitment
to use it.
Highspot’s sales enablement platform is integrated with tools sellers already
use as part of their workflow, such as Outlook and Salesforce. (Disclosure:
Dun Bradstreet is a Highspot client.)
Not to be outdone, content management systems are also delivering
direct workflow integrations for sales and marketing teams. For
example, Kapost plugs into Marketo, Pardot and Eloqua, as well as
Salesforce CRM. (Disclosure: Dun Bradstreet is a Kapost client.)
The Kapost Library feature is tailor-made for sales teams; users can
browse the newest content or search via a specific product, persona,
buyer stage or any other custom parameter. Think of it as a
California Closet for your disorderly sales content.
Shareability is another feature growing in demand, especially social
selling organizations. In Kapost, as in other content management
tools, users can share a piece of content via email or social channels
directly from the library. Marketers can add sales notes (messaging,
suggested usage tips, etc.) to any piece of Kapost Gallery content.
Keep in mind that technology can simplify content searches, but
ultimately, your sales content hub won’t be effective without
(1) your team’s commitment administer, govern and maintain it;
(2) sales teams’ commitment to use it. Prepare to invest time to
sketch out a taxonomy for organizing content in a way that makes
sense to sales—or, if you’re moving to a sales/marketing model
(e.g., persona-based), thoughtfully map your content catalog and
delivery to that future state. Be sure to consider desired sales
process/mindset changes in your tool onboarding and sales training.

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DATA = A CONTENT PITCH’S BEST FRIEND
assets viewed, shared and rated. These analytics can help marketers de-
cide which sales-driven content requests to prioritize, table and pursue.
As you prepare your content pitch, be sure to assess the sales team’s
content usage within a broader marketing analytics context—i.e., how
specific pieces are performing outside sales interactions. Sharing with
sales the content that’s “hot” in your paid campaigns or on your web-
site just might encourage reps to use previously overlooked materials.
For example, sales pro Larry may not have had any luck generating
interest with a “Data Wars” slideshow, but your SlideShare views,
shares, downloads and registrations indicate high engagement from
visitors fitting Larry’s targeted persona. Even more compelling, let’s say
you’re a Kapost client. Using Kapost’s Content Scoring, you can track
the actual marketing-qualified leads, opportunities and revenue dollars
that a specific slideshow generated.
To be sure, you won’t need to do a deep content analytics
drill-down with Larry, but you can share high-level observations
(all of which are backed by data). Hopefully, this wider analytics
context raises the question in Larry’s mind, “What am I doing—
or not doing—with this content that is keeping me from moving
leads forward?”
Whether you’re persuading sales about what they really
need—or the content they should be using—have data
and insights to back up your recommendations. Be aware,
however, that content development is an area in which B2B market-
ing and sales teams report the least alignment. Whether this divide is
caused by a lack of agreement and/or simply not talking to each other,
it creates a content selling opportunity.
The question is, do you have the data-inspired goods to back your
content pitch? Do you know which sales enablement materials are
really working? In an age of data-inspired marketing, it’s not enough
to base content decisions on scattered anecdotal feedback. Marketing
teams must have acute content intelligence and the ability to test and
adapt on the fly.
Get insight into what content sales is creating and using, how they’re
using it and how well the content helps bring about a desired outcome.
As we’ve already seen, tools with content rating and commenting func-
tionality make it easier for sales teams to let marketing know what is
and isn’t performing for them. Some of these technologies also provide
sales team usage analytics. For example, Showpad’s “report” capabil-
ities include the ability to view individual sales pros’ content activity
levels, as well as overall usage by time period and the most popular
Analytics on
high-performing
content should
get a sales rep
to wonder,
“What am I
doing—or not
doing—with
this content that
is keeping me
from having that
level of success?”

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SMART PACKAGING = A TIME SAVER
This one-sheet concept, advocated by B2B marketing strategist
Ardath Albee, instantly makes your ebook usable. You don’t have
to design a fancy PDF for the overview; you can easily incorporate
it into your content tagging/digital cataloguing practices.
From there, sales teams can quickly access what’s relevant; skim the
overview; and start dialing, emailing, sharing and discussing.
Larry’s question is a valid one. And it should be
answered—at least in part—by marketing. I know,
I know…You’re probably thinking, Why on earth would
marketing spend even more time creating content about
how to use the content that isn’t being used? This shouldn’t come as
a surprise, but sales reps don’t spend their lunch hours and weekends
with their eyeballs glued to your fascinating content.
Chances are, a new ebook called “Five Surprising Ways Master Data
Management Can Transform Your Marketing” probably won’t pump
up sales teams. But if you can package the content in a way that
reduces the time required to respond to a sales opportunity, well,
that little ebook is on its way to becoming a winner. Sales teams may
not spend 15 minutes reading about the “Five Surprising Ways,” but
they’re likely to take five minutes skimming a one-sheet overview of
the ebook highlighting:
– Buyer persona (ideal audience for the content)
– Buying stage most likely to engage with the content
– Topic
– Premise/Main point
– Key supporting points
– Related questions, fast facts, conversation starters
– Follow-on content the buyer may find valuable
“Most salespeople
don’t understand
your content
strategy. They
don’t know where
to find the right
content, what
to do with it,
or fathom how
it can help them
accomplish
their goals.”
– Ardath Albee
CEO, Marketing
Interactions
A shot of Idio’s content recommendation engine used inside Salesforce.com.
Image credit: Idio.

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Tools like First Research help sales reps close the gap between what
they’re selling and client business challenges.
Don’t have time to sort through and label your sales enablement
material? Believe it or not, you can automate it—at least in part.
Idio’s content intelligence platform uses Natural Language
Processing (NLP) to categorize content and add it to CRM systems.
The tool also tracks individual customers’ and prospects’ content
consumption patterns and engagement levels. From there, sales
pros can tap Idio’s recommendation engine, which suggests
specific content pieces most likely to be relevant to specific buyers
at a particular time.
Not a fan of creating content usage instructions? They aren’t the
only way to improve the packaging of your sales enablement
material. Third-party data and information providers can also
provide a contextual “package” for your content, improving reps’
ability to connect your brand’s offerings to customers’ business
challenges. You can achieve this without sacrificing sales teams’
efficiency by streaming third-party content into your CRM system
and other sales tools. For example, if your sales organization
wants to beef up its industry knowledge for vertical-specific
selling, products like First Research (a Dun Bradstreet offering)
might be a consideration.
“The new
conversation
economy is based
on salespeople
being great
problem finders,
not just
problem solvers.”
– Tim Riesterer
Chief Strategy
Marketing Officer,
Corporate Visions

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Marketers can reduce the time sales spends on non-sales activities with better
content packaging. Source: “The Top Five Challenges of the Modern Chief
Sales Officer,” SiriusDecisions, 2016.
Now that we’ve discussed various ways content can prepare sales
pros for engaging conversations with prospects and customers,
it’s important to remember that these interactions are dynamic and
unpredictable—which brings us to our last sell-the-seller strategy…
67% of sales
organizations
still have not
implemented a
buyer-aligned
sales process.
(Sirius Decisions)
With increasing quotas and longer sales cycles, B2B sales enablement must
focus on improving reps’ productivity. Source: MH Global, 2016.
Within its industry profiles, First Research highlights news and
social activity, management changes and industry health indicators.
It also provides industry-specific call prep questions for sales
conversations with executives.

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As your B2B sales enablement efforts gain strategic
momentum, it’s critical to think of future and emerging
content needs. You may have read about “adaptive con-
tent” on marketing blogs. Typically, this term refers to content that
can, at each instance of use, change (adapt) – not just in appearance
but in substance. This is exactly what needs to happen when we
think of “adaptive” as it relates specifically to sales content.
What does being “adaptive” mean in the world of a sales rep? Basically,
it means reps embrace dynamic sales processes, functioning as trusted
advisors – and, as a result, build stronger customer relationships.
As demand grows for adaptive sales competencies, content will
need to keep pace. Sales content that is flexible and modular may
soon become the number one need for top sales performers. How
can your marketing team create materials that are adaptable to a
number of buyer scenarios—while maintaining process simplicity
and use convenience for sales?
Continue to focus on the relevant information that supports buyer
goals. But also think about how you can create content that
empowers sales pros with enough agility to serve up a customized
ADAPT OR DECELERATE
Social selling rock
stars are adaptive
masters—not
only are they
great at real-time
interactions,
they’re 51%
more likely to
achieve their
sales quotas.
conversation across multiple channels and devices. Adaptive content
is a natural progression in the sales enablement arena, given the rise
of social selling and its propensity to turn B2B sales pros into
consultative experts and thought leaders. It’s no wonder 23% of
companies are prioritizing social selling.
B2B marketers are not anywhere near adaptive content nirvana;
available technology is piecemeal, and content creation resources
usually won’t stretch to accommodate it. Nevertheless, it’s valuable
to think about the future reality of sales and how we in marketing
can tailor our content so it’s an irresistible and easy sell to sales reps.
#EPICSALESCONTENT REQUIRES A SALE
Persuading sales to use your content becomes much
easier when you’re pitching what they truly need. Use
smart packaging, intuitive organization and data-inspired
recommendations. Developing epic sales content will require some
observation and investigation, and likely some new technology, but the
investment will be well worth it.
So get a move on. There’s no time to waste. Save your sales content
from the unenviable equivalent of a Razzie Award. Start selling it, baby.

12. ABOUT DUN BRADSTREET
Dun Bradstreet (NYSE: DNB) grows the most valuable relationships in business. By uncovering truth and meaning from data, we connect our customers with the prospects, suppliers, clients and partners that matter most, and have since
1841. Nearly ninety percent of the Fortune 500, and companies of every size around the world, rely on our data, insights and analytics. For more about Dun Bradstreet, visit DNB.com. Twitter: @DnBUS
© Dun Bradstreet, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. (186145 12/16) www.dnb.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHELLY LUCAS
Content Marketing Director
Dun Bradstreet
Shelly (@pisarose) has 15+ years of experience delivering value and results through B2B social networking, public relations, corporate
communications, analyst relations, and marketing programs for organizations ranging from global Fortune 200 companies to small,
not-for-profit businesses. Shelly holds a B.A. in English from Central College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Literary Theory from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.