When you think of a sales team, one of the last things you might equate with that is content — a function that’s inherent to marketing teams and agencies. However, as business gets more cutthroat and companies need to stand out in order to make sales, we might need to shift our understanding of the responsibilities of a sales team, especially in the modern world.
Gone are the days when the sales team’s only job was to go door to door looking for leads that could potentially turn into a sale. In the age of digital, for a sales team to be considered stellar, it might be time to consider other strategies and tactics that turn leads into buyers.
In this post, we want to show you that content just might be the next best thing for any sales team to close more deals. Keep reading to learn exactly how any high-performing sales team can harness the power of content to effortlessly turn any qualified lead into a paying customer.
How Sales Teams Can Use Sales Content to Close More Deals
1. Address Your Customer’s Pain Points
One big benefit of using content in your sales team’s strategy is being able to address customers’ pain points.
Content is able to communicate what sales teams might already know about their customers and do so in a more engaging way.
And if you can’t get on personal sales calls all the time, using content can help you sweeten the process and make sure there’s something that’s always selling your product and connecting with your ideal buyers.
You can do content that addresses customers’ pain points in several ways, but we strongly recommend considering video for this strategy.
After all, video marketing changed the world of advertising and sales almost overnight. When video marketing was first introduced, and teams started creating super selling video ads at lightning speed, it truly separated high performing marketing and sales teams from the rest.
Here are some compelling reasons your sales team ought to consider doing more video sales messages.
Study shows videos are more appealing
Video ads are a wonderful way to present fresh products or features to your target audience while keeping them engaged.
Consumers are now more concerned about how they’ll benefit from the product or service they’re purchasing, so a video ad that speaks to their pain points will aid in just that.
Because of how engaging and reusable they are, videos can be far more visually interesting than typical text or image ads, making them a more compelling choice, especially in more saturated markets.
90% of consumers have claimed that videos help them make better buying decisions, so if you do your videos right, your sales team might not need to work too hard to convert those interested leads.
Video sales content does a superior job getting the message across
88% of marketers point to videos as a significant contributor to improving their ROI.
That’s because videos are more engaging and entertaining than other content types. As such, video ads are more likely to be viewed from beginning to end — unlike a long article or email. And they’re also superior at getting users to respond to a call to action, for example, checking out a website or clicking on a call to action button.
Videos are simple to share on social media
Customers are becoming more technologically aware and less tolerant when connecting with a brand or finding a solution to their problem.
So in place of surfing websites or apps, consumers are more likely to watch videos on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat. If you have a well-made video ad waiting for them that’s equally compelling and information, you might just stand a chance to get some shares, reaching more people along the way.
2. Vet Your Product Against Your Competitors
Another compelling way to use content in your sales strategy is to create content that compares your product against your competitors. This is a great opportunity to let audiences know exactly how your product stacks up in the market and why you’re the best fit for them.
Content that does this can make it easier for a sales team to follow up with compelling selling points for your product, so users can simply ask questions and clarifications down the road.
The best part about this type of content is that there’s a lot of room to experiment with different formats and content types. You can opt for a video as we mentioned in the previous point, or you might opt for easier content types like infographics or blog posts.
Here’s an example of the latter. This is a tool roundup blog that highlights different time tracking software for project managers. It was written by Time Doctor who provides such a service as well.
In the post, they highlight their product’s own strengths compared to the competition. This makes it an easier yes for any project manager that might be keen on getting a time tracking tool for their team.
To implement this into your sales strategy, try using it just as your leads are in the consideration stage. When they’re in this stage, they’re looking at alternatives to solve their problem. So this is the best time to let your best competitor inspired content shine and position yourself as the best option out there.
Doing this can help your team close sales more efficiently, and the decision would have come from your buyer totally understanding what makes you better than the rest.
3. Tell Your Success Stories
Marketing and sales teams can use many different growth and conversion tactics: including public relations, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), sales optimization, etc. But one conversion tactic that will always work beautifully with a strong content focus is success stories.
One reason is that stories are entertaining and engaging. Another reason is that people are 22x more likely to remember information told in the form of a story.
The best success story content is those based on your customers’ successes. When you include testimonials from your existing customers about how your product has transformed someone else’s life, it’d be much easier to get them to say yes to your sales team.
As always, there are a number of ways you can present these success stories. Consider a video interview or testimonial, or create graphics or case study articles that highlight how much your existing customers love your product or service.
4. Overcome Objections
Any buyer will have objections to your product or offer. It might be on the price, or whether or not they might actually need your product.
Because of this, let your sales team use content that helps overcome objections so potential customers can see exactly what they could be missing out on if they don’t buy.
Use the data and insights that your sales team already has and gather a list of common objections that you already face. Then, think of the most effective ways to overcome these objections and how to present them properly.
For example, your customer might object to the price of your service.
Can you help them see the value of your service compared to the competition? Do you offer more features or services, or do you have a better support team? Content can do well to help you communicate just that to your leads.
5. Demonstrate What Your Product Can Do
One of the biggest advantages of using content in your sales processes is that you can do product demos on demand for interested leads.
Imagine a webinar or a masterclass or a short demo that takes people through the features and benefits of your product. You can give leads a more detailed look at what to expect from your product if they do decide to purchase.
This is where a compelling video might do the trick or a very detailed digital brochure that spells out the steps and the benefits of your offer.
You can
6. Build and Nurture Relationships
It is incredibly important to build and nurture relationships in the world of sales, before and after you close a deal. And content has a place for doing exactly that for your customers.
In industries especially where sales cycles take longer than others, you need to build and nurture a relationship with leads to make sure they become a sale eventually.
Use content platforms like email marketing or social media messages to get personal with your leads and show them that you’re still here for them.
Also, make it a habit to offer them value so they see that they made the right decision purchasing your company’s products or services.
One way you can do this is by providing them with articles and other resources on how to get the most out of your product for a long time. Helix Hearing Care’s article on hearing aid maintenance is a great example.
In addition to educating their customers on how to take care of their hearing aids, they also use this article as an opportunity to cross-sell related products, increasing the revenue generated from one customer.
You can also use this time to offer special freebies or goodies that they’ll only get by keeping in touch with you. Over time, these efforts can pay off, and leads will choose the business that not only meets their needs but also took the time to deepen that relationship with them before they made the decision.
7. Share What Others Think of You
Finally, share what others think of your business with your leads.
Sharing online reviews on social platforms is a fantastic way to gain the attention of potential fans and customers which can later lead to more sales down the road.
Reviews made on business appraisal sites like Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, as well as Facebook, might be able to offer the sort of social proof that builds consumer confidence in your brand, boosts your social media marketing efforts, and gets leads moving faster down your sales funnel.
According to a customer reviews study:
- 79% of customers put as much weight on online reviews as they would on personal recommendations.
- On average, reviews produce an 18% uplift in sales.
- 86% of people hesitate to do business with a company if it has negative online reviews.
Key Takeaways/Conclusion
Sales strategies that worked in the past might not always work perfectly in the present, but if there’s one thing that’s constant, it’s this: the business that goes the extra mile wins. And if you’re serious about turning your sales team into a more efficient one, consider adding some content to your process and funnel to nurture and later convert leads.