The road to sales nirvana is often a bumpy one. Punctuated with budgetary roadblocks and the occasional RFP speedbump means that coaxing prospects into a sale can prove problematic.
Once these obstacles have been successfully negotiated, sales teams are responsible for steering prospects in the direction of choosing their companies offering as opposed to the competitions. Enter the role of sales enablement materials.
A well-crafted sales toolkit can deepen relationships, increase order value and accelerate the purchase process of prospects. That said underprepared, underequipped and underwhelming sales enablement content can put stop a sale dead in its tracks.
Here we look at 8 common sales enablement mistakes that could side-swipe your best laid plans.
Speed limits apply
By default, there is an over-reliance on product content – the main thread relates to technical features with little/no business value for sales to latch on to. The sales presentation maybe about speeds but the journey towards closing the deal a slows to a crawl.
Roundabout ahead
Understanding of the product/solution is critical to any sales conversation. Lack of crisp articulation and differentiated description of what’s being sold – and to whom, means the conversation goes around in circles without any clear direction about where the technology could take you.
Risk of grounding
Armed with the trusty sales presentation, the pitch to the customer is bound to be ‘on the money’ but with little/no articulation of use cases or product visioning there is a real chance that the sale could end up beached.
Warning low bridge
Lack of aspirational and or business messaging for ‘those upstairs’ could result in your pitch hitting a glass ceiling in terms of value, buy in and ultimately funding which could put the sale in jeopardy.
Dead end
Talking with the product blinkers on could close the sale of point products but failure to express the inherit value of solution within whole portfolio could limit the length of journey you take with the prospect.
Diversion in place
Having a clear engagement roadmap to enables sales teams to structure content depending on the level of relationship with the prospect. Failure to do so will result in unexpected or unwanted diversions out of their comfort zone with irrelevant or premature solicitation of content.
Queue caution
Doing nothing isn’t an option although limited or staccato outreach, conversation and ‘by the way’ communication to prospects may cause the sale to hit a proverbial traffic jam, or worse still take an alternative route with one of your competitors.
No U-turns
Sale opportunities often mature organically, although failing to bridge the messaging gap between your sales conversations and existing/relevant thought leadership material when the opportunity arises could be a missed trick. As the nurture process continues there is no time to throw the conversation into reverse in an attempt to help bolster your credentials.
Take a look at our quick guide to discover how content can be more ‘killer’ and less ‘filler’.
