😔 Cold emails going unanswered.

😩 Leads slipping out of your hands.

😭 Deals falling through the cracks.

If this is you, you’ll find our conversation with Kirsten Jepson particularly helpful. 

We chatted with Kirsten to understand how modern sales teams can leverage sales enablement content and work closely with marketing to ramp up conversions. Here are the main takeaways from our conversation.

Embracing the evolution of sales enablement 

Kirsten begins by emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between sales and marketing. She points out, "Sales really is on top of the messaging," and stresses the importance of swift and accessible sales materials to keep up with the rapid pace of the sales environment.

She stresses the need for both teams to work in tandem for two main reasons. 

Responsive messaging

Sales teams are often the frontline in understanding customer needs and market dynamics due to their direct interaction with clients and prospects. This intimate knowledge allows them to gauge the effectiveness of marketing messages in real-time. 

That’s why it’s critical for marketing to work closely with sales to ensure that the messaging is not only consistent but also flexible enough to adapt based on feedback from the sales team. 

This feedback loop ensures that the company's external communication is always attuned to what resonates best with the target audience.

Accessibility and speed

Another critical point Kirsten emphasizes is the need for sales materials to be both swiftly accessible and up-to-date. At a time when customer expectations are evolving quicker than ever, sales professionals need to be able to access and utilize sales enablement materials quickly. 

This demand for speed and accessibility means that sales enablement tools and content must be organized in a manner that allows sales teams to find and deploy them at a moment's notice. 

The Power of Demos and Case Studies

Diving deeper, Kirsten identifies demos and case studies as the most impactful types of content for engaging buyers and driving conversions. 

Interactive product demos help in showcasing products. Not just that, they also allow you to create customizable experiences that can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of prospective clients. 

This customization is crucial because it allows sales teams to demonstrate precisely how a product or service can solve the unique problems faced by each prospect.

For case studies, the focus shifts to their role as proof points, showcasing real-world applications and successes. Kirsten advises, "Prospects learn from case studies. They act as proof points for clients."

By presenting real-world applications and successes, case studies help prospects visualize the potential impact of a purchase, thereby easing uncertainties and nudging them closer to a buying decision. 

Case studies serve a dual purpose:

  • As educational tools that inform prospects about a product's application 
  • As persuasive elements that showcase its value

Crafting interactive sales enablement content

When it comes to creating interactive content, Kirsten recommends a strategic approach that involves marketing, product, and sales teams. This collaboration ensures that the content is not only informative and engaging but also aligned with the company's overall goals and messaging.

She says a sales team should have access to a variety of sales enablement content, such as one-pagers, training materials, external articles, and more, all designed to equip sales teams with everything they need to effectively market and sell from day one.

Early-stage focus on sales enablement

For early-stage companies, Kirsten advises dedicating 20-25% of marketing efforts towards sales enablement. She emphasizes the scalability of content creation, particularly through leveraging technology and predefined output agreements.

Here are a few tried-and-tested tips she shares:

  • Allocate efforts: Dedicate 20-25% of marketing resources specifically to sales enablement to ensure the sales team is well-equipped.
  • Team collaboration: Foster collaboration among sales, marketing, and product teams for unified messaging and strategy.
  • Predefined content suite: Agree on a baseline of essential sales enablement materials to be available at product launch, including sales decks, case studies, and training materials.
  • Lean on technology: Leverage tools for efficient creation, distribution, and updating of sales enablement content to build at scale and maintain agility.
  • Feedback loop: Establish a system for regular feedback from sales to marketing and product teams on the utility of materials for continuous improvement.
  • Measure and optimize: Track the impact of sales enablement materials and use insights for ongoing optimization to enhance sales effectiveness.

Addressing the challenge of keeping sales enablement content fresh, Kirsten suggests automation and a centralized responsibility for content upkeep. She believes in the importance of a systematic approach to updating and organizing content. 

Looking ahead: Trends in sales enablement

Kirsten anticipates the continuing rise of video content and automated, customized responses for prospects. She highlights the importance of video for its ability to quickly convey product-related information and for its adaptability to specific buyer interests.

Through strategic planning, collaboration across departments, and the adoption of technology, businesses can empower their sales teams and navigate the complexities of modern sales cycles more effectively.

😔 Cold emails going unanswered.

😩 Leads slipping out of your hands.

😭 Deals falling through the cracks.

If this is you, you’ll find our conversation with Kirsten Jepson particularly helpful. 

We chatted with Kirsten to understand how modern sales teams can leverage sales enablement content and work closely with marketing to ramp up conversions. Here are the main takeaways from our conversation.

Embracing the evolution of sales enablement 

Kirsten begins by emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between sales and marketing. She points out, "Sales really is on top of the messaging," and stresses the importance of swift and accessible sales materials to keep up with the rapid pace of the sales environment.

She stresses the need for both teams to work in tandem for two main reasons. 

Responsive messaging

Sales teams are often the frontline in understanding customer needs and market dynamics due to their direct interaction with clients and prospects. This intimate knowledge allows them to gauge the effectiveness of marketing messages in real-time. 

That’s why it’s critical for marketing to work closely with sales to ensure that the messaging is not only consistent but also flexible enough to adapt based on feedback from the sales team. 

This feedback loop ensures that the company's external communication is always attuned to what resonates best with the target audience.

Accessibility and speed

Another critical point Kirsten emphasizes is the need for sales materials to be both swiftly accessible and up-to-date. At a time when customer expectations are evolving quicker than ever, sales professionals need to be able to access and utilize sales enablement materials quickly. 

This demand for speed and accessibility means that sales enablement tools and content must be organized in a manner that allows sales teams to find and deploy them at a moment's notice. 

The Power of Demos and Case Studies

Diving deeper, Kirsten identifies demos and case studies as the most impactful types of content for engaging buyers and driving conversions. 

Interactive product demos help in showcasing products. Not just that, they also allow you to create customizable experiences that can be tailored to the specific needs and interests of prospective clients. 

This customization is crucial because it allows sales teams to demonstrate precisely how a product or service can solve the unique problems faced by each prospect.

For case studies, the focus shifts to their role as proof points, showcasing real-world applications and successes. Kirsten advises, "Prospects learn from case studies. They act as proof points for clients."

By presenting real-world applications and successes, case studies help prospects visualize the potential impact of a purchase, thereby easing uncertainties and nudging them closer to a buying decision. 

Case studies serve a dual purpose:

  • As educational tools that inform prospects about a product's application 
  • As persuasive elements that showcase its value

Crafting interactive sales enablement content

When it comes to creating interactive content, Kirsten recommends a strategic approach that involves marketing, product, and sales teams. This collaboration ensures that the content is not only informative and engaging but also aligned with the company's overall goals and messaging.

She says a sales team should have access to a variety of sales enablement content, such as one-pagers, training materials, external articles, and more, all designed to equip sales teams with everything they need to effectively market and sell from day one.

Early-stage focus on sales enablement

For early-stage companies, Kirsten advises dedicating 20-25% of marketing efforts towards sales enablement. She emphasizes the scalability of content creation, particularly through leveraging technology and predefined output agreements.

Here are a few tried-and-tested tips she shares:

  • Allocate efforts: Dedicate 20-25% of marketing resources specifically to sales enablement to ensure the sales team is well-equipped.
  • Team collaboration: Foster collaboration among sales, marketing, and product teams for unified messaging and strategy.
  • Predefined content suite: Agree on a baseline of essential sales enablement materials to be available at product launch, including sales decks, case studies, and training materials.
  • Lean on technology: Leverage tools for efficient creation, distribution, and updating of sales enablement content to build at scale and maintain agility.
  • Feedback loop: Establish a system for regular feedback from sales to marketing and product teams on the utility of materials for continuous improvement.
  • Measure and optimize: Track the impact of sales enablement materials and use insights for ongoing optimization to enhance sales effectiveness.

Addressing the challenge of keeping sales enablement content fresh, Kirsten suggests automation and a centralized responsibility for content upkeep. She believes in the importance of a systematic approach to updating and organizing content. 

Looking ahead: Trends in sales enablement

Kirsten anticipates the continuing rise of video content and automated, customized responses for prospects. She highlights the importance of video for its ability to quickly convey product-related information and for its adaptability to specific buyer interests.

Through strategic planning, collaboration across departments, and the adoption of technology, businesses can empower their sales teams and navigate the complexities of modern sales cycles more effectively.