How Content Syndication Can Drive Sales Enablement

Published: May 5, 2016, 6:28 p.m.

b'Most organizations selling in a business-to-business (B2B) environment today have implemented customer relationship management (CRM) software. While proper deployment of a CRM system is highly dependent on an organization\\u2019s ability to streamline its own internal sales processes, in many cases ineffective use of automation systems can also be attributed to an organization\\u2019s poor sales enablement capabilities. This is where content syndication can play an important role and lay the foundation for sales enablement\\u2014that is, when it\\u2019s done right. In this article we will explore what steps an organization can take to build on their CRM foundation and engage a cross-functional team to properly enable its sales team via content syndication.\\nWhether an organization is selling technology, insurance, financial products or other B2B solutions, in most cases the sales process can be broken down into stages for each of the three primary types of sales cycles: for small and medium business segments, for mid-market and enterprise, and for very large enterprise and government organization. With each of these segments, it is important to break down the lead-to-revenue cycle into proper stages to make sure that the sales process has been properly mapped to the targeted customer\\u2019s buying behavior. Before any content syndication strategy can be successfully implemented for sales enablement, it is essential to complete this task. With this principle as a backdrop, let\\u2019s briefly explore how content syndication can enable sales teams to achieve higher levels of performance.\\nWhen you think about a sales process\\u2014or perhaps you find it more useful to think about a buying process from the buyer\\u2019s perspective\\u2014the nature of engagement is directly dependent on the nature of the solution. Whether you are an SMB, a mid-market business or an enterprise, if your what you\\u2019re selling is a transactional product that generates somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollar for each transaction, then it is not possible to provide a high level of sales touches. In this scenario, a company\\u2019s website has to do most of the selling, and this is where content syndication can play a critical role\\u2014not only by generating leads, but also by moving the buyer through a journey of content engagement that typically follows the classic buying cycle: awareness, interest, trial, purchase, repurchase. Most online retailers today have invested heavily to syndicate content at various stages of the buying cycle to ensure the buyer is gradually educated and engaged, trust is built and the transaction is completed.\\nOn the other hand, if the transaction is essentially for a solution-centric product\\u2014for example, a financial product worth thousands of dollars or a complete technology solution or a medical device\\u2014then the human touch, by default, becomes increasingly important. Even during this process of human-led sales engagement, it is critical to provide syndicated content via a wide network of social, search and other appropriate engines to drive traffic to the site. However, once a lead comes in, sales needs to jump in immediately and engage, walking the buyer through appropriate steps. At this point, most companies tend to rely on their CRM systems, but the nature of the CRM systems makes it almost impossible for a sales person to access appropriate sales documents, marketing collateral, and other materials to support specific stages of the buying/selling process. Typically, the sales team ends up undertaking a frustrating search, looking through an internal portal or intranet, or perhaps searching for files saved in a folder on a shared drive. This is where content syndication from various corporate functions like marketing, product management, service management, finance and so on can be made instantly available at the right stages of the sales process. Assuming the organization has properly classified its selling/buying steps (discovery, qualification, development,'