How to Get the Most Out of Your Marketing When it Comes to Sales Enablement

The sales industry has drastically changed over the last ten years. Gone are the days where your sales team could pick up the phone, call a potential customer, and make a sale. Most salespeople make 50 cold calls a day, and they are lucky if they can have one person answer the phone to talk to them.

A shocking statistic came out that shows 57% of the buyer’s journey is completed before talking to a salesperson. Some people might think this is good news, but it is a massive problem for your company.

How the sales industry works today: Customers do their research, and when they are ready to make a purchase, they pick up the phone to call the sales team. So, what does this mean? What is your sales team doing with their time? Well, they may very well be wasting time trying to get unqualified leads.

The cause behind all of this is how complex the buyer’s journey has become. Reason being- all the information they need is at the touch of their fingertips.

However, you can rest assured knowing that you are not doomed, and your sales team can still excel! This is all possible with sales enablement which chances are; your marketing team is already doing.

3 Ways Marketing Can Help with Sales Enablement

1. Create a customer profile

A customer profile is a description of your customers that includes demographics, buying patterns, and purchase history. The more information you know about your customer, the better because it will allow you to understand what interests your customers most about your product and their goals for using your product.

When a customer needs something, the first place they turn is to search engines like Google. By the time your sales team gives them a call, they have probably done all their research about a product that is similar to yours that will help them accomplish what they are looking to do. This is where creating a customer profile comes in.

Perhaps you own a software company…Here is an example of a customer profile:

John is a small business owner in the area, and he is interested in buying your software to store everything in one place. What is most important to him is affordability and excellent customer support.

Having customer profiles such as the example above allows you to understand why customers are interested in your product so you can develop a marketing strategy that targets your customers. Having customer profiles can increase sales.

2. Know the buying process inside and out

The buying process is what happens before a customer even buys your product. Understanding the buying process is essential for your sales team but also your marketing strategy.

The first step to the process is the identification of a problem or the need for your product. Once a customer realizes that they have an issue and there is a product out there that can help them, they will do their own research. This is where your marketing team comes in. Wouldn’t you like to be the first link that comes up on search engines that gives them all the information they need? This brings us to the second step of gathering information. Not only do you need to be visible on search engines, but the content has to be there. Once they get to your site, are they going to have all the information they need as to why they need your product?

The third step: considering alternatives. We all do it- when we are looking to buy something, we don’t just look at one brand. We look at a few to determine the best price, the best service, quality, and so on. So what is going to make a buyer buy your product over the alternatives? One of the best ways to boost the chances of a customer buying your product is excelling in involvement. If the customer feels positive about your brand and your team has been involved at some point- whether it be a chatbot or a phone call…there is a greater chance they will buy your product over the others.

Finally, the decision is ready to be made. Are they going to buy your product? Often times, this can be swayed by reviews. A buyer could be ready to purchase your product until his coworker says they’ve tried the product and had a bad experience. The goal is to eliminate those bad reviews if possible, but if not, you must address it.

Lastly, is post-purchase behavior. If you want to retain customers, this step is vital. Creating positive communication to the customer can enhance their buying experience from your company.

3. Tell your sales team what to say

Marketers know everything about your buyer. They understand your target audience, their goals, their expectations, concerns, etc., If your sales team isn’t meeting with your marketing team to discuss your buyers, you are missing out on a lot of sales. When your sales team talks to potential buyers, chances are buyers will have a bunch of questions. Fortunately, your marketing team will already know the questions they are going to answer so you can prepare answers that will positively influence the buyer’s interest in your product. Your marketing team can help you make those connections with buyers, so when its time to make the call to the customer, the buyer has a positive experience with your brand.

If you feel like your sales team has hit a brick wall and can’t seem to move forward, it might be time to partner with a marketing team that knows your buyer. Once you begin working with a marketing team, you will notice the increase in sales. Want to learn more? Don’t hesitate to give us a call to learn how our team at Joseph Studios can work with you to boost sales!