Matching the Right Message to Each Stage of the Buy
Content is what connects sales and marketing. When both teams are aligned on the customers who fit your ideal profile, content gives sales useful material at each stage of the buying journey. The challenge is knowing what to create and when to use it.
Start With Buyer Personas
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional profile of the people who make or influence buying decisions. Build yours from your most successful customers. Ask them, in your customer review conversations, about their goals, their challenges, and how they prefer to buy. Do they research on their own? Do they want a sales rep involved? Ask the same questions of the other departments involved, since each stakeholder may have different motivations.
Combine your personas with your ideal customer profile, and you have a clear picture of the people who buy from you and what they need to hear.
Use Content Across the Buyer's Journey
Content plays a different role at each stage:
Early stage: The buyer recognizes a problem but isn't sure of the options. Share educational material such as technical papers or guidance on tools widely used in their industry.
Evaluation stage: The buyer is choosing a provider. Share content on what to look for in a solutions partner and the benefits that matter most to their business.
After the decision: Your goal is to become a trusted advisor. Share content about the customer experience, such as what to expect at project kickoff or how to maintain equipment for a longer useful life.
Sales activity should match what the buyer needs at each stage. It should also support the long-term relationship after the sale.
Show Up Where Buyers Are Researching
Buyers do much of their research before they contact a salesperson, so your team needs a visible presence on platforms such as LinkedIn, industry trade sites, and professional associations. Share content that helps buyers make decisions, not content that only promotes your offer.
Where to Start
If you want help matching content to your sales process, contact us. We help businesses build enablement that drives sales velocity, team alignment, and revenue growth.
