V2 content marketingsaleseffsurvey_article

RICHARDSON

1818 MARKET STREET | SUITE 2800 | PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 TEL 215.940.9255 | WWW.RICHARDSON.COM

Contact the Richardson Team at 215-940-9255

or visit us on the web at www.richardson.com

CONTENT MARKETING AND SALES EFFECTIVENESSSURVEY

ESTABLISH A COHESIVE, TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION STREAM BETWEEN YOUR SALES TEAM AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT

Our main objective was to understand what is working and what is not in terms of your content marketing strategy. Furthermore, to identify where the gap lies between the provocative content and thought leadership marketing creates and your sales team’s ability to use that content to find new customers, win opportunities, and grow strategic accounts.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY RICHARDSON

RICHARDSON




EXECUTIVE SUMMARYOVERVIEW OF FINDINGS

• Sales reps do not understand your company’s content

marketing strategy.

• Your sales reps and managers are reading and

reviewing your content, but are struggling to find

value that is easily transferrable to your customers.

• Your content’s purpose is not meeting the objectives

and initiatives of your sales team.

• Although thought provoking, your content is not

assisting sales reps and managers throughout the

selling process.

• Sales reps and managers are looking for content

that is relevant and applicable to the solutions your

company sells.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Establish a two-way communication stream between your sales team and marketing department.

• Supply content that enables your sales team.

• Connect your sales teams with your marketing efforts – establish integration and identify any existing blind spots.

• Tightly align marketing initiatives to specific sales goals and objectives to generate more high-quality leads.

• Recognize the need for a collaborative effort between marketing and sales, and ask for feedback.

We have outlined additional detail in the following pages of this report. As you consider your content marketing strategy, we encourage you to think from the perspective of your sales team and your marketing team, in hopes of more closely aligning the two to generate more opportunities.

“B2B companies’ inability to align sales and marketing teams around the right processes and technologies can cost them upwards of 10% or more of revenue per year” (IDC, 2011).

SURVEY METHODOLOGYWHY:Our main objective was to understand what is working and what is not in terms of your content marketing strategy.

Furthermore, to identify where the gap lies between the provocative content and thought leadership marketing creates and

your sales team’s ability to use that content to find new customers, win opportunities, and grow strategic accounts.

WE ALSO AIM TO:

•Analyzetheeffectivenessofyourcontentmarketingstrategy.

•Detectblindspotsbetweenyoursalesteamandmarketingefforts.

WHEN:Q1 2013

HOW:We conducted an online survey geared towards

sales managers and reps

WITH WHOM: We collaborated with Selling Power™ Magazine

to bring you this survey

SURVEY PARTICIPANTS:Over 400 responses from sales managers and

reps were collected

RICHARDSON




RICHARDSON




KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Nearly 50% of your sales reps and more than

1/3 of your managers do not understand your

content marketing strategy.

IMPLICATIONS:

• 57% of sales pipelines are generated by marketing*.

• Without an understanding, your sales reps and

managers cannot employ an “Always Be Sharing”

attitude.

• Your company is missing out on the following benefits:

• Continuous learning among sales team.

• Credibility as a trusted resource.

• Growing your pipeline.

I UNDERSTAND MY COMPANY’S CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY.

50%

SALES REPS MANAGERS

AGREE DISAGREE

46%

54%

35%

65%

RICHARDSON




KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Much of what you publish and sponsor is being

read, but nearly 1/4 of sales reps do not read your

content at all.

IMPLICATIONS:

• Lack of integration and communication between sales

and marketing leads to missed opportunities.

• Without reading the content, sales reps

are less informed.

• According to Genius.com, 66% of buyers indicate

that “consistent and relevant communication provided

by both sales and marketing organizations” is a key

influence in choosing a solution provider.

I READ THE CONTENT MY COMPANY PUBLISHES OR SPONSORS.

SALES REPS MANAGERS

AGREE DISAGREE

23%

77%

17%

83%

RICHARDSON




KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Only 2/3 of your sales reps believe your content

is valuable and relevant to your customers, while

more than 1/4 of managers do not agree.

IMPLICATIONS:

• Lack of preparation for sales presentations,

buyer interactions, and conversions.

• It is possible that your sales reps and managers

do not know how to use your content effectively

in the sales process.

• Your sales reps may be spending more time trying

to find valuable content, decreasing their efficiency

and adding on more time to close the deal.

THE CONTENT MY COMPANY PUBLISHES IS VALUABLE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

SALES REPS MANAGERS

AGREE DISAGREE

35%

65%

26%

74%

RICHARDSON




THE CONTENT MY COMPANY PUBLISHES HELPS TO:

25%75%

31%69%

22%78%

31%69%

63%37%

67%33%

48%52%

57%43%

50%50%

59%41%

49%51%

58%42%

DIFFERENTIATE OUR BRAND

CREATE MARKET AWARENESS

GENERATE QUALIFIED LEADS

RETAIN KEY ACCOUNTS

GROW KEY ACCOUNTS

IMPROVE MY SALES EFFECTIVENESS

Your content is NOT

supporting lead

generation for sales reps or

managers.

SALES REPS AGREE

SALES REPS DISAGREE

MANAGERS AGREE

MANAGERS DISAGREE

CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES

RICHARDSON




I AM CONFIDENT IN USING THOUGHT PROVOKING CONTENT TO:

39%61%

46%54%

36%64%

50%50%

36%64%

51%49%

41%59%

60%40%

47%53%

56%44%

64%36%

71%29%

SUPPORT MY PROSPECTING

EFFORTS

CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES

INFLUENCE EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES TO

MY FAVOR

MOTIVATE CUSTOMERS TO BUY

DISRUPT A CUSTOMER’S

MINDSET

UPSELL EXISTING CUSTOMERS Is your content

ASSISTING your sales reps and managers beyond the first stage

of the sales cycle?

SALES REPS AGREE

SALES REPS DISAGREE

MANAGERS AGREE

MANAGERS DISAGREE

RICHARDSON


HOW CAN YOUR COMPANY BETTER HELP YOU USE THOUGHT PROVOKING CONTENT TO SUPPPORT YOUR SELLING EFFORTS?

64%36%

48%52%

80%20%

77%23%

41%59%

43%57%

49%51%

35%65%

61%39%

49%51%

54%46%

54%46%

61%39%

60%40%

63%37%

53%47%

65%35%

52%48%

SELF PUBLISH CONTENT MORE FREQUENTLY

LICENSE THOUGHT PROVOKING CONTENT AND RESEARCH MORE

FREQUENTLY

IMPROVE CONTENT RELEVANCE TO OUR

CUSTOMERS

BETTER INFORM ME WHEN WE RELEASE NEW CONTENT

HELP ME BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THOUGHT

PROVOKING CONTENT TO WIN DEALS

HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CONTENT RELATES TO

OUR CUSTOMERS


PROVOKING CONTENT TO PROSPECT


PROVOKING CONTENT TO GROW KEY ACCOUNTS

CREATE A STRONGER LINK BETWEEN THE CONTENT AND

THE SOLUTIONS WE SELL

“I don’t need more, I need BETTER.”

SALES REPS AGREE

SALES REPS DISAGREE

MANAGERS AGREE

MANAGERS DISAGREE

RICHARDSON




RICHARDSON:SALES TRAINING & STRATEGY EXECUTION

Richardson helps leaders prepare their organization to execute sales strategies and to achieve business objectives.

We have the expertise and resources to help you scale your initiative quickly and confidently

across your entire sales force and supporting functions. With you, we establish sales best

practices, evaluate talent, build capability and consistency through world class training, and

sustain necessary change.

We ensure your solution reflects your unique culture and values, which drives rapid adoption

and lasting results.

COPYRIGHT © 2013 RICHARDSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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V2 content marketingsaleseffsurvey_article