6 Reasons Sales Must Embrace Content Marketing

6 Reasons Sales Must Embrace Content Marketing:from (title unknown) by Kyle Porter

The greatest tool a salesperson has is information and no where else could they find it better curated than content marketing. Too many sales reps are wary of embracing content marketing in their sales efforts but with inbound marketing and inside sales becoming increasingly dominant, sales reps have never stood to benefit more from understanding and implementing this resource.
Sales reps have to embrace this trend if they want to remain relevant and help grow their sales organization. Here’s why:
#1 Early prospects respond better to content marketing than “sales pitches”

People don’t love to be sold to, but they do love to buy. For this reason, the top of the funnel is being dominated by unobtrusive and unselfish content. This content is focused on helping the prospect with their problems. Recognize it as a benefit to you. Content earns trust and loyalty while building a community of leads. The seeds of sales recognition are sown through great content.
#2 It’s a better career path

The lines are blurring between marketing and sales departments. Marketing and sales is becoming the “revenue generation” team. Because more leads are entering the funnel through content, these traditional marketing responsibilities are accounting for greater chunks of the revenue. The corporate interest in changing and it’s important for reps to take notice of this shift in corporate interest. Sales leaders must learn and understand the concepts of content and marketing automation. Working together is paramount.
#3 Corporate budgets are shifting toward content marketing

With marketing making such an improvement to the sales funnel, companies are replacing sales expenses in favor of enhanced marketing budgets.
#4 Content Marketing Makes You A Thought Leader

Content marketing offers salient insights, opinions and facts about the market and there is absolutely no better way to gain market insight than to pay attention to the content marketing that’s being published. Observing content marketing makes you aware of the latest trends and news in your industry and it will make you a thought leader. This not only makes you higher value to your company but it also legitimizes who you are to your prospects. They’re more likely to trust and respect your advice.
#5 Content marketing helps close deals

Plain and simple, great content can be the best sales tool in the world. A stronger content marketing program not only gives the sales team more ammo for nurturing and closing leads. According to the content marketing institute, 61 percent of people feel better about a company that delivers custom content and are more likely to buy from that company.
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Great content marketing sows the seeds for exponential returns in the number of your inbound leads. Business will always need sales professionals and the ones of the future will be those who take full advantage of content marketing.
In our next post, we’ll share tactics on next steps and how sales professionals can enhance content marketing.