The Center for Sales Strategy - Sales Strategy Blog

Enhancing Sales Collateral Quality to Boost Conversions

Written by Stephanie Downs | May 22, 2024

Are your sales reps dissatisfied with the quality of your company's sales collateral?

You're not alone—the Media Sales Report found that 46% of salespeople are "not sure" or "dissatisfied" with their collateral materials.

This is a major missed opportunity, as high-quality sales collateral plays a crucial role in driving conversions.

Sales collateral like sales plays, case studies, eBooks, blogs, presentations, and more provide vital information to educate prospects and overcome objections.

When done well, it builds trust in your brand as a knowledgeable expert. Quality materials that are well-designed and compelling set you apart from competitors.

On the flip side, low-quality or bland collateral makes your company look unprofessional and damages credibility. If your sales reps aren't finding the materials useful for closing deals, it's time for a revamp.

Strategies for Enhancing Sales Collateral Quality 

1. Put the Audience First

Start by deeply understanding your buyer personas and their main challenges through research. This insight allows you to craft content that directly resonates with their needs. Tell compelling stories that create an emotional connection while highlighting your solution's key benefits.

2. Invest in Professional Design

Don't underestimate the impact of visual design. Polished branding, typography, layouts, and other design elements make your content look credible and cohesive with your brand identity. Work with skilled designers or your marketing team to create a consistent, premium look.

3. Rigorous Reviews

Having multiple rounds of editing and approval from subject matter experts and stakeholders is critical. Obsess over accuracy, as even small errors can undermine trust. Ensure your narratives are clear, benefits are emphasized, and the takeaways are unmissable.

4. Balance Quality and Quantity

While quality is paramount, you also need to produce enough different types of materials to engage leads across channels and buyer's journey stages. Find smart ways to scale quality content through strategies like:

  • Repurposing: Turn a whitepaper into videos/graphics
  • Templatizing: Use approved layouts for efficiency
  • Workflow optimization: Clarify roles and approval paths
  • Automation tools: For scheduling, distribution, and more

Conclusion 

When armed with quality, insight-driven sales collateral, your reps can have more productive conversations that build value and trust. This is a critical factor in improving conversions and ROI from your sales efforts.

Don't let subpar sales materials hold you back. Enhancing collateral quality is a priority, and it equips your sales team for success. The investment will pay dividends when closing more deals.