In Dating and Sales, Content Is King
produces firsthand insights into customer pain points and concerns.
Get personal. Being able to carry on an engaging conversation is one of the most important parts of both a first date and a sales deal. There's a fine line between impressing someone and showing interest in getting to know them. If you were on a date with a former football star, you'd likely engage him in conversation about sports rather than shopping or politics.
Similarly, in a sales situation, the best way to successfully engage a prospect is to share content targeted to the exact situation at hand and the particular industry you or your prospect is involved with. Ensure content is tailored to the sales situation to maintain engagement and accelerate the process.
Take it to the next level. Once you've entered a new relationship, you need to be prepared to take it to the next level. In business, just as in dating, your prospect wants to know where she stands. She's not interested in playing games and wasting time.
If you're going to propose to your sweetheart, you'd better have the ring in your back pocket. If you're going to close a deal with a prospect, you must have the contract ready to go.
Sales reps must be equipped with materials that accurately reflect where a buyer is in the journey. If a prospect is in the beginning stages of the sales cycle, he is most likely to be interested in introductory presentations, case studies, and market research information. Likewise, if he's nearing the end of his journey, the sales rep should provide the right use cases and ROI analyses.
Know what works. People who are on top of their dating game know what works and what doesn't. Flirty, forward statements may prove successful in some scenarios, but one-on-one engagement and serious conversations are better in others.
Marketing and sales teams need to understand what tactics and content help close the most deals. Marketing teams should track appropriate sales metrics to analyze what content is being used so that efforts can be effective and within budget. Armed with these insights, they can tailor their processes and content to get the biggest bang for their buck.
Doug Winter is the cofounder and CEO of Seismic.
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