how to use content to accelerate your sales cycle

How to Use Content to Drive the Sales Process

Fernando Labastida

Latin IT Marketing & JS Logan

Agenda

• The problem with sales and marketing• Fusing content marketing into the sales

process• 5 ways sales people can use content in

their sales cycle

About me• Provide content marketing services to

technology and other companies• Sales Exec. Almost 20 years• Start-ups, Vignette Corp, Pervasive

Software, Video Equipment• Re-invited myself 3 years ago: from

salesguy to content marketer

The problem with sales

The problem with marketing: It takes too long!

Source: Hubspot

Sales 2.0 vs.Sales 1.0• “Before you cry foul, think about it. You

really want this dream client. You can hope they find you on the Internet, or you can pick up the phone, dial them, ask them to tell you how you can create value for them, and schedule an appointment. That sounds like cold calling, doesn’t it? It is . . . waiting is not, was not, and never will be an effective activity.” (Source: Anthony Lannarino, thesalesblog.com)

Source: Eloqua

Hybrid sales/marketing person

• Use of compelling, relevant content to serve as absentee sales people

• Implemented by sales people• Requires sales 2.0 mind-set• Also requires Sales 1.0 mind-set

5 Ways sales people can use content in their sales process

1. Your buzz piece

2. Soft email

3. Warm cold-calls

4. Innovative content tools

5. Social Media “Search & Sharing”

Create your “buzz piece”• Foundational content• New concept• Resolve an industry problem• Bold Benefit• Non-commercial: advertising that’s too

good to throw away• eBook, White Paper, Web App, Video,

Top 10 List, Case Study

Create your “buzz piece”

Soft Email

• “Who would you recommend?” or “Permission to connect?”

• Never a direct solicitation• Short and sweet• “buzz piece” offer in signature of email• Offer to help• Offer to send valuable content/demo

Warm cold-calls• “Business Call” vs. “Cold Call”• Old friends / colleagues• Follow-up on email• Offer your buzz piece• Call marketing partners:

– Associations– Chambers– Incubators– Accelerators

Social Media “Search & Sharing”

• Google• LinkedIn / LinkedIn Groups• Tweepsearch• Twitter Search• Google Alerts• Jigsaw

Innovative Content Tools

• Tokbox• Kineticast• Zentact

Innovative content tools

How to contact me

Fernando Labastida

Twitter: @flabastida

Facebook: http://facebook.com/flabastida

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/flabastida

Tel: 512-945-9273

Website: http://latinitmarketing.com

Email: fernando@labastida.com