{"id":8967,"date":"2022-04-20T21:17:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T21:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/?p=8967"},"modified":"2023-05-16T17:43:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T17:43:26","slug":"sales-collateral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/blog\/sales-collateral\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Sales Collateral Should Be Part of Every B2B Marketing Strategy\u2014And How To Get It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019re all buying something. The question is: do you trust brands to best represent themselves and what they offer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer: probably not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it: As a buyer, who are you trusting when it comes to what services and products to buy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds are, you\u2019re trusting another buyer\u2014a previous customer who already has the product or uses the service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can thank the creator economy for that. The global influencer marketing market size has more than doubled since 2019<\/a>\u2014yes, you read that right. According to Statista, the market was valued at a record $13.8 billion in 2021, and the increase is simple, really; buyers trust other buyers\u2014or at least people claiming to be subject-matter experts (SMEs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, when you\u2019re working on your company\u2019s B2B marketing<\/a> strategy, sales collateral should be a part of it. After all, you want your customers to establish trust, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But What Exactly is<\/em> Sales Collateral?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many make the mistake of assuming that sales collateral<\/a> boils down to a Yelp review. And let\u2019s be clear, reviews are a very powerful type of sales collateral, but there\u2019s more to it than that.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While user-generated content (UGC), like reviews, are fantastic forms of sales collateral, you can develop strong sales collateral internally as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales collateral is essentially any content that helps your prospect feel comfortable\u2014nay, excited, even!\u2014at the thought of spending their hard-earned money with your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps one of the most prevalent and well-known forms of sales collateral is the catalog. Whether it\u2019s for Scholastic Books or Sears and Roebuck, the catalog was an incredibly powerful form of sales collateral in years past because it moved past just telling someone about a product. It provided the features of the product, an image of the product, and\u2014yes, sometimes\u2014a testimonial or review. As we\u2019ve transitioned away from print media, catalogs still reign supreme in many contexts\u2014after all, isn\u2019t Amazon essentially one big catalog?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us elaborate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple promises from sales and marketing departments simply aren\u2019t enough to justify investments from consumers anymore. We want proof that your products and services are worth it. In some cases, that means knowing the specs\u2014what material is your product made out of? What size is it? How often does it need to be cleaned\/charged\/reset? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in others, it means that UGC\u2014reviews, testimonials, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal is to use sales collateral to help support and unify your messaging at the point of sale. If the messaging is unclear, your buyer may second guess their choice and abandon their cart, so to speak. The best way to move your buyer from the decision-making stage to converting is by presenting sales collateral that reaffirms their trust in your brand, giving them peace of mind when they pull out their credit card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n