Rethinking Sales Collateral
Last week, a marketing manager asked me if there was available data to demonstrate the value of white papers in the selling cycle. This marketing manager was, very wisely, thinking about the array of sales literature that her company generates and wanting to understand how the various pieces—white papers, brochures, data sheets, case studies—work together and how best to optimize their use. I only wish more marketing and marketing communications managers were as thoughtful about sales collateral and mindful of how collateral can make a big difference in sales productivity.
I do know of a fairly robust survey and well-written report from Eccolo Media. The survey targeted the technology sector, but I think there are sufficient parallels to the medical devices and diagnostics industries to be relevant to us. More importantly, I would like to suggest three areas that healthcare marketers should consider in planning and implementing sales collateral.
Consider the sales cycle. Preparing the market for a new product and getting potential customers to think about their unmet needs, for example, call for very different types of information than convincing a prospective customer that your product is the right one. Understanding when to deploy a white paper to create awareness of important issues and when to get to the brass tacks with specific product information is key. A quick-hit sales piece that can be used in a brief hallway encounter is much different from a leave-behind for the curious technical buyer. Developing a multipurpose piece may sound efficient and cost-effective, but in reality it can diminish sales productivity.
Think online and offline. As more and more potential customers download literature from company websites, companies really need to think beyond printer-friendly. My pet peeve is the complex, multifold sales brochure that prints as miniaturized spreads or gatefolds that are difficult to read. It takes a minute to prepare files that can be printed page by page. Easy-to-read files containing useful information (yes, content is king) will be forwarded and shared with colleagues during the sales process. Who would want to miss that leverage?
Rigid formats can get in the way. I am all for adherence to corporate identity guidelines, but the people who set these guidelines need to know that sales brochures shouldn’t have the same look and feel as white papers and case studies, and vice versa. The answer, perhaps, lies in thinking through the purpose and usage of each type of collateral, and coming up with appropriate templates and treatments, rather than the one-size-fits-all approach that I see all the time.