3 Reasons Your Sales Team is Your Best Resource for Creating Content Ideas

There’s no shortage of information these days about how blogs and other forms of content can propel your digital presence and conversion ability. But if you’re stuck in a rut with content marketing ideas, you’re not alone. It’s not easy to come up with an original list of business blog topics or figure out how to develop a content calendar that will resonate with your audience.So here’s our suggestion - talk to your sales team. They can be the best source of inspiration for great content. Here’s why.1. They’re on the front lines. Salespeople can be a wealth of information for content marketing ideas, mainly because they interact with your prospects and customers day in and day out. This means that when they tell you there’s a common question popping up about your business every time they’re in a sales meeting, you can believe them. They’re not just guessing about what’s on your buyers’ minds; they’ve actually heard what’s on their minds.Your sales team also has likely dealt with numerous types of customers from each of your buyer personas. They’ll know the nuances of what matters to each one, and what questions each group will want to have answered. So as you work to come up with business blog topics, be sure to ask your salespeople what type of content will appeal to each of these buyer personas. After all, “Mandy Mom” cares about different benefits of your business than “Daniel Dad” does, which means they need targeted content just for them.2. They know how to overcome objections. Your blog is great to have as a resource for customers, but it can also be a goldmine for converting prospects that are on the fence about your products or services. In fact, your site is oftentimes where hesitant buyers will go to be convinced one way or another about whether your business deserves their money. So when you’re considering how to develop a content calendar, reserve some of your posts to be (subtle) “objection overcomers.” And how do you get those topics? Salespeople, of course.Get a regular meeting on the books with your sales team, and ask them about what objections they hear most often throughout the sales process. If you learn that prospects hem and haw about your pricing, ask your sales team how they combat that during conversations. They may have a way of demonstrating the clear value of your product and how it’s worth the price, which you could adapt and turn into some very compelling - and necessary - content.Or perhaps you’re a new company and lacking credibility, so many prospects get nervous about signing a year-long contract until they know you can be trusted. In this scenario, you should work to provide case studies on your blog that highlight your best engagements and prove how credible you are.3. They need your content. Finally, your sales team should be using the content you create to help them win over new customers, as well as to keep current ones engaged and happy. But it’s more common for marketing to create content independently, and for sales to throw together a one-page fact sheet if they need something specific...with no overlap whatsoever. This shouldn’t be happening. There should be deliberate interplay between the two departments when it comes to content.So, ask your salespeople what kinds of content they’d find helpful. Would they like more infographics? Are people asking for more personalized content, like a quiz they can take that would help them choose which of your products is best for them? Have a discussion about how you can support sales with content, and you’re bound to land on some really stellar, and powerful, content ideas.When it comes to creating business blog topics, your sales team can be a wonderful resource. If you’d like to learn more content tips or get help with your entire marketing strategy, please contact us any time.