Report: B2B Marketers and Sales Reps Struggle to Share Content

As sales reps and marketers strive for alignment, research indicates that there have been some challenges along the way. A new report published by Highspot and Heinz Marketing has uncovered that 55 percent of B2B sales reps and marketers have three or more channels for sharing sales content, further complicating the delivery process for both sides.

More than 70 percent of respondents claimed that they rely on email to get marketing content into the hands of the sales team. Less than 50 percent use a CRM, while 40 percent utilize a cloud-sharing system. Just 12 percent stated that they have a sales enablement technology in place.

“We see a widening gap in performance and consistent results between organizations that invest in sales enablement vs. those that do not,” said Matt Heinz, president of Heinz Marketing. “These coordinated efforts are a difference maker, and significant competitive advantage for organizations to increase their win rates and help their organizations run far more efficiently.”

Sixty-two percent of marketing teams stated that producing content for sales reps should be a part of any sales enablement strategy.

The Disconnect Between Marketers, Reps and Pitches

The sharing of sales content has not been the only hurdle for marketers and reps as of late. A survey conducted by Corporate Visions in August 2015 indicated that 47 percent of B2B marketers and sales reps believe their pitches are not focused on appropriate messages.

Just 17 percent said their pitches were different from the competition. Forty-one percent believe in leading off a sales pitch by addressing an “unconsidered need” or an opportunity prospects didn’t know they had.