The Ultimate Guide for Sales Collateral: What It Is and How to Create?

Sales collateral is an essential part of the sales process. It can be the decisive factor in whether or not a customer decides to do business with you. This comprehensive guide will debate everything you need to know about it.

We will define the meaning, provide examples of different types, and give tips on creating adequate ones to help you close more deals! Let’s Get Started!

What is Sales Collateral?

What is the sales collateral meaning? It is any material that supports sales activities and helps close deals. However, the perfect definition is:

It refers to any physical or digital material that sales representatives use to market and promote a product or service. It can include sales sheets, product catalogs, pricing lists, case studies, brochures, website content, blog posts, infographics, etc.

While the specific collateral in sales that a company needs will vary depending on its products and target market, all businesses need some form of sales collateral to support their sales efforts.

Why Do You Need Sales Collateral?

Here are ten benefits:

1. It supports you stand out from the competition.

It shows that you’re a serious player in your industry. Moreover, it can help you win over customers who might otherwise go with a competitor.

2. It’s a great way to build trust with potential customers.

If the collateral is helpful and informative, it can show potential customers that you’re an expert in your field. Moreover, this, in turn, can help build trust and credibility, two essential ingredients in any successful sale.

3. It can help you close more deals.

It gives you a significant advantage in closing deals. Furthermore, having high-quality information backing up your pitches can help you win over even the most skeptical of customers.

4. It’s an excellent lead generation tool.

If you want to generate more leads, it is a great way to do it. By suggesting helpful content in exchange for contact information, you can quickly and easily expand your database of potential customers.

5. It’s a great way to nurture leads.

Once you’ve generated some leads, it can help you nurture them towards a sale. By providing helpful and relevant content at each stage of the buyer’s journey, you can keep your leads engaged and attentive to what you have to offer.

6. It can help you upsell and cross-sell to existing customers.

If you already have customers, it can help you boost your revenue from those relationships. Moreover, offering additional content that complements what they’ve already purchased can encourage customers to buy more from you.

7. It’s an effective way to build brand awareness.

It helps them become more familiar with your brand. And the more familiar they are with your brand, the more likely they are to think of you when they need the products or services you offer.

8. It can help you develop thought leadership.

If you want to keep yourself as skilled in your industry, sales collateral can help. Moreover, you can establish yourself as a thought leader whose opinions and advice people trust.

9. It’s a great way to build relationships with customers and prospects.

You’re interested in more than just making a sale with it. You’re also interested in building a relationship with the customer or prospect. Therefore, relationship-building can pay off in the long run, even if a sale doesn’t happen immediately.

10. It’s an essential part of any sales strategy.

It’s simply impossible to close deals and grow your business without it. It will attract customers via different methods and let them make a decision to buy the service.

What Are Types of Sales Collateral?

1. Brochures

Sales collateral comes in many shapes and sizes, but the brochure is one of the most common forms. A brochure is a printed piece that provides an overview of your product or service. Moreover, it typically includes critical information such as features, benefits, pricing, and contact information.

2. Case Studies

A case study is a thorough account of a specific project that your company has completed. It outlines the challenges you faced, the solutions you implemented, and your achieved results. Thus, case studies are an excellent way to showcase your company’s expertise.

3. Data Sheets

A data sheet is a file that provides detailed information about a product or service. Datasheets typically include specifications, features, and pricing information. Salespeople often give prospects more information about a product or service before purchasing.

4. Demo Videos

Demo videos are short videos that show how your product or service works. Moreover, it can provide an overview of your product or service or showcase specific features and benefits.

5. Email Templates

Email templates are pre-written email messages that you can use to communicate with prospects and customers. It can save your time by allowing you to quickly send sales or support statements without starting from scratch each time.

6.  FAQ Sheets

FAQ sheets are documents that answer common questions about your product or service. They can provide prospects with information about your product or service or address common customer concerns. Moreover, FAQ sheets are typically one page long and easy to print out and distribute.

7. Flyers

You may use flyers to promote your product or service by printing them on paper. You can use them typically for marketing purposes, such as distributing them at trade shows or posting them in public places.

8. Gift Cards

You can use gift cards to promote your product or service. It can be purchased in advance and given to customers or prospects to incentivize them to try your product or service.

9. Instruction Manuals

Instruction manuals are documents that provide detailed instructions on using a product or service. Assembled goods, such as furniture or electrical devices, are the most common use cases.

10. Landing Pages

A landing page is a web page planned to change visitors into leads. Landing pages typically include a form that visitors can fill out to receive more information about your product or service. Moreover, they may also have a video or demo of your product or service.

11. Lead Magnets

A lead magnet is a freebie you bid for a visitor’s contact information. Lead magnets can increase the number of leads you generate from your website.

12. Logos

Your company’s logo is a crucial piece of sales collateral. Using a compatible version of your logo is essential to maintain a professional appearance.

13. Newsletters

Newsletters keep prospects and customers up-to-date on your company’s latest news. It can be sent by electronic means or by mail and is typically published regularly, monthly or quarterly.

14. Online Banners

These are digital banner ads used to promote your product or service online. Moreover, online banners typically include images and text and can be linked to your website or landing page.

15. Press Releases

Press releases are short, news-style articles that announce something new about your company, such as a new product launch or significant milestone. Such press releases can generate media coverage and build buzz around your company.

16. Pricing Sheets

Pricing sheets are documents that list the prices of your products or services. It typically includes purchase options, such as single units, bulk discounts, and subscription plans.

17. Scripts

Scripts are written documents that salespeople can use when making sales calls or presentations. It can help salespeople deliver consistent messages and close more deals. They typically include a step-by-step guide for the sales process and key points to cover during each stage.

18. Testimonials

Testimonials are positive reviews or endorsements of your product or service from satisfied customers. Moreover, you can help us build trust and credibility with potential customers.

19. Demo Products

Demo products lead to a better relationship. Human connection is the key to establishing trust with your potential customers.

20. White Papers

White papers give you an opportunity to provide your audience with the knowledge and expertise that they can’t get anywhere else. Whether it’s through sales pitches or marketing strategies, white papers remain honest about who you are as a brand while educating those interested in what type of product/service might best fit their needs!

When to Use Sales Collateral?

Sales collateral comes in all shapes and sizes, from one-page product sheets to in-depth company brochures. So, when should you use each category of collateral, and how can you ensure it’s working for your business?

Here are three different examples for your reference and when to use them:

1. Product Sheets

Product sheets are the simplest and most basic type. They typically include a few key facts and figures about your product, brief descriptions, and maybe a photo.

Product sheets are commonly used early in the sales process when you’re trying to generate interest in your product and get potential customers to request more information.

2. Company Brochures

Company brochures are much more comprehensive than product sheets, and they provide an overview of your entire business, not just one specific product.

Brochures are usually used later in the sales process when you’re trying to close a deal and need to provide more detailed information about your company.

3. Case Studies

Case studies are in-depth, real-world examples of how your product or service has helped solve a problem for a customer.

They’re typically used later in the sales process when you need to provide potential customers with concrete evidence that your product can deliver results.

How to Create Sales Collateral?

Creating sales collateral can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider, from what message you want to communicate to what format will be the most effective.

Here are three steps:

Step 1: Define your audience

The first step in creating adequate collateral is to define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What requirements do they have that your product or service can address? Once you have a good understanding of your target market, you can start to develop messaging and imagery that will resonate with them.

Step 2: Create a strong message

Once you know who you’re talking to, it’s time to craft a strong message. What are the key points you want to communicate about your product or service? What makes you unique? Why should your target customer care? Moreover, answering these questions will help you develop powerful and persuasive sales collateral.

Step 3: Choose the proper format

The next step is to agree on what format you will take. Will a brochure be most effective? Or maybe a one-page flyer? Perhaps an email campaign would reach your target audience best. Once you’ve decided on a suitable format, you can create one.

Creating sales collateral can seem like a lot of work, but following these simple steps will help you develop targeted, persuasive, and practical material.

Conclusion:

Now you know all about sales collateral. It’s time to put this info into practice. Utilize the tips and resources we’ve outlined to create one. Remember, quality always trumps quantity; focus on developing high-quality materials to speak to your target audience and help you achieve your desired results.

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