Most marketing teams say they “support sales.” But when you ask sales what they actually use, the list is… shall we say “short”?
The problem isn’t effort. Where’ marketers, we’re teamplayers that want to get along. But the problem is alignment. Content often gets created without the deal in mind.
Not All Enablement Is Useful
Sales doesn’t necessarily need more assets. They need the right ones – built for conversations, objections, and credibility.
Here’s what content teams think sales wants:
- Case studies
- Battlecards (especially US Sales Teams)
- One-pagers
Sometimes that’s true. But here’s what sales really needs:
- Fast access to proof points (“Do we have a stat or story for this?”)
- Flexible formats they can adapt on the fly
- Messaging that mirrors how buyers talk, not just how marketing writes
If you take a step back you realise that the disconnect isn’t so much about format, as it is about function.
What Makes Content Actually Useful in a Deal
To be useful, content must:
- Map to real moments in the sales process
- Be easy to find and easy to use
- Feel like a conversation, not a brochure
Sales doesn’t want to pitch a PDF. They want a quick story, a snappy stat, a smart way to reframe a blocker.
If they’re stuck searching Slack or Notion for something they half-remember, the content is already failing.
Building a Sales-Aligned Content Loop
Here’s how to make sure the content you create actually helps:
- Get specific signals. What objections are showing up? What use cases are resonating?
- Create assets that are modular. Think sections, snippets, and slides, not full decks.
- Package and surface smartly. Use Notion, Airtable, or enablement tools to keep everything visible, tagged, and easy to copy/paste.
- Test in the field. Don’t “launch” content, deploy it into active deals and learn fast.
Flip the Perspective: From Inside-Out to Outside-In
Instead of starting with “What do we want to say?” — start with “Where is the deal getting stuck?”
This shift is critical. Many B2B marketers still default to inside-out messaging — led by internal priorities or product features. But high-performing content teams operate more like editorial teams. They work outside-in:
- They listen first — to the market, to customers, to sales.
- They build content from real-world signals, not internal narratives.
- They focus on usefulness, not volume.
If the content isn’t addressing a friction point in the buyer journey, it’s noise.
So reverse the brief:
- Is the blocker legal? Create content that accelerates compliance.
- Is it budget? Build a cost-of-inaction or ROI frame.
- Is it credibility? Add social proof in the buyer’s own words.
Editorial teams don’t guess what their audience wants. They know, because they’re constantly tuned in.
That’s the mindset B2B content teams need.
At least if they want sales to care.
