What is sales collateral? Why you need collateral to make sales

I want sales, you want sales, we all want sales! But how do we get there?

Everybody wants to make the sale, land the deal, get the project, the list goes on…

But not everybody is willing to invest the energy and money necessary to put their product or service where it’s going to be effective.

Or they put it out there, but it’s poorly done.

Sales Collateral is one of the most important elements in a successful sales strategy.

It serves as an essential tool to help you drive sales, establish credibility, and build relationships with customers.

Essentially, it’s anything that represents your product or service in some way – such as videos, brochures, websites, whitepapers, case studies, and presentations.

It can also be used to demonstrate the value of your product or service and provide a tangible way for customers to remember it.

Is sales collateral a new concept for you?

Or maybe it’s a really, old boring concept that we can help you look at in a fresh, new way.

Let’s talk about:

• What is sales collateral?
• What is the difference between marketing and sales collateral?
• Why Invest in Sales Collateral?
• Who is sales collateral for?
• What do you need to show customers to get sales?
• How do I make sales like a pro?
• Collateral to take to your sales presentations
• How do live sales work?
• What is a good sales pipeline?
• Seismic sales: how upping your sales collateral can win you more sales than ever before
• Why Bring in an Agency to Design Your Sales Collateral?
• How Mock, the Agency’s Marketing Content Makes a Difference: Client Outcomes

What is sales collateral?

Sales Collateral is a collection of marketing and promotional material designed to increase sales in the short term.

You can use it for lead generation, product promotions, or special offers – anything that will help you reach your sales goals.

The key is to create collateral that speaks directly to your target audience and reinforces their decision to buy from you.

This could mean that you provide detailed product information, outline success stories from previous clients, or simply offer a special discount.

Imagine a real estate agent trying to sell a luxury beachfront property.

With excellent sales collateral, they can create a visually stunning brochure that showcases the breathtaking ocean views, luxurious amenities, and exquisite architectural design.

Potential buyers start flipping through high-quality images, reading descriptions.

Pretty soon they start seeing themselves lounging by the pool or relaxing on their private balcony.

With this image in buyer’s mind, the sales agent can typically then close the deal.

That is exactly what effective sales collateral does – it helps you convert potential buyers into loyal customers.

On the other hand, consider a scenario where the same real estate agent presents poorly designed and unappealing sales collateral.

The brochure contains low-resolution images, outdated information, and generic descriptions.

Prospective buyers, upon receiving this lackluster collateral, perceive the property as less desirable or even question the professionalism of the agent.

They’re wondering, is this guy legit?

The subpar sales collateral undermines the value and allure of the property and the professionalism of the rep, potentially discouraging potential buyers from investing in it.

This example demonstrates how sales collateral can either ENHANCE or HINDER the sales process.

Investing in captivating and authentic sales collateral helps prospects experience the product or service, igniting their desire to make a purchase.

Conversely, neglecting the quality and impact of sales collateral can have a detrimental effect.

In other words, it can hurt your sales and sale opportunities.

What is the difference between marketing and sales collateral?

They are different primarily in their purpose.

Marketing collateral is designed to increase brand awareness and make customers aware of a product or service.

It can be used for advertising purposes, events, tradeshows, and more.

Sales collateral goes one step further by providing detailed information about the product or service that helps to convince customers to buy.

In other words, marketing collateral gives potential customers an introduction to your product or service, while sales collateral helps them make a decision.

Good marketing and sales collateral should work TOGETHER to create a cohesive message about your business that will help draw in customers and close deals.

AKA make sales.

Why Invest in Sales Collateral?

Sales collateral says a lot about your business or brand.

It can be the first impression customers get about your product or service.

As such, it should convey a sense of professionalism, trustworthiness, and reliability.

Sales collateral is an essential tool in any business’s marketing arsenal.

This collateral offers a powerful way to connect with potential customers and showcase your company’s products and services.

Sales collateral is really the first point of contact between you and your target audience.

It gives them information about what you offer, why they should choose you over the competition, and how they can take action.

If you want to attract new customers and keeps existing ones coming back for more, you have to keep putting out amazing sales collateral for them.

Otherwise they’ll be bored.

Or get bored.

Well-crafted marketing content speaks directly to the buyer’s needs.

It has the power to turn one-time buyers into long-term clients.

These clients could even become brand ambassadors who will actively recommend your business to others.

We’re talking multiplication as its finest.

At the end of the day, good sales collateral will help you increase sales and reach your business objectives.

Building Trust Through Sales Collateral

Well-crafted sales collateral helps establish trust with potential customers.

This can include case studies, testimonials, and customer success stories.

In fact, 57% of buyers stated that they were more likely to trust a company after reviewing its case studies (Demand Gen Report).

By showcasing real-world examples of satisfied customers, sales collateral instills confidence and removes doubts.

When you say your business is amazing, it doesn’t do much.

But when another customer says your business is amazing, that’s something.

It’s KEY CONTENT.

Building trust ultimately increasing conversion rates.

Educating Through Sales Collateral

Sales collateral provides an opportunity to educate prospects about the features, benefits, and unique value proposition of the product or service you are offering.

Research shows that 82% of buyers viewed five or more pieces of content from a brand before making a purchase (Forrester).

By delivering informative and engaging content through collateral, businesses can effectively address buyer questions and concerns up front.

This can guide them towards believing you brand cares about their well-being and their lives.

There’s that trust again.

Buyers trusting you is an irreplaceable asset.

Trust + brand recognition = loyalty.

And loyal buyers means… you guessed it… more sales!

Engagement Through Sales Collateral

Sales collateral should be designed to capture the attention of potential buyers and engage them in a meaningful way.

It’s all about creating an immersive experience that captures buyer attention and keeps them engaged for longer periods of time.

The goal is to build relationships with prospects so that they are more likely to make a purchase.

To achieve this, content should be engaging, relevant and interesting.

This is where visuals come in handy – images, videos, infographics – you name it!

For instance, interactive product demos or videos have proven to be highly effective in keeping prospects engaged and interested.

A study by Wyzowl found that 87% of video marketers reported an increase in website traffic and 80% claimed it directly helped increase sales.

By leveraging visually appealing and interactive collateral, your business can create a memorable experience that leads to higher conversions.

Overcoming Objects Through Sales Collateral

The purpose of sales collateral is to answer any questions or objections that buyers may have about your product or service.

By providing detailed information on key features, customer reviews, and pricing, businesses can effectively address buyer concerns and demonstrate how they will benefit from the purchase.

This helps to remove doubts in their minds and encourages them to make a decision.

Sales collateral can also address common objections that a potential buyer may have.

By providing persuasive and fact-based arguments in the form of comparison charts, FAQs, or solution briefs, your business can proactively address concerns and alleviate doubts.

This approach has proven to be successful.

In a study by OptinMonster, 46% of marketers said that direct customer feedback was the most effective way to overcome buyer objections.

Investing in sales collateral is a smart move for ANY business.

It has the power to drive sales, build trust, educate customers, engage prospects, and overcome objections – all of which are essential for long-term success.

When we create high-quality sales collateral that speaks directly to your target audience, you can establish yourself as an industry leader and increase customer loyalty.

Who is sales collateral for?

Sales collateral is for any business that wants to increase sales and build relationships with potential customers.

It’s a MUST HAVE for increasing visibility and driving conversions.

This includes sales collateral for:

• companies
• marketing teams
• marketing directors

Collateral for Companies

Sales collateral is an essential tool for companies in today’s competitive marketplace.

It provides the potential customer with information about what the business offers and why he should choose YOU over the competition.

Investing in high-quality sales collateral also keeps existing customers coming back for more.

Utilizing creative materials can effectively engage their target audience while helping to drive conversions and sales.

Closing the deal

Having well-crafted sales collateral can be extremely beneficial to businesses when it comes to closing leads.

For example, by providing detailed product information that speaks directly to their needs, a potential customer is able to make an informed decision.

Think about it: you don’t like making decisions without knowing all the relevant information.

Customers are the same way.

They need all the information to figure out whether or not the company’s products and services are right for them.

When you highlight your brand’s unique features and benefits in a persuasive way, and serve the customer with information, closing the deal is the next logical step.

Trust

Customers are people.

They have their own likes, needs, and emotions.

By speaking to them as individuals and addressing their pain points, challenges, and aspirations, your business can create a personal connection that goes beyond transactional interactions.

Well-crafted sales collateral – such as personalized emails, targeted social media campaigns, or interactive presentations – allows companies to showcase their understanding of the buyer journey.

Position yourself as a trusted advisor.

When you do this, it humanizes your brand, making it more relatable, empathetic, and trustworthy in your customer’s eyes.

A powerful tool

Overall, companies need sales collateral to turn leads into sales.

It is a powerful tool to engage potential customers while differentiating their products from the competition.

By utilizing creative materials that speak directly to their needs in a persuasive way, businesses have a greater chance of making a connection with people.

These connections drive conversions at every stage of the sales process.

Good sales collateral = more sales.

Collateral for Marketing Teams and Managers

Why do marketing departments – marketing managers and marketing teams – need sales collateral?

If you’re looking to lead people through the sales pipeline from awareness to purchasing, sales collateral is a must.

Investing more resources in sales collateral can bring several benefits to a marketing team or marketing manager.

Here are some reasons why they might consider taking this step:

• Enhanced Communication: Sales collateral serves as a powerful communication tool that enables marketing teams to effectively convey their brand’s message, value proposition, and product/service benefits to potential customers.
• Improved Customer Relationships: Sales collateral helps build and nurture relationships with customers. Investing in sales collateral demonstrates a commitment to meeting customer needs and can foster long-term relationships, repeat business, and referrals.
• Competitive Advantage: Design is EVERYTHING. Well-designed and informative sales collateral can give a company a competitive edge. If done well, it can leave a lasting impression on people, increasing the likelihood of winning deals and outperforming competitors.
• Streamlined Sales Process: Sales collateral acts as a support system for sales teams, equipping them with the necessary resources to guide potential customers through the sales process.
• Increased ROI: Investing in sales collateral can yield a higher return on investment (ROI) by optimizing the efforts of your sales teams. Well-crafted collateral can attract qualified leads, accelerate the sales cycle, and positively impact conversion rates.

If you’re a marketing teams or marketing manager, it’s very important to do this step:

ASSESS.

Assess your brand’s specific goals, target audience, and market dynamics.

Considering investing more resources in sales collateral.

How would this change your strategy?

Developing a comprehensive collateral strategy aligned with business objectives can lead to increased sales, brand recognition, and customer satisfaction.

What do you need to show customers to get sales?

In order to get sales, your sales reps need to show your customers why they should buy from you.

Having good sales collateral can help with this by providing information about the features and benefits of your product or service.

Your sales collateral should also tell customers what makes you unique compared to the competition.

So, how do I make sales like a pro?

Making sales like a pro comes down to having the right skills and strategies within your sales teams.

Your sales reps need to be able to identify customer needs, communicate effectively, stay organized, and close deals with confidence.

It’s also important to have good sales collateral that clearly outlines the features and benefits of your product or service.

Having quality materials does definitely create a sense of trustworthiness and makes customers more likely to purchase from your sales reps.

Collateral to take to your sales presentations

When attending sales presentations, it’s important for sales reps to have the right materials on hand.

This could include an overview of your product or service, case studies that show success stories from previous customers, and a pricing sheet with various options.

Your sales teams could also create a short video or presentation that highlights why customers should buy from you.

Having visuals is always a plus, as it can help keep customers engaged and make your sales pitch more memorable.

At Mock, the Agency, we SPECIALIZE in the ability to create custom materials for sales presentations that will help you close the deal.

We’ll work with you to come up with sales collateral that will capture people’s attention and clearly communicate why your product or service is worth investing in.

We know you’re awesome, and we want to help everyone else see how awesome you are.

How do live sales work?

Live sales, also known as “live streaming”, is a modern selling technique that allows customers to purchase products or services in real-time video.

It gives your business the opportunity to host your own events and have reps engage with customers directly while they make a purchase.

To make live sales successful, it’s important for sales teams to have quality collateral that explains the features and benefits of the product or service.

How will your product or service support people?

This is the information your sales collateral needs to communicate.

This could include graphics that are eye-catching, well-written content, and video content that showcases your products in action.

Take, for example, a bustling convention hall filled with eager attendees at a tech expo.

A company specializing in cutting-edge gadgets and innovative technology decides to send reps to set up a live sales demonstration booth.

They have a knowledgeable sales team ready to showcase their products in action.

As potential customers pass by the booth, they see the sales reps giving a live demonstration of the latest gadget.

They’re drawn in.

The enthusiastic sales rep engages them, explaining the features and benefits of the product while showcasing its functionality through a captivating live demo.

The sales reps are dynamic and have had excellent sales training.

They bust out the product and use it to captivate the audience, allowing them to see the product’s capabilities firsthand while feeling a part of a community.

They can ask questions, interact with the device, and experience its value in real-time.

This immersive experience not only piques their interest but also builds trust and confidence in the product.

The interactive element of live sales enables the sales rep to address any concerns or objections on the spot, adapting their pitch to suit the individual needs and preferences of each potential customer.

The engaging nature of the live demonstration creates excitement, making the product feel tangible and irresistible.

In this scenario, live sales prove to be a highly effective strategy for making sales.

By leveraging the power of live demonstrations, personalized interactions, and real-time engagement, the reps are able to convert interested attendees into satisfied customers.

The dynamic nature of live sales creates a memorable experience that goes beyond traditional sales techniques, leaving a lasting impression and driving successful conversions.

What is a good sales pipeline?

A sales pipeline is the process that your business uses to convert prospects into customers.

At the start, your sales team will need to identify potential leads and find ways to reach out and connect with them.

Once you have connected with a prospective customer, you’ll need to provide him or her with relevant information about your product or service in order to convince them to purchase.

That’s why you need good sales collateral throughout this process… to help customers make an informed decision and close the deal.

At Mock, the Agency, we can provide you with quality sales collateral that will help increase your conversion rates and keep your sales pipeline moving.

Sales collateral can play a vital role of each stage of a sales pipeline, supporting the sales process and helping move prospects closer to making a purchase.

Here’s how sales collateral fits into different stages of the sales pipeline:

Prospecting

In the prospecting stage, sales collateral helps attract potential customers and generate initial interest.

Collateral such as engaging social media posts, informative blog articles, or eye-catching advertisements can capture the attention of prospects, prompting them to explore more about the product or service.

Lead Qualification

Once leads are generated, sales collateral aids in qualifying and nurturing them.

E-books, whitepapers, or industry reports can be shared with leads to provide in-depth insights, showcase expertise, and further educate them about the benefits and value of the offering.

This collateral helps establish credibility, build trust, and identify qualified leads for further engagement.

Sales Presentations

During your sales presentation stage, sales collateral takes center stage.

It includes materials like slide decks, brochures, product catalogs, and demo videos that help your sales representatives to effectively communicate the features, benefits, and unique selling points of the product or service.

Well-designed collateral SUPPORTS the sales pitch, keeps prospects engaged, and helps address specific pain points or objections.

Proposal and Negotiation

Sales collateral continues to play a role in the proposal and negotiation stage.

A customized sales proposal, a case study, a testimonial, and even an ROI calculator can be utilized to demonstrate the value proposition, showcase successful implementations, and provide data-driven justifications for the investment.

These materials support negotiations, build trust, and facilitate decision-making.

Closing and Post-Sale

Even after the sale is closed, sales collateral remains valuable.

Onboarding guides, user manuals, customer success stories, and referral programs can be provided to newly acquired customers to enhance their post-sale experience and encourage loyalty.

This collateral reinforces the value of the purchase, promotes upselling opportunities, and encourages positive word-of-mouth recommendations.

Sales collateral, strategically used throughout the sales pipeline, helps educate, engage, build trust, and provide persuasive information to prospects at each stage.

By aligning the RIGHT collateral with the sales process, businesses can enhance their sales efforts and increase the likelihood of successful conversions.

Seismic sales: Upping your sales collateral can win you more sales than ever before

If you want to take your business to new heights and drive sales like never before, investing in excellent sales collateral is an absolute must.

Just look at some of the most successful brands out there – companies like Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola have mastered the art of creating captivating sales materials that leave a lasting impression on consumers.

Whether it’s Apple’s sleek product packaging, Nike’s powerful ad campaigns, or Coca-Cola’s iconic branding, these brands understand the power of compelling collateral.

By investing in high-quality sales materials, you can effectively communicate your brand’s story, showcase your products or services, and build trust with your audience.

With visually stunning brochures, engaging videos, and impactful presentations, you’ll be able to grab the attention of potential customers and convince them to choose your brand over the competition.

Don’t underestimate the power of excellent sales collateral – it may be the secret weapon that can take your business to the next level.

Why Bring in an Agency to Design Your Sales Collateral?

There are several reasons why it can be beneficial for a marketing manager or team to outsource the creation of sales collateral.

Here are some key advantages:

Expertise and Specialization

Outsourcing allows access to specialized skills and expertise in creating effective sales collateral.

Professional agencies or freelancers who specialize in design, copywriting, and content creation can bring fresh perspectives and industry knowledge to develop high-quality collateral that resonates with the target audience.

Cost-effectiveness

Outsourcing can often be more cost-effective than hiring and training an in-house team specifically for collateral creation.

Outsourcing eliminates the need for additional overhead costs such as salaries, benefits, and equipment.

It also provides flexibility, allowing businesses to scale their collateral creation efforts based on demand.

Time Efficiency

Outsourcing frees up valuable time for marketing managers and teams to focus on core strategic activities rather than getting caught up in the details of collateral creation.

By delegating the task to external experts, internal resources can be allocated to other critical marketing initiatives, improving overall productivity.

Fresh Perspective and Creativity

External collaborators bring a fresh perspective and creative approach to sales collateral creation.

They can offer new ideas, innovative designs, and unique storytelling techniques that may not have been considered internally.

This infusion of creativity can help differentiate the business and its offerings in the market.

Faster Turnaround

Professional outsourced services often have streamlined processes and dedicated resources, enabling faster production and delivery of sales collateral.

This ensures that marketing teams have the necessary materials in a timely manner, aligning with their campaign timelines and sales objectives.

Get Rid of the Guesswork

Hiring a creative agency to make your sales collateral takes the guesswork out and allows you to utilize your time and energy efficiently to grow your company.

Creative agencies are equipped with the expertise and experience needed to craft compelling and impactful collateral that resonates with your target audience.

This enables you to make the most of your resources, confidently deliver powerful messages to your prospects, and ultimately drive business growth.

How Mock, the Agency’s Marketing Content Makes a Difference: Client Outcomes

Revenue

Past clients who have invested in sales collateral have seen positive outcomes in their businesses.

Companies that invest in high-quality sales collateral have seen increases in revenue.

Additionally, they have also experienced higher customer satisfaction levels due to the compelling content that resonates with prospects and provides them with detailed product information that speaks directly to their needs.

Reputation

Business have experienced transformation connected to implementing new sales collateral.

Companies can create a lasting impression on prospects by utilizing creative materials, giving customers confidence in their purchase decision – leading to increased conversions and sales.

This can improve your branding and reputation for years to come.

Reach

Furthermore, having effective sales collateral can also provide businesses with an additional channel of promotion beyond traditional advertising methods.

Why?

So you can reach out to potential customers more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Efficiency

Businesses who use sales collateral tend to benefit from increased efficiency within their marketing teams.

The content allows them to quickly move prospects through the buying funnel from awareness to purchasing.

With a comprehensive set of materials providing potential customers with detailed product information, marketing teams are able to save time when it comes to compiling resources for their campaigns.

Saving time means saving money and converting faster – which means better ROI and more sales.

Case in Point: Vivex

Vivex had a growing product portfolio, and needed all of the products held together in one graphic foundation.

We developed a unified design that carried the same themes from the logos to the sales collateral.

Vivex continues to stand out as a key competitor in the biomedical space with a strong and recognizable brand presence.

What Our Client’s Experience

Results

When Mock, the Agency partners with our clients, they experience a host of benefits from investing in high-quality sales collateral.

By utilizing creative materials that speak directly to their needs and provide detailed product information, businesses have a greater chance of making a connection with prospects while driving conversions at every stage of the buyer’s journey – ultimately leading to increased sales and revenue.

Basically, we help you get results!

Creating

When creating sales collateral, businesses should look for materials that differentiate them from their competition while highlighting the unique features and benefits of their product or service in a persuasive way.

Creative elements such as visuals, videos, infographics, etc., can help create a lasting impression on prospects and further enhance the customer experience.

The creative process of determining the creative direction of the company’s marketing is a collaborative and inclusive process.

The END GOAL is for everyone to be bought-in on the purpose, mission and ideas to get there.

Measurement

At the same time, businesses need to be mindful of keeping up with trends as well as making sure their materials remain relevant in order to stay competitive in the market.

Having access to analytics tools such as website tracking is KEY to monitoring performance and ensuring ROI on investments made in content creation and marketing campaigns.

The Client Journey

The process begins by starting a conversation with us.

We will take the time to discuss YOUR business objectives and goals.

After all, this is all about you and your success.

Then we will work closely with you to identify areas of opportunity where creative material can be used to engage potential customers throughout their buying journey.

Once all requirements are established, the design team will begin creating content tailored to your specifications.

This may include visuals such as logos, illustrations, infographics, video content, and other engaging materials that capture attention and provide detailed product information.

As the project progresses, you’ll be provided with regular updates on progress along with samples of the material for review before being finalized.

Our clients offer feedback on how the content can be improved upon.

Once approved, the completed materials will be sent over for implementation.

Through partnering with a professional sales collateral design company, businesses benefit from access to experts.

We specialize in crafting compelling materials that captivate customers while helping them make better purchase decisions faster.

Thus… ready, we’ll say it again…

Increased sales.

Increased customer satisfaction.

Increased revenue.

Having access to analytics tools allows businesses to monitor performance at every stage of their campaigns.

Then we can adjust your strategies accordingly, in order to maximize ROI on investment made in content creation and marketing efforts.

Principles

We are here to lead the way for our clients.

By walking with them hand-in-hand, we ensure that they find success along their journey.

We understand the power of design in order to effectively solve business problems.

We specialize in creating captivating designs that will capture your audience and leave a lasting impact.

Efficiency is KING.

We move at the speed of business.

We remove wasteful layers of communication.

See our podcast episode about large agency bloat.

Our team is never restricted by a particular industry or field.

Instead, we are always eager to discover new areas and make an impactful difference.

With our open-minded approach and extensive knowledge of many industries, we can provide unique perspectives to all our clients.

Our Capabilities

– Creative Direction

– Visual Design

– Video Content

– Logo Design

– Illustrations

– Infographics

– Website Tracking and Analytics

– Strategizing and Implementation

– And more

Contact us to discuss your next project.

Our Process

Our process for sales collateral design begins with a conversation between our clients and our design team.

We discuss their business objectives and goals, as well as identify areas of opportunity where creative material can be used to engage potential customers throughout the buying journey.

Once all requirements are established, the creative process begins.

This may include visuals such as logos, illustrations, infographics, video content and other engaging materials that capture attention and provide detailed product information.

We work collaboratively with our clients in order to ensure that the end result is something that both parties are bought-in.

The purpose and mission of your company should always be at the forefront.

We also provide regular updates about progress along with samples of the material for review before being finalized.

By doing so, we help them create a lasting impression on prospects while further enhancing the customer experience.

Let’s chat

Contact us if you want to discuss your next project.