Why Salespeople Need To Start Blogging

When you think about it, most people write things for a living. Oftentimes it’s memos, emails, notes to themselves, grocery lists, or letters, but generally there’s some level of writing involved in most jobs.

Sales is no different.

Following up is one of the most important things a salesperson can do to advance the sales process. A good follow-up email can recap the highlights of a conversation, include resources for the prospect to research, and persuade them to continue to explore whatever solution you’re offering.

That sounds like a great first draft of a blog post.

The modern salesperson has a big advantage when it comes to blogging: more of their job relies on the written word than ever before. Blogging has typically been a function of the marketing/PR department, but it needs to become a sales discipline as well. Why?

They’re already producing usable content - They just might not realize it

Many salespeople have saved email templates they use to send to prospects at different points in the sales process. Odds are good your sales reps have sent links to resources, answers to common questions, and explanations of how something works in your industry. These are all great topics that your website needs to address. Your sales team are the in-house experts you’ve been looking for when it comes to this. They provide guidance to prospects all the time. If your sales team is organized by verticals or industries, reps can also contribute more industry-specific posts that might help prospects down the road.

(Here's a resource to help you get started.)

They’re on the front lines with customers

There’s an anecdote in software development that if you stick a developer on the support line, eventually they’ll hear the problems enough that they’ll fix them. The same can be true of sales fixing marketing. As they talk with enough prospects, eventually they’ll pick up excellent feedback. They'll know where there’s a gap in product information or where certain parts of your business aren’t getting across to the customer. All of this helps sharpen your marketing efforts.

A good salesperson can quickly tell you common misconceptions about your company. A great one will help you address them. Asking sales reps to create content can help you fill in holes in your persona research and provide insight on what people want to know.

It gives them something to talk about

We’ve all seen the dreaded “just checking in” email. If some of us are honest, we may have authored a few. By blogging, your sales team can provide guidance in a nonspecific way. Then it gives them a great, helpful article to share with prospects. Instead of "just checking in,” they can send out their post and ask what the prospects think. It can be a great way to reengage without just asking if they’re ready to talk again.

Your sales team are experts at explaining your product or service in a helpful way that your prospects understand. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in sales. By involving them in content production, you get the advantage of sharing their knowledge in a format that scales. Involving your sales team in the blogging process lets you tap into this goldmine of expertise.