5 Proven Best Practices for Creating Sales Aids That Drive Results
Sales aids are one of the most powerful tools in a salesperson‘s arsenal. Whether it‘s a one-pager, brochure, product demo, or interactive presentation, sales aids allow you to visually showcase your product‘s value proposition and key benefits in a way that captures prospects‘ attention and moves deals forward.
While sales aids are most commonly associated with the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, they can be enormously effective for B2B salespeople across all sectors. According to HubSpot, 65% of people are visual learners, and presentations with visual aids are 43% more persuasive than those without.
However, creating a sales aid that actually drives results is easier said than done. To help you craft compelling, high-converting sales aids, we‘ve put together this list of 5 proven best practices.
1. Develop Deep Product Knowledge
The foundation of any effective sales aid is a comprehensive understanding of your product and its competitive positioning. Without this critical base of knowledge, your sales aids will lack the substance and specificity needed to persuade prospects.
Before putting pen to paper (or cursor to screen), immerse yourself in learning everything you can about your offering, including:
- All features and functionality
- Customer pain points it solves
- Objections and how to overcome them
- Ideal buyer personas
- Competitive landscape and alternatives
- Case studies and testimonials
- Pricing and packaging
Really dig into what sets your product apart from others on the market. Identify the three to five key differentiators that you can build your value proposition around.
For example, maybe you have the most advanced AI algorithms that deliver better results, or your solution is the only one that integrates with certain popular tools. Focus on the high-impact, unique benefits that will matter most to your target audience.
Consider conducting a SWOT analysis of your product versus competitors to crystalize where you‘re stronger and what gaps you need to address. Engaging your product team for in-depth demos and picking your top salespeople‘s brains on how they position the product can also help deepen your understanding.
2. Focus Each Sales Aid on One Core Message
Once you have that strong base of product knowledge, it can be tempting to cram as much information as possible into your sales aids. However, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
Presenting prospects with too much information will only overwhelm and confuse them. Instead, the most effective sales aids have a single, hyper-focused message.
Think about the primary goals for your sales aid:
- Is it to demonstrate how your product solves a major challenge for customers?
- Provide a high-level overview for a new market segment you‘re breaking into?
- Overcome a common objection your sales team faces?
- Showcase an exciting new feature or enhancement?
Whatever the case, crystalize that core purpose and make it the North Star for your entire sales aid. Every element from the visuals to the copy should support and strengthen that singular key takeaway you want prospects to remember.
A great example of this in action is this sales aid from COPD medication Stiolto:
Source: Veeva Systems
The entire two-page aid is laser-focused on highlighting how Stiolto "significantly improves lung function" for COPD patients based on clinical trial data. The efficacy data points are called out in large text, while the clear, direct headline and imagery of a patient taking a deep breath work together to reinforce this single benefit.
Key things to remember when crafting your core message:
- Make it customer-centric and tie it to a pain point
- Emphasize outcomes over features
- Aim for no more than 3-5 key takeaways max
- State it in clear, concise language
Everything in your sales aid should click into place to support your core message. If anything feels extraneous or distracting, cut it out. When in doubt, keep it simple.
3. Harness the Power of Storytelling
Stories have a unique ability to engage audiences and make information stick. According to researchers at Stanford, stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone.
While sales aids need to convey key details about your product, you should always strive to present that information through a narrative that emotionally resonates with prospects.
Think about how your product transforms customers‘ lives or businesses for the better. What was their world like before using it, and what does success look like after? Use imagery and customer-centric copy that brings this journey to life and helps prospects envision themselves benefitting from your offering.
This sales aid from web conferencing solution ReadyTalk is a great example of visual storytelling:
Source: KNB Communications
Through the progression of scenes, the aid tells the story of a customer using ReadyTalk to have productive remote meetings with their team, making their workday easier and more efficient. There‘s minimal text, but the pictures speak volumes.
Of course, you can also tell powerful stories through words, like in this example sales aid from analytics company Domo:
Source: Domo
The aid walks through a typical data analytics process, outlining the challenges of the current status quo, and presenting Domo as the solution that swoops in to save the day and accelerate business. While there‘s more text than the ReadyTalk example, the customer-centric narrative keeps readers engaged.
Some techniques for effective sales aid storytelling:
- Set the scene by describing the customer‘s world and the challenges they face
- Position your product as the "hero" that helps them overcome those obstacles
- Use real customer quotes, testimonials or case studies if possible
- Include characters that reflect your buyer personas
- Don‘t just tell them – SHOW them the impact of using your product
- Stick to a clear story arc with a beginning, middle, and end
By weaving a compelling narrative throughout your sales aid, you‘ll create a more powerful emotional hook that inspires prospects to take action.
4. Visualize Data for Maximum Impact
Research shows that people following directions with illustrations do 323% better than those following text-only directions. In other words, visuals help us retain information and guide behavior.
So if you have impressive data or statistics that highlight your product‘s value – flaunt them! Customer success metrics, industry benchmarks, and competitive comparisons can all be extremely persuasive when presented in a visually engaging way.
The key is to make data easily digestible at a glance. Avoid lengthy paragraphs explaining numbers or throwing out percentages without context.
Instead, focus on a small number of key stats and find ways to visualize them, like in this sales aid from Highspot:
Source: Highspot
The aid calls out three key data points about companies using sales enablement solutions, enlarging the numbers and setting them against a bold background. Prospects can immediately hone in on the 32-49% improvement in quota attainment stat as a huge potential benefit.
Or take this sales aid from sales intelligence platform DiscoverOrg:
Source: DiscoverOrg
Rather than just stating the percentage of direct dials their database provides, the aid visualizes it in a simple pie chart so prospects can see DiscoverOrg‘s superior data quality at a glance.
5. Embrace Innovation in Your Sales Aid Formats
Finally, don‘t feel constrained to the standard text-heavy sales sheet. Innovative formats and interactive elements can differentiate your sales aids and create a more immersive, engaging experience for prospects.
With the proliferation of tablets and touchscreens, digital sales aids have become increasingly popular. Companies like Veeva Systems and Showpad offer software for creating dynamic, visually rich sales content that helps reps have more productive conversations.
For example, Biogen used Veeva‘s platform to create an interactive visual aid (IVA) for its multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera:
Source: Veeva Systems
Reps could easily pull up the IVA on their tablet and walk physicians through efficacy data, dosing, and patient profiles. The easy navigation and digestible chunks of content facilitated more natural, tailored discussions than a static sales aid.
Even companies with physical products are finding innovative ways to showcase them in sales aids, like this example from industrial parts manufacturer PBC Linear:
Source: PBC Linear
To launch a new line of pillow block bearings, PBC Linear created a mailer sales aid that included an actual 3D-printed mini product model. Engineers could handle the piece and experience the quality firsthand, creating a powerful sensory impact.
The takeaway? Don‘t default to the typical sales sheet. Explore different formats like:
- Interactive PDFs and presentations
- Embedded audio and video
- Augmented reality
- Touchscreen experiences
- 3D models and physical product samples
- Games and quizzes
The key is to choose a format that makes sense for your product and prospects. A cool technology for the sake of it will fall flat if it‘s not adding value or aiding the sales conversation.
Bringing It All Together
Creating sales aids that engage prospects and drive conversions takes focus, skill, and a healthy dose of creativity. But by following these five proven best practices, you‘ll be well on your way to arming your sales team with the tools they need to succeed.
To recap:
- Develop deep product knowledge to craft substantive, differentiating messaging
- Focus each sales aid on one core message or customer benefit
- Use storytelling to emotionally engage prospects and create memorable narratives
- Visualize data wherever possible to make an impact and communicate value
- Explore innovative formats and interactive elements to deliver more compelling experiences
Remember – a thoughtfully designed sales aid is more than just a pretty pamphlet. It‘s a strategic tool for accelerating sales, reinforcing your brand‘s value proposition, and ultimately growing your business.
