How Sales Can Leverage Educational Content to Build Relationships

Most B2B businesses have adopted content marketing strategies, delivering relevant content to audiences to drive interest and leads. A pillar of that content is that it’s educational. The more educated a customer is, the more likely they’ll buy from the brand that shared their knowledge. This sentiment is one that EtherWAN Systems believes in, and Jim Toepper, Director of Products and Marketing, is its biggest evangelist.

“eLearning should be a cornerstone of a company’s content marketing. It’s the new way to connect with customers. To achieve that connection, start with education to get the relationship off on the right foot,” Toepper said.

Toepper hits the nail on the head. B2B buyers want to consume content. On average, they consume 13 pieces of content before they make a decision. The more valuable a company’s content, the more it resonates with buyers.

To cultivate and foster relationships, the company launched EtherWan Academy, an online learning platform that’s free to join. “EtherWan Academy elevates us to our customers. It’s more than a spec sheet or a promise. It demonstrates we understand the technology and educates on the product and to apply them,” Toepper said.

The creation of the content came from realizing that “not everyone is an expert” that buys their products. He added, “The majority of our customers aren’t experts on ethernet networking. It’s one job they hold among several. The content we’re producing is tailored to their industry. They get what they need and save time.”

At the heart of the initiative to educate is the company’s mission statement, which includes those words. Now, this medium is even more important for relationship building, as sales can’t be in the field interacting with customers.

“The education aspect is a huge part of the new relationship. We’re showing them how the product works and how to apply it. We want to provide the most value and deliver something that makes their job easier.”

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