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.”

Catch Up On Previous Episodes!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

automation
Episode 5 Promo: There Are No Bad Robots, Only Bad Owners
May 9, 2025

What really makes or breaks a robotics deployment? Spoiler: it’s not the robot. In the fifth episode of Robot vs. Wild, Vecna Robotics’ Chief Marketing Officer Josh Kivenko and Customer Success Manager Ty LaFramboise reveal why successful automation is less about machines—and more about mindset. From aligning corporate goals with floor-level operations, to helping teams adjust to new…

Read More
Jerry Wagner discusses Market Volatility
The DisruptED World of Financial Services with Industry Titan Jerry Wagner
May 9, 2025

Because this is an era now defined by economic whiplash, algorithmic finance, and global uncertainty, the investment world is increasingly more volatile than before. As inflationary pressures, geopolitical tensions, and trade policies create even further chaos into markets, the stakes for both advisors and investors have heightened. According to data on the Cboe Volatility…

Read More
Vecna
Episode 6 Promo: Behind Every Great Robot Is a Strong Human
May 9, 2025

In the sixth episode of Robot vs. Wild, Vecna Robotics’ Chief Marketing Officer Josh Kivenko sits down with Nikki Slaughter, Director of Post-Deployment Operations, to shine a light on the real people behind autonomous operations. They explore the critical role of Vecna’s 24/7 remote support team—comparing them to a Formula One pit crew—constantly monitoring…

Read More
debt-free
Debt-Free and Results-First: ACE Is Rewriting the Rules of Higher Ed
May 9, 2025

As student loan debt surpasses $1.7 trillion nationwide, cracks in the traditional higher education model are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Meanwhile, the American College of Education is quietly operating with an approach that flies in the face of convention, where 85% of its students graduate debt-free. What does it take to build a…

Read More