You spent two weeks creating a comprehensive competitive battle card. You announced it to sales with enthusiasm. Three months later, only 2 out of 25 reps have used it.
Sound familiar?
Most sales enablement content fails not because it's bad, but because it doesn't fit how sales actually works. Content created in a conference room by marketing doesn't survive contact with real sales conversations.
After creating sales enablement content at three B2B companies and working directly with dozens of sales teams, I've learned that reps use content when it's:
- Quick to consume (not 40-page decks)
- Easy to find (not buried in folders)
- Directly applicable (not generic)
- Proven by peers (not just mandated by marketing)
Here's how to create sales enablement content reps actually use.
Understand How Sales Actually Uses Content
Sales doesn't use content the way marketing thinks they do.
Marketing's assumption: Rep reviews comprehensive deck before call, internalizes messaging, delivers polished pitch.
Reality: Rep has 5 minutes before call, searches for "pricing one-pager," grabs first thing they find, and wings it.
Design for reality, not the ideal.
When reps actually consume content:
- 5 minutes before a call: Quick reference to refresh on key points
- Immediately after a call: Finding materials to send prospect as follow-up
- When stuck in a deal: Looking for content to address specific objection or question
- During deal prep: Preparing for important meetings (executive briefings, final presentations)
Create content that fits these moments, not content that requires 30 minutes of uninterrupted study time.
The Enablement Content Types That Actually Get Used
Different sales scenarios need different content formats.
One-pagers (highest usage rate):
Single-page PDFs covering one topic:
- Product overview
- Feature deep-dive
- Use case scenario
- Competitive comparison
- Pricing summary
- ROI framework
Why they work: Quick to review (2 minutes), easy to send to prospects, visually scannable.
Structure:
- Compelling headline
- 3-4 key points with bullets
- Visual element (diagram, chart, screenshot)
- Clear CTA
Battle cards (high usage when done right):
Competitor-specific battle cards that fit on one page (or one screen).
Essential sections:
- Elevator pitch: "When competing against [Competitor], position us as..."
- Their strengths (acknowledge reality)
- Our strengths (where we win)
- Landmine questions (questions that expose their weaknesses)
- Proof points (customer examples of switching from them)
Don't include: Generic product comparison tables that duplicate public information. Reps need tactical advice for conversations, not feature lists.
Email templates (medium usage if relevant):
Pre-written emails for common scenarios:
- Introduction/cold outreach
- Demo follow-up
- Pricing discussion
- Objection handling
- Check-in after silence
Key: Make them customizable, not rigid scripts. Include [brackets] for personalization and optional sections.
Recorded demos (medium-high usage):
2-3 minute recorded demos showing specific features or use cases.
Reps use these:
- As pre-call refreshers
- To send prospects ("Here's a quick video showing how [feature] works")
- For prospects who couldn't attend live demo
Slide decks (low usage unless required):
Full pitch decks get used only for:
- QBRs and board presentations
- Large, formal sales presentations
- RFP responses
For most sales calls, decks are too heavy. Reps will extract 3-4 slides and share those instead.
Implication: Don't invest heavily in perfect 40-slide decks. Invest in modular slide sets reps can assemble.
Make Content Actually Findable
The best content in the world is worthless if reps can't find it in 30 seconds.
Organization principles:
By sales scenario, not content type:
Don't organize as: "Battle Cards," "One Pagers," "Decks"
Organize as: "Competitive Positioning," "Industry Solutions," "Objection Handling," "ROI and Business Case"
Reps think "I need to address the pricing objection," not "I need a one-pager."
Use clear, descriptive naming:
Bad: "Product_Overview_v4_final_FINAL.pdf"
Good: "Acme-Product-Overview-OneSheet-June2024.pdf"
File names should instantly communicate what's inside.
Maintain a single source of truth:
Don't scatter enablement content across:
- Shared Google Drive
- Slack channels
- Email attachments
- Sales enablement platform
- Random folders on people's computers
Pick one place. Make everyone use it. Ruthlessly redirect people back to it.
Create Content Based on Actual Sales Needs
Don't guess what sales needs. Ask them, then validate through usage.
Quarterly sales content needs assessment:
Survey or interview reps (15 minutes each with 5-8 reps):
- What content do you use most often?
- What content are you looking for that doesn't exist?
- Which objections or questions come up most that you struggle to answer?
- What content exists but doesn't help?
Track content usage:
If using sales enablement platforms (Highspot, Seismic, Showpad), track which content gets accessed and shared most.
If using shared drives, check view/download stats.
Content that doesn't get used should be updated or removed.
Ride along on sales calls:
Nothing beats hearing real prospect conversations. Ride along on 5-10 calls quarterly and note:
- What questions come up repeatedly?
- What objections surface?
- What information do reps struggle to articulate?
- What materials do they share?
Create content that directly addresses what you hear.
Write for Skimmability and Speed
Sales reps don't read carefully. They skim frantically while prospects wait on calls.
Design for scanning:
Use clear section headers: Not "Overview" but "How this product saves finance teams 10 hours per week"
Bullet points over paragraphs: Dense paragraphs don't get read. Bullets do.
Highlight key stats and quotes: Make the most important info visually distinct with bold, color, or callout boxes.
Limit to one page when possible: If it requires scrolling or flipping pages, it's too long for most use cases.
Test Content With Real Reps Before Rolling Out
Don't create in a vacuum and announce broadly. Test with a small group first.
Pilot testing process:
- Create draft content
- Share with 3-5 reps who are strong performers and will give honest feedback
- Ask them to try using it in real conversations
- Debrief after 2 weeks: What worked? What didn't? What's missing?
- Iterate based on feedback
- Roll out to full team only after pilot validation
Content that tests well in pilots gets used. Content that doesn't test well gets improved before wasting everyone's time.
Launch Content With Context and Training
Don't just drop new content in Slack and hope reps find it.
Effective content launches:
Live training session (30 minutes):
- Why we created this
- When to use it
- How to use it effectively
- Live demo of rep using it
- Q&A
Recorded walkthrough:
Record the training so reps who can't attend live can watch later.
Slack/email announcement:
Clear message with:
- What's new
- Why it matters
- Where to find it
- Link to training recording
Sales manager buy-in:
Reps adopt content when their managers reinforce it. Brief sales managers before launch and ask them to encourage usage.
Gather and Share Success Stories
Reps trust peer recommendations more than marketing mandates.
When content works, broadcast it:
"Sarah used the new ROI one-pager in her enterprise deal and it helped her get to the CFO. Check out how she used it in the 'Competitive Positioning' folder."
This social proof drives adoption faster than any announcement.
Create a feedback loop:
Add a simple feedback mechanism to each piece of content: "Useful? Let us know how you used it or what could be better."
Then actually update content based on feedback.
Maintain and Refresh Content Regularly
Enablement content gets stale fast.
Set review schedules:
Monthly: Pricing sheets, competitive intel, product screenshots Quarterly: Battle cards, one-pagers, use cases Annually: Full pitch decks, industry solutions
Outdated content is worse than no content. It makes reps look uninformed and damages credibility.
Retire old content:
When you update a battle card, remove the old version. Don't let multiple versions float around. Version confusion frustrates reps and leads to errors.
Measure Enablement Content Effectiveness
How do you know if enablement content works?
Usage metrics:
- Access/download counts (basic signal)
- Share rates (better signal—reps sharing content with prospects means it's useful)
Sales feedback:
- Regular surveys: "Rate usefulness of [content piece] 1-5"
- Win/loss interviews: "What content helped close this deal?"
Business impact:
- Win rates on deals where content was used vs. not used
- Deal velocity (do deals with content usage move faster?)
- Average selling price (does ROI content support larger deals?)
Content that scores low on usage and feedback should be updated or killed. Don't create content for the sake of having content.
The Litmus Test: Would Sales Use It Today?
Before publishing any sales enablement content, ask:
- Can a rep consume this in under 3 minutes?
- Is it findable in under 30 seconds?
- Does it address a real sales scenario that happens frequently?
- Would I send this to a prospect without editing it?
- Does it make the rep's job easier or just add noise?
If the answer to any of these is no, keep iterating.
Sales enablement content that actually gets used isn't about being comprehensive or polished. It's about being fast, relevant, and actually helpful in the moments that matter. Build for reality, not for the idealized sales process that exists only in marketing's imagination.