Wasting marketing collateral is a serious issue for many companies. A majority of the marketing professionals we speak with cannot understand how the materials they provide for their sales team seem to be used up the minute they hit the shelves. Does this sound familiar?
Fortunately, there might be an answer to the ever challenging “vanishing collateral” dilemma. A recent study done by the CMO Council showed that over 70% of sales representatives over-order marketing and sales collateral because:
- It takes too long for items to arrive once they’ve been ordered.
- Materials become obsolete so quickly that they fear not being able to get the resources they need when they go to order them.
When you look at it that way, it almost makes sense that sales professionals order in “bulk” when items become available. How can you tweak the procurement process to eliminate this dilemma?
Many companies are implementing online collateral management programs that streamline the entire ordering and fulfillment process. These systems often:
- Speed up the time it takes for sales reps to receive marketing and sales collateral.
- Provide marketing intelligence for management to easily track inventory levels and usage – significantly, or even completely, eliminating the need to put items on back order.
- Reduce overall procurement costs by eliminating the need for employees to “order in bulk” as well eliminating the need to pay extra to have additional collateral pieces produced.
What has your experience been with the management of marketing and sales collateral? Is this an area that creates unnecessary challenges for your company?
