A FOUNDER ASKED:

“We rely on founder-led sales to acquire customers. How can I scale without hurting conversion?”

CONTENT THAT DRIVES SALES

I hear this all the time from tech startup founders. When you’re leading sales, it works well because no one knows your product and its impact better than you. But your time doesn’t scale. You need a way to keep the momentum going outside of sales conversations.

This is where a smart content strategy becomes a game-changer. Relying on meetings will limit the number of prospects you can nurture and new customers you can close. 

You need strategic content that can:

• Build brand awareness and generate interest at the top of the funnel
• Create trust and desire in the middle of the funnel
• Instill confidence to buy at the bottom of the funnel

This isn’t about churning out blog posts or social media updates. It’s about creating content that will fuel the sales funnel. You’ll create content assets to share with prospects in emails, conversations, and LinkedIn outreach. When you also post this content on your website, prospects can learn more about your solution at their own pace.

In short, content does the heavy lifting outside of your sales conversations.

Now I’ll break down five content topics that help you drive pipeline and close sales.

1. SYMPTOMS: OPEN THEIR EYES TO A PROBLEM

Some of your best prospects don’t even realize they have a problem—yet. They’re unaware that their current way of doing things is costing them time, money, or opportunities.

Your first job here isn’t to sell but to educate. Help prospects recognize the red flags they might be ignoring. By bringing these issues to light, you create curiosity and urgency, which makes a prospect more open to hearing about your solution. Symptom-focused content enables demand creation.

When to Use:

• Prospects don’t know they have a problem (yet).
• Prospects lack urgency or interest in your solution.

Goal: Highlight signs of a problem that a prospect will want to address

Examples:

• Warning Signs: “5 Early Warning Signs Your Team’s Productivity Is Slipping (and What to Do About It)”
• Hidden Costs: “The Downsides of Manual Data Entry: Are You Losing Thousands Each Quarter?”
• Future Proof: “Is Your Business Ready for Low Season? Proactive Steps to Avoid Revenue Loss.”

2. PROBLEM & SOLUTION: ESTABLISH EXPERTISE & CREATE INTEREST

Even once someone is aware of their problem, they often don’t know the range of possible solutions. “Problem and solution” content highlights your startup’s expertise in your prospect’s pain points and shows the best ways to solve those problems. 

This content educates prospects on how to evaluate solutions like yours. It explains the root cause of their challenges, why solving this issue matters, and how to approach it. By guiding your prospects’ thought processes, you position yourself as an expert they can trust.

When to Use:

• Prospects know they have a problem, but they don’t yet know the right solution.
• Great for cold outreach or early sales conversations.

Goal: Show empathy for a prospect’s pain points and establish your expertise.

Examples:

• Root Cause: “Why Your Customer Churn Rate Is Skyrocketing (It’s Not What You Think)”
• Protect Your X: “3 Ways to Safeguard Your Revenue from Market Downturns”
• Mistakes to Avoid: “Avoid 4 Common Mistakes When Choosing Marketing Automation Tools”

3. VALUE PROPOSITIONS: SPARK DESIRE FOR YOUR SOLUTION

Next, prospects start evaluating their options. This is your chance to showcase what makes your product uniquely valuable. But don’t just list features—connect your product’s functionality to the outcomes your customers care about.

Describe vividly how your product will improve your prospect’s life or business. Emphasize your product’s differentiators and what makes your solution the best option. To make this content more tangible and compelling, highlight the results your product delivers.

When to Use:

• Prospects are evaluating solutions, and your product needs to stand out.
• Ideal for follow-up emails, sales conversations, and your homepage.

Goal: Create desire by highlighting your product’s benefits and differentiators.

Examples:

• Irresistible Outcome: “Double Your Sales Team’s Productivity in Just 30 Days—Here’s How”
• Little Known Benefits: “The Unexpected Perks of Using Automated Reporting (Beyond Just Saving Time)”
• Differentiator Deep Dive: “Why Our AI-Driven Platform Outperforms Traditional CRM Systems”

4. CUSTOMERS & DATA: BUILD CREDIBILITY WITH PROOF

Nothing builds trust with prospects faster than seeing other customers’ success. Real-world results f help potential buyers see themselves benefiting, too. Quantitative metrics that prove your product’s impact also build credibility and make your claims more persuasive.

That’s why customer stories and data aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re essential. Stories and stats show what’s possible and give prospects confidence that your product really works.

When to Use:

• Prospects are comparing solutions and need validation that yours is the best fit.
• Great for follow-up emails, sales presentations, and your homepage.

Goal: Build trust by showing proven results and real-world impact.

Examples:

• Before and After: “How [Company] Reduced Customer Churn by 40% with Our Platform”
• Customer Results: “From Manual Chaos to Automated Success: [Company’s] Journey”
• Data Drill Down: “95% of Users Report a 2x Increase in Productivity—Here’s Why”

5. PRODUCT: SHOW THEM HOW IT WORKS & WHY IT’S BETTER

As prospects get closer to buying, they’ll want to know the details about your product. They’ll wonder, “How does this actually work?” and “Will my team be able to use it effectively?”

This is where product content shines. It’s about building confidence that your product is practical, user-friendly, and effective. Share feature walkthroughs, onboarding guides, and even competitor comparison charts to help prospects feel confident in their decision.

When to Use:

• Prospects are comparing solutions and making buying decisions.
• Perfect for late-stage emails, product pages, and demos.

Goal: Show how the product works and why it’s the best choice.

Examples:

• How It Works: “Step-by-Step Guide to Automating Your Sales Process with Our Software”
• Feature Focus: “3 Powerful Features That Make Onboarding New Hires a Breeze”
• Product Side-by-Side: “How We Stack Up Against [Competitor]: A Feature-by-Feature Comparison”

CREATE YOUR SALES CONTENT “HAPPY PATH”

A key to scaling your founder-led sales? Creating a “happy path” of content that supports each stage of the sales funnel. Here’s how to do it:

• Map the buyer’s journey: Identify the top questions and concerns your prospects have at each stage of their buying process.
• Create evergreen content first: Focus on content (using the topics above) that can be reused in multiple sales conversations and channels.
• Repurpose and amplify: Use your content in sales emails, on your website, for LinkedIn posts, in webinars, and even for earned media pitches.

This strategic content approach gives your sales process leverage. Instead of trying to cover everything in multiple meetings, you guide prospects through a journey that builds trust and confidence. You’ll scale sales conversations, helping prospects make decisions and take action.

Ready to get started? Work in sprints to create and launch your “happy path” content. Soon, you’ll have a powerful content ecosystem to engage prospects and close more deals.