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Many businesses struggle with effectively managing sales materials because their sales assets are spread across multiple repositories, creating information overload, redundancy, and poor content governance. According to Forrester, there’s a disconnect between sales reps, buyers, and other teams within an organization due to ineffective content governance.
Sales CMS platforms offer intuitive features and functionality businesses can use to optimize their content management strategy. They serve as a single source of truth for sales reps to access resources they need to sell better quickly. With the right CMS, you can train and onboard reps, provide them with the right content, and give buyers personalized experiences.
There are many benefits to using a sales CMS platform, but you must choose one that fits your sales team’s needs and has a low learning curve so that reps will readily adopt the platform into their workflow. This article lists top sales content management systems and how to choose the best platform for your business.
What is a CMS Platform?
A content management system (CMS) enables users to create, organize, and publish digital content, such as case studies, white papers, one-sheets, etc., to the web. It provides a single accessible database that makes implementing your content management strategy easier without worrying about technicalities like content governance, information architecture, or automating workflows.
What is a Sales CMS Platform?
A sales CMS platform is designed to streamline how sales enablement teams create, organize, and share sales materials. It is an intuitive tool that enables you to aggregate siloed sales collateral into one platform, making them easily accessible.
With a proper system for your sales content management, you can:
- Easily create and update sales materials
- Share sales materials internally or externally
- Onboard sales reps
- Measure the ROI of sales materials, etc.
A sales CMS is an essential component of any enablement software that will help connect your sales reps deal-accelerating sales content, resources, and training that can be used to boost sales cycles and help revenue teams close more deals, faster.
Top Sales CMS Platform
1. Spekit
Traditional CMS solutions are heavy to manage, clunky to navigate, and disconnected from the sales rep’s workflow, leading to low adoption, slow time to value, and wasted resources.
Spekit is a next-gen enablement software platform reimagined around the rep experience that delivers instant access to the content sales reps crave directly in the tools they use every day. Now, your reps can effortlessly find, share, and track sales content with buyers without ever leaving their workflows.
With their SmartSend functionality, sales reps receive instant alerts when buyers engage with content so they can proactively respond and turn content into customers.
Enablement and Marketing teams can quickly measure content adoption, sales content performance, and revenue impact without time-intensive integrations and burdensome system management. Simply centralize your content, and Spekit’s extension automatically surfaces it right when and where it’s needed.
It’s the fastest, most effective solution to connect sales reps with the content they need to close deals.
Compared to regular content management systems, Spekit integrates seamlessly into workflows so reps can find the answers they need while selling on platforms like Salesforce, Outreach.io, and LinkedIn. Its extensive integration extends to enterprise SSOs like Okta, Azure, PingOne, and OneLogin for enterprise-grade security.
Key Features:
- Centralized sales content management: Sync, upload ,and organize all sales content on a single platform and automatically surface the right content to reps in any tool or workflow
- Spekit AI: AI-powered content assistant to enables you to create new sales content, summarize sales content, and more in seconds. AI-powered content recommendations automatically recommend deal-accelerating case studies, one-sheets, testimonials and more based on the context of sales interactions to drive deals forward.
- Speks: Create bite-sized sales training content or answers and embed them directly in reps' workflow
- Knowledge base: A single source of truth for reps to access every resource they need to sell better
- Spotlights: Notify reps of new or updated sales content in real-time with in-app alerts
- Browser extension: Embed and surface content, playbooks, or processes in any tool or workflow with the Chrome extension
- Content analytics: Crown your sales content management efforts by monitoring the effectiveness of content with easy-to-review, informative visuals
Spekit CMS Differentiators
- Works anywhere sales reps work with embedded in-app enablement (no integration required!) and an always-on Chrome extension to make accessing the content sales reps need just a click away
- Simple file management process makes sharing your latest content with sales reps a breeze
- Dynamic sales playbooks create a one-stop shop for your sales rep to leverage both the knowledge and content they need to win
- Everything you need, nothing that you don’t because unnecessary bells and whistles create complexity that diminish rep adoption and therefore your ROI
Spekit SmartSend Content Sharing and Tracking Differentiators
- Effortlessly access and share content in the flow of work while working in any tool. No need to open a new tab or go hunting in your Downloads folder for the perfect piece of content to send your prospect.
- Trackable and measurable share links with real-time alerts so sales reps can quickly see who is viewing the content, for how long, as well as who your buyer is socializing content with so they can confidently engage with the whole buying group
- Powerful aggregated analytics that enables Enablement and Marketing teams to effortlessly analyze and strategically optimize their output
2. HubSpot
HubSpot offers a CMS hub, a solution built for marketers, developers, and IT teams. It enables users to create website pages that can be optimized for conversion across different devices. The hub provides an interface for marketers supported by AI tools that help them scale content publishing. It also provides tools for developers to build advanced and customized websites.
HubSpot integrates with third-party apps and tools like Gmail, Zapier, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, etc. It also provides enterprise-class security for user websites, cloud hosting, and GDPR functionality.
Key Features:
- Drag and drop page editing
- Contract attribution for monitoring marketing channels and campaigns
- Website domain management
- Search engine optimization (SEO) recommendations
- Analytics and reporting for measuring key metrics
3. Allego
Allego is an enablement platform designed to enable hybrid sales teams to manage and scale their sales content management. Users can deploy and track sales enablement assets, marketing collateral, and training material from a single platform. It offers content recommendations to sellers to help them maximize their content usage and tie sales content to revenue enablement.
Allego also allows users to visualize deal data and create digital sales rooms with customized content collections to help them communicate with buyers and sell digitally. The platform is compatible with CRMs, ERPs, and Social plugins.
Key Features:
- Guided seller content personalization
- Predictive search and filterable content collections
- Automated content administration
- Integration with PowerPoint, Word, and Excel to edit content in-app
4. Highspot
Highspot is built for enablement and marketing teams to organize and centralize sales content on a single platform. Its SmartPage technology enables businesses to create personalized browsing experiences for sales reps, giving them access to recommendations based on previous sales.
Highspot syncs metadata and content from existing repositories into one location and enables users to ensure adequate content governance. It integrates with other productivity tools like Google Drive, Slack, and SalesLoft.
Key Features:
- AI-powered search for finding content
- Content sync across repositories
- Real-time dashboards and reports for analyzing content strategy
- Scaled audit content
- Integration with existing workflow
5. Showpad
Showpad lets users connect to their DAM or CMS systems and synchronize their file library. It provides metadata such as user settings, compliance settings, tags, and file permissions to enable users to manage their sales assets. The platform has shared spaces where buyers and sellers involved in a sale can work together, offering a holistic view of the buyer's journey and process.
Also, it allows developers to connect to its API library and build customized experience apps to guide buyers through the sales pipeline using real-time data from past sales.
Key Features:
- Automated content sync with existing file library
- Smart search, filtering, and content recommendations for sellers
- Branded microsites where buyers and sellers can collaborate
- Analytics and AI to track sales marketing effectiveness
- Built-in experience app editor for editing and updating custom apps
6. Paperflite
Paperflite allows users to create customized sales microsites to share and track sales content across channels. It provides a content analytics engine to help sellers identify how content works at each stage of the buyer journey. It is powered by generative AI enabling users to automate content structuring, tagging, categorization, and more.
It is a GDPR-compliant and SOC 2-certified platform, also offering integration with marketing automation tools, CRMs, email automation tools, and analytics software.
Key Features:
- Contextual queries and information search
- Email attachment tracker
- Content sync across multiple repositories and content formats
- Live engagement tool that notifies reps when sellers engage with sales content
- Customer engagement analytics
7. Bloomfire
Bloomfire offers a content and document management system that helps users organize and manage their digital sales library on a single platform. Its AI-powered search engine deep indexes and auto-syncs files so sales materials are updated in real time. The platform's AI tools help index, categorize, and tag documents to metadata.
Bloomfire also automatically syncs content from unstructured content sources to cloud-based file storage systems. Bloomfire integrates with MS Teams, Slack, and Zendesk.
Key Features:
- Integration with MS Teams and SharePoint document libraries
- Schedule, publishing, archiving, and unpublishing of documents
- Reporting tool for auditing user activity
- Open API for information accessibility
- SharePoint files sync with enterprise search to search for content
8. Confluence
Confluence is an enterprise content management system (ECM) software built by Atlassian. It lets businesses digitally organize their information and documentation on a centralized platform. It has an open and shared workspace for teams to collaborate in real time and give contextual feedback.
It enables users to deploy cloud content management and integrate with other apps in the Atlassian marketplace, like Google Drive, SQL for confluence, and Microsoft Sharepoint.
Key Features:
- Page and file versioning
- Open and shared workspace
- Identity manager for user authentication
- Full-text search and instant previews
- Mobile and desktop functionality and sync
9. Seismic
Seismic provides a platform for teams to find, personalize, and distribute sales content with customers or prospects. It helps users scale content production, manage everything from one source, and find content using AI-powered search.
Seismic also has a meetings platform where sales reps can access recordings and materials to help them prepare for conversations with prospects. It integrates with other conversation tools like Slack, Gmail, and Microsoft Teams.
Key Features:
- Digital sales room for buyer and seller coll
- In-app search and in-content recommendations
- Customizable content library
- Seismic meetings for seller conversation readiness
- Livesend for capturing buyer engagement with shared content
10. GetAccept
GetAccept has a unified repository built to help sellers access and share content to guide buyers down the sales funnel. Its content library allows users to upload existing sales materials or create new ones using customizable pre-built templates.
Its content templates span industries, including construction, real estate, and software. GetAccept integrates with existing tech stack and CRMs like Salesforce, Hubspot, Sympa, and Microsoft Dynamics.
Key Features:
- Sales content library
- Customizable pre-built templates for different content
- Sales content analytics and tracking
- Electronic signatures
- Automated notifications and reminders
11. Pipedrive
Pipedrive has a Smartdocs platform that helps users centralize their sales documentation process by sharing proposals, quotes, and contracts using trackable links, enabling users to see when customers engage with sales content. It also offers document templates that pull product data from existing catalogs so users can auto-fill sales documents and send them out faster.
Pipedrive allows users to connect their accounts to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and DocuSign to work on those platforms within Pipedrive.
Key Features:
- Auto-fill docs with existing product info or catalogs
- Trackable sales content
- Customizable documents and templates
- Sign documents electronically
- Integration with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive
12. Bigtincan
Bigtincan has a customizable CMS built to enable teams to access and share content with buyers. Users can aggregate sales materials from various repositories into one platform and receive AI-driven recommendations for content. It has an experience studio for users to create interactive pitches using AR and VR tools.
The platform can be paired with other functionalities in Bigtincan like its sales readiness and engagement solutions. It supports multiple languages, works on any device offline and online, and integrates with Outlook, Gong, and Salesforce.
Key Features:
- Smart search filters for finding content
- Create and render content using 3D, AR, and VR tools
- AI-powered automated recommendations
- Offline and online functionality across devices
- Push notifications for notifying teams
13. Contentful
Contentful is a generative AI platform built for developers and marketers. It allows users to create and launch buyer content experiences using AI tools that support content building. Users can also automate workflows and ensure content governance and compliance.
Contentful’s core is its identity and access management, enabling admins to manage user roles and access to the platform. Its ecosystem integrates with enterprise solutions like AWS Amplify, Shopify, and Cloudinary. Users can also build custom apps with customized UI
Key Features:
- AI content type generator
- Generate brand images
- Multiple language content translator tools
- Custom app builder
- Visual modeler for visualizing content models
14. Proposify
Proposify helps sales teams remove documentation bottlenecks by automating administrative work. It offers a content library with pre-built templates, content, and images for users to customize. Sales proposals, quotes, and contracts. Users can send interactive quotes that allow clients to upsell themselves with optional add-ons.
Proposify also has a design editor that enables users to brand custom sales documents, and also auto-populate the documents with client information. The platform integrates with CRMs like Salesforce, Hubspot, and Stripe.
Key Features:
- Centralized content library
- Electronic signatures
- Approval workflows
- Design editor tool
- Roles and permissions manager
15. Membrain
Membrain content hub is a centralized platform for storing and organizing external sales content like case studies, white papers, and product information. Users can also reinforce internal sales content with triggered popups lessons. It provides in-context workflow recommendations to help reps understand when to use sales content during the buyer journey.
Membrain also allows users to import information from other business systems to track and analyze them. It has a mobile app, Membrain Go, compatible with Android and IOS devices. It integrates with marketing automation, email, and calendar tech stacks.
Key Features:
- Context management
- Content cards for knowledge reinforcement
- Embed hosted videos
- Upload external files like Word, Excel, or PDF to the content hub
- Sales content tracking and analytics
16. Saleshood
Saleshood enables users to create and launch sales enablement programs using customized page layouts for product launches, newsletters, sales plays, etc., and also measure the impact of content. It offers guided selling to show reps how to use sales content and automate the delivery of sales plays to them.
Saleshood has a training and coaching tool where users can certify reps using AI-delivered lessons. It also provides a platform for sellers and buyers to collaborate on public and private sites.
Key Features:
- Guided selling
- Customizable filters and NLP search
- Sales training and certification with generative AI coaching
- Sales content analytics
Why are Sales CMS Platforms important?
Let’s look at why you need a sales CMS platform:
Increased team productivity
According to research, reps spend up to 440 hours every year searching for the right content, about 20% of their work time. Content search and utilization is a non-selling activity that takes away from the time reps should use to engage prospects.
Sales reps' productivity depends on speed–how fast they can access everything they need to learn or send to reps. With the right sales CMS, your can multiply sales rep productivity by instantly surfacing the training, content, and resources they need to thrive, right when and where they need it.
With Spekit’s contextual knowledge base, you can build a sales enablement experience that centralizes and automatically surfaces all the sales information your reps need, embedded in their tools such as, for example, Slack, so that reps can access information anywhere they're working.
Shorter sales cycles
Shortening your sales cycle can help generate more revenue because reps can reach more prospects and customers in less time. One of the many ways to shorten the sales cycle is by automating sales content management using a sales CMS. Integrating a sales CMS will enable you to align your sales and marketing teams for effective lead nurturing and handoff between both teams.
In addition, with all sales materials on one platform, it's easier to monitor and determine when new content is needed or if sales materials are outdated. By enabling your reps with a sales CMS, you put the right information in their hands whenever needed, helping them ramp up the sales cycle and close deals faster.
Improved content visibility & usage
Many sales reps reuse outdated sales materials or do not use them at all because they are scattered across various repositories. While some businesses use a single platform, it is still time-consuming for reps to find what they need because the platform is not intuitive.
A sales CMS offers tagging, categorization, and version control features that improve content visibility. Sales materials can be organized according to the buyer journey or in any way that enables reps to see, access, and distribute content to prospects. Reps can simply go on the platform and search for what they need using a keyword or be guided by in-context recommendations.
For example, Spekit’s Spotlights feature lets you send reps notifications about new sales content without disrupting their productivity. The Spekit Sidebar lets users quickly search for content within the Knowledge base while working from any web-based application. You can see how reps engage with content and measure content usage gaps.
How to Choose the Top Sales CMS Platform
Here’s how to choose a sales CMS that aligns with your business’s needs:
Ease of Use
An easy-to-use sales CMS offers two benefits: businesses can minimize training costs, and sales teams get a tool that optimizes workflow. This study shows that provided ease of use boosts software adoption rate. Since reps already spend a significant portion of their time on non-selling activities, giving them a user-friendly CMS is important so they don’t spend too much time learning and navigating the platform.
The CMS you choose should have a low learning curve, with adequate learning and support materials for when reps need help understanding the tool. It should also integrate seamlessly into reps' workflows so that reps see it as a useful tool for optimizing their everyday tasks rather than a productivity block.
Spekit CMS, for example, has a simple, user-friendly interface that can be embedded directly in sales reps' workflows and tools. Using Speks, you can create sales content in seconds and upload and organize sales content in a few clicks. Reps can also universally access and share sales materials while on the applications they’re working in.
Customizability
In addition to being easy to use, a sales CMS should include customizable and flexible features that enable you to scale your content marketing strategy according to business growth. You should check for available browser extensions, customization options in the dashboard, and whether the platform allows you to edit the source code.
However, it depends on the level of customization you need. If you want to build simple web pages, you can choose a platform that offers standard editable templates and predesigned themes, but if you want to add advanced features to your site, a CMS that lets you edit source code is a better option.
Security
Research estimates that 12.8 million websites are infected with malware, and websites experience up to 94 attacks daily. The CMS you choose should provide enterprise-level security to enable you to protect business data and customer data. While it may be more affordable, open-source CMS platforms are more susceptible to security breaches and may have security loopholes like dependency risks, lower support for vulnerabilities, and misconfiguration.
A good sales CMS should have built-in security features like dedicated security support to protect your site from hackers, DDoS attacks, data breaches, etc. You probably don’t have the time to secure your site from attack manually, so it’s important to choose a CMS that’s already secure.
Customer Support
Great customer support can speed up the integration and adoption of a sales CMS. During the integration process, you might need technical assistance to troubleshoot any issues. Having responsive customer support ensures that setting up does not take longer than it should.
Customer support can also guide your sales reps through onboarding by providing learning materials, answering questions, or even providing tips and shortcuts to navigate the platform faster. Before deciding to use a sales CMS, you can engage its customer service to see its responsiveness or check out review sites like G2 and Capterra to see what other people say about its customer support.
Pricing
The best sales CMS solution for your business should meet your needs and provide all the features and functionalities you need while aligning with your budget. Content management systems have various pricing options, the most common being tiered pricing, custom pricing, subscription-based pricing, and a one-time licensing fee.
It's important to evaluate pricing through the lens of the features that your sales reps will actually use and adopt. As estimated 70% of all sales CMS features go unused. Many bells and whistles sound good in theory, but in reality all sales reps really want to solve for is accessing the right deal-accelerating content, at the right time.
Choose the Top Sales CMS Platform
We live in a just-in-time world where change is constant. The longer it takes for a sales rep to try and leave their workflow to go digging for sales content, the less likely it is that they'll do it. Spekit flips the script on the traditional CMS, automatically integrating within a sales reps workflow to surface the right content, at the right time.
Spekit reviewers say that the Spekit is an incredibly helpful enablement tool that’s easy to adopt. It has a great onboarding system with super supportive customer service that feels like a business partner, not a software vendor.
Spekit will help you achieve 20% higher rep quota attainment, a 70% increase in deal save rate, and 69% more selling time for your reps.
“Spekit makes it easy for my salespeople to have the information they need, when they need it, and right where they are.” - Jessica Jones, Data Axle
Spekit’s is purpose-built to support your sales reps and give them the best experience while they sell. The platform closes the gap between having questions and getting answers, enabling reps to maximize content impact on deals and helping marketing and enablement teams know if their delivered content is effective or needs adjustments with an uncomplicated, purpose-built solution.
Spekit also easily integrates with your existing tech stacks and works seamlessly with other sales enablement tools like Salesforce, Outreach, HubSpot, LinkedIn, and more.
Learn how Spekit can help to transform your sales content and enablement strategy.
