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Assignment Selling

Owner: Sales Lead (Execution), Content Manager (Content Library), Marketing Lead (Strategy)
Framework: Marcus Sheridan's Endless Customers

What Is Assignment Selling?​

"Assignment Selling is the strategic practice of requiring prospects to consume specific educational content before sales conversations to improve close rates and reduce sales cycles."
— Marcus Sheridan

The data:

  • Prospects who engage with 30+ pages before first appointment close at 80%
  • Prospects without that engagement close at 25%
  • Close rate improves with each additional piece consumed

Why it works: Educated buyers are committed buyers. Self-qualification eliminates tire-kickers.

The 3 Ws of Assignment Selling​

  1. WHAT to assign — Which content (Content Manager creates/organizes)
  2. WHEN to assign it — Which sales stage (Sales defines)
  3. WHY it matters — How you communicate importance (Sales executes)

Content Library Structure (Content Manager Manages)​

Organized in CRM by:

  • Sales stage (pre-discovery, pre-estimate, pre-contract, objection-handling)
  • Topic (pricing, process, reviews, comparisons, problems)
  • Format (video, blog, PDF guide, case study)

Core Assignment Selling Content:

Pre-Discovery Call​

  1. Founder/team bio video (2-3 min) — Who we are
  2. What to expect video (5-10 min) — Full process
  3. Pricing guide (blog) — Realistic budgets
  4. Reviews page — Social proof

Pre-Estimate Presentation​

  1. Case study similar to their project (video or blog)
  2. Process deep-dive (blog) — Pre-construction, communication
  3. Value explanation (blog) — "Why We Cost What We Cost"

Pre-Contract Signing​

  1. Client testimonial (video) — Similar project
  2. Problem handling (blog) — Warranty, resolution
  3. Timeline/disruption guide — What to expect during

Objection-Specific​

  • "Too expensive" → Value content, ROI, cost breakdown
  • "Takes too long" → Timeline explainer, why rushing costs more
  • "Worried about disruption" → Living through remodel guide
  • "Not sure about design" → Design consultation video, portfolio

Assignment Selling Script (Sales Uses)​

First inquiry response email:

"Thanks for reaching out about your [kitchen/bathroom] remodel!

Before we schedule a consultation, I'd like you to review a few resources (takes ~20 minutes). Homeowners who review these before our first meeting make faster decisions, feel more confident, and have better experiences.

Please watch/read:

  1. [Bio video link]
  2. [What to expect video link]
  3. [Pricing guide link]
  4. [Reviews page link]

Once you've reviewed these, email me back and we'll schedule. Looking forward to talking!

[Name]"

Key: Explain WHY (better experience, faster decisions), make it easy (direct links), require completion before scheduling.

Tracking Assignment Completion​

In CRM:

  • Track which content each prospect opens/watches
  • Lead scoring based on engagement
  • Automated reminders if not completed
  • MQL → SQL trigger when threshold met (e.g., 3 of 4 pieces consumed)

Sales reviews: Who's completing assignments (prioritize these leads), who's not (follow up or deprioritize)

Measuring Success​

Monthly metrics:

  • Assignment completion rate (% of prospects who complete)
  • Close rate: completers vs. non-completers
  • Time from inquiry to close (completers should be faster)
  • Average deal size (completers often higher)

Goal: 70%+ completion rate, 2x close rate for completers

In Revenue Team meetings: Which assignments work best? What content needs updating?

Common Pitfalls​

  1. Not requiring it — "Hey, check this out if you want" doesn't work. Require it.
  2. Assigning too much — 20 min of content max, not 2 hours
  3. Poor organization — Content Manager must make library searchable for Sales
  4. Not tracking — If CRM doesn't track engagement, you can't measure effectiveness
  5. Sales doesn't actually use it — Sales adoption is critical

Learn More​

Assignment Selling transforms content from "nice to have" into a revenue driver. Require it, track it, optimize it.