Pascal PersynCustomers are currently concerned with the uncertain situation and short-term results. In order to be able to act as leaders in current times, we will discuss a few questions in detail:
- What do we know today, and which changes will be permanent?
- What are the 5 new skills that every salesperson needs?
- What are the 4 main pitfalls?
In our very first webinar at the start of the lockdown, we discussed the procedure for remote sales, as well as the way salespeople can support their customers while being productive themselves:
- Contact as many people as possible
- Assess the customers who are active and are even ready to make investments
- Subdivide your customers in groups based on similar needs and set priorities
- Set up small-scale campaigns in line with this temporary subdivision
- Be prepared and be sure to practise, as the contents of the conversations is totally different than usual and physical conversations are not possible
A brief survey in this webinar indicated that enterprises mainly struggle with (in descending order of importance):
- Filling the pipeline to limit the impact to a minimum
- Acquiring several contacts with the same company in order to acquire a clearer insight
- Mixed feelings about the continued remote sales
- Focus on short term rather than on long term
According to an investigation by McKinsney, 96% of enterprises have adjusted their “go-to-market” model to the current situation. 80% even state that the new approach will be applicable at least 1 year. Within the context of this new approach, it’s a challenge for salespeople to remain relevant and create value immediately.
3 important components of leadership are:
- Way of selling: it’s essential to have several contacts in a company, but that’s only possible via a hybrid interaction model. This means less face-to-face contacts, less travelling but more digital contacts.
- Timing & opportunities: proper time management has more than ever become crucial for setting the right priorities.
- Value creation: In these uncertain times there are 6 factors customers are extra sensitive for. Responding to one or several of those factors with value-driven messages is an important way to have more impact.
These 6 factors are the following:
- Social responsibility
- Reducing anxiety
- Availability
- Stability
- Risk reduction
- Flexibility
This new approach also means that salespeople need a number of new skills:
- Building bridges for customers: By combining the insights of the different contacts within the company and linking them to the additional value your company offers
- Talking to customers with a beginner’s mindset and avoiding the pitfall of pre-covid assumptions
- Combining proactive interactions with replies to the rather reactive questions.
- Being able to provide structure and react to unfiltered customer information, so that the colleagues think along and work on the basis of the new insights
- Making use of the video meeting experience acquired in order to introduce a hybrid interaction model with more virtual contacts alternating with physical meetings
- Closing the gap between knowledge and competencies
The most important pitfalls in the current situation are:
- Changing too slow due to a delay in translating the impact into a new approach
- Getting stuck in replying to short-term reactive questions
- Underestimating the required new knowledge & competencies
- Not letting go of the experience and insights acquired before covid-19 and thus missing or misjudging new opportunities
Do you want to know more about how you can face the current challenge?
[ON-DEMAND WEBINAR]
How to Move Stalled Sales Opportunities?
Procrastination comes in different guises. 3 steps to avoid procrastination
Dealing with Late Cycle Concerns