Aren’t you tired of content that talks about “the new normal,” in terms of the workforce? We sure are.
Yet some conversations simply must be had multiple times, with many circles. It’s the best way we can collectively help each other navigate through the many changes that have redefined all we have previously known. There is no time like the present to discuss how to navigate through the future, especially within the sales realm.
Regardless of the size of the company, sales teams worldwide have felt the brunt of business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of nowhere, events and business travels became indefinitely postponed, quarterly/annual budgets were reduced, and sales professionals started questioning the stability of their jobs. We can all raise our hands in agreement on that.
Thanks to this digital age, most sales teams made the switch to working remotely. However, as with most technological transformations, it wasn’t necessarily a seamless process for everyone. Many questions and concerns came up from sales professionals worldwide, on how to tackle post-pandemic sales processes.
As such, we decided to put together this three-step guide to help point everyone towards the right direction.
Start Small, And With The Right Mindset
We must all join forces and look forward, because with all these changes in mind, we’re working off a clean slate.
Now is the time to think about ways to work towards making future quarters as successful as possible given the new changes (instead of compared to previous quarters.) Making such updates would help keep spirits high, and make future goals more attainable.
So start off with the simpler baby steps, by updating things such as sales presentations, email templates, and maybe even verticals worth targeting.
Get The Best Tools That Meet Company Needs
Once everyone is in agreement over the redefined goals, objectives, and responsibilities, it is then time to lay out the building blocks for success by revamping processes and getting the right tools for the job. Bear in mind, usage of each tool calls for an onboarding process for sales rep.
The sales software market is undoubtedly saturated, and each product/service is specialized in its own way to accomplish the different types of goals that vary between businesses.
Very generally speaking however, you would want to look into tools for internal and external communication, project management/collaboration, general sales activity of course, internal/external documentation tools, and last but not least, a tool to make giving virtual demos easier than ever before.
Operate As A Realist
Before the pandemic struck, there was plenty of room to be an optimist in terms of possible outcomes, but now is the time to set that mindset aside and be more of a realist. Not a pessimist- just a realist.
As a realist, you would know to always prepare for worst case scenarios, because one thing we collectively learned since the pandemic is that things change every day. Murphy’s Law is in full effect here.
As such, it’s important to bear in mind that changes may need to be constant, and plans would need to be dynamic and ever-evolving. Now more than ever, especially in the sales realm, it’s a matter of survival of the most adaptable and those who know how to act fast.
Depending on your industry and capabilities, you may even want to consider focusing on the speed to close, over the total dollar value. This wouldn’t be advisable normally, but then again, we aren’t living in normal times, nor would it go back to normal anytime soon. With each day that passes, your chances of closing deals may decrease.
So don’t wait, just close. At the same time though, bear in mind that any move you make now may have long-term consequences, so don’t give discounts that the company won’t be able to finance. The health of the company comes first.
Now brace yourself for another cliche: we’re in this together. We really are. It’s up to each of us to make these new processes more manageable for the greater good. Once armed with the right tools, and by operating with structure, transparency, and empathy- you and the rest of your remote team will be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.
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