In the midst of this current uncertainty, it’s time to re-evaluate our efforts.
We are in the middle of a scary, uncharted time right now. There is no more “business as usual,” yet our quotas are not going away and we are still expected to make sales. So, what should we be doing to continue to build our pipelines, reinforce client relationships and close business?
My father always said that you don’t have control over everything that happens to you, but you do have control over how you handle it. What we’re going through right now is unprecedented and no one knows how to handle this. But we can’t just do nothing!
As salespeople, we need to take a step back, re-assess the situation and figure out the smartest activities to do under the circumstances. Right now, it’s important to start with:
- Changing all face-to-face meetings over the next few weeks to virtual meetings. If you can’t meet in person, the next best thing is to conduct your meetings online. Maximize virtual meeting rooms, such as Zoom, and you can continue to be productive.
- Reaching out to people you have not connected with recently. This is a perfect time to reach out to people you’ve lost touch with or have not spoken with in a while. Make a list of everyone you want to reach out to in order of priority so you can get to your most important contacts first.
- Being purposeful in everything that you do. Since the number of activities you’re doing right now might be limited due to cancellations, make sure that every call, virtual meeting and email has a purpose. Be sure to properly prepare so that you make the most out of all your efforts.
- Continuing to reach out to decision makers. Since most people are working remotely, they are potentially more available to pick up the phone or respond to your emails. Make sure you are prepared for your outreach with strong benefit statements and examples of how you have helped others.
- Using a multi-prong approach. Try to build your relationships via social media, emails and phone calls. Since we need to limit face-to-face interactions, make the most of the communication channels that we have available to us.
Things may not be “normal” right now, but changing your approach and strategy even slightly can help you keep up with sales and business activities so you can make the best out of our present situation.
Just a reminder that the BDU team is here for you for anything you might need to help you adjust to your new business “norm.” We have a variety of free resources available for you, including:
- Our BDUtensil library, full of handy tools for everything from analyzing your sources of business to keeping track of your goals and activities
- Our BDU Blog, featuring articles to help you brush up on your prospecting, networking, sales and business development strategies so you’re ready to tackle anything
- Our YouTube channel, featuring tips and techniques straight from our team
And remember, we’re just a call or video chat away if we can assist you with anything at all. Sending love and support from our BDU family to yours.