Anyone in sales for less than 10 years has probably only ever sold in a buoyant economy. Until about four months ago, when an invisible sea change called Covid-19 arrived. Are you pivoting your sales approach to maintain revenue in the new economy? Times may be TOUGH, but there’s still so much you can do to positively impact your sales results.
ARE YOU MARKETING, BUT CALLING IT SALES?
Over the last decade, some businesses have reaped such great benefits from their websites and digital marketing that they almost thought they no longer needed salespeople. In fact, you could almost argue that we have been coasting by on marketing for the last decade and calling it sales.
When you book a zoom call with the ‘warm lead’ that arrives in your email inbox, after being lovingly massaged by your email nurturing sequence and your social media, you’re not really selling the way we used to sell back in the ‘old days’. Your involvement is a bit like someone putting the cherry on top of the cupcake. Yes, your efforts make a subtle difference, but only for the last 10% of the customer journey.
Unfortunately, some salespeople have become accustomed to a veritable buffet of ‘warm leads’ delivered on a platter to their inbox each day. Have we become de-skilled, unsure what to do in the face of such a dramatic pause from so many buyers?
FILL YOUR SALES PIPELINE
There has never been a more critical time to have someone in your team doing proactive selling – filling your pipeline, spotting opportunities, and going after them. It’s time to rise out of any recession fears by taking proactive, strategic sales actions. With more customers ‘sitting on their hands’, waiting for the wage subsidies to lift, or just simply ‘waiting to see what happens’ – the rebirth of Outbound Sales is here.
Early in lockdown, there was a lot of discussion on LinkedIn around ‘Is it alright to sell?’ Yes, it is definitely alright – it’s just that your approach might need to pivot several times to find those pockets of opportunity. Business is waking up again.
So, what to do if you’re in sales? Simple, really. Those of us in business development need to take that job title – and go out there into the market to develop more business!
If you’re not used to proactive selling, this might be a bit of a shock. Sales still has a bad rap in some places. Images of the sleazy car sales rep, or of factory-farm newspaper salesrooms with row on row of desperate salespeople picking up the yellow pages and starting to dial at ‘A’.
WELCOME TO THE NEW OUTBOUND SALES
It’s time to resurrect the best parts of the old approach and craft them into a new outbound sales strategy that fills your sales pipeline for 2020 and beyond.
Proactive outbound sales for 2020 and beyond is smarter, more streamlined, and powered by more insights than you may have dreamed possible. Sales enablement software supports you in creating sales processes that help you personalise your sales outreach to build mutually valuable relationships with your ideal clients.
And proactive outbound sales will get you ahead in any recession or tough economy.
If you’re hesitant to reach out to your ideal clients, remember that your competition may already have started the conversation.
Anyone that is courageous enough to take this opportunity will be ahead of all those in your industry who have become ‘de-skilled’ in outbound sales and are patiently waiting for customers to come to them.
YOUR 3-PRONGED APPROACH TO SELLING IN A TOUGH ECONOMY
Should you stop spending on your website, your SEO, your digital marketing? Definitely not. Staying top of mind with your customers, especially now, is critical to your business coming out of this in the best possible shape.
- Your website
- Your inbound sales process (or customer pathway)
- Your outbound sales process
Right now, many companies have been running sales on a ‘Sales Stool’ with just two sales legs – their website plus their inbound sales process.
In an easier economy, it does not matter as much if your ‘Sales Stool’ is a little wobbly. When your business is doing well, you probably don’t even notice the money you’ve been leaving on the table!
There’s been a seismic shift in our economy. Is it a recession, or an opportunity – you get to decide! Make sure that your ‘Sales Stool’ is fully supported by three functioning legs. Hone your outbound sales systems and processes to take a proactive approach. This will put your team ahead of the competition – growing your new client relationship opportunities to create the sales results you want for your business.
Book in space for your free 30 min sales strategy call. Let’s talk.