There is always something going on in the market that makes selling difficult. However, you can choose to develop strategies and utilize virtual technologies to get in front of your prospects and clients.
Take this time to really get to know your clients and their needs, fears, and pressures so that you can help solve their problems, while helping to push both of your organizations forward.
Earlier this week, I conducted a 30-minute Live Zoom Broadcast titled, “How to Sell in Any Market”. The primary focus of the session was to help people understand the following:
- There is always something going on in the market that makes selling difficult. If you’ve been in sales long enough – more than 10 years – something is always happening with the economy, politics, health crises, competition or decisions made by your company.
- Don’t let outside conditions be the reason you don’t succeed. Maybe the market has shrunk as it did in 2008 – 09 but it didn’t disappear unless you were making recreational vehicles in Elkhart, Indiana or Houseboats in Cumberland, Kentucky.
- No one owns 100% of the market, so if there are 100 opportunities and the “800lb gorilla” in your market has 20% market share, that leaves 80% for you to go get in addition to taking some of the low hanging fruit from the “gorilla.”
- Old technology still works – pick up the phone and call someone! Don’t rely on emails that are getting deleted by the dozens.
- Have a strategy:
- Get face to face – via virtual technology – with the top 20% of your client list
- Call and talk to your next 40%
- Email, or better yet, snail mail the next 20% of those that you believe have the potential to grow to the top.
- What you are doing today is either helping you race to the top or race to the bottom, you get to decide!
- Identify the 3 things that you should be doing NOW to help your build relationships and forge friendships, rather than the 3 things that will help you increase sales. Remember, those that you are calling on in B2B business have lots of things they are worried about and buying from you may not be top of the list. These worries may include:
- How is my business going to survive this crisis?
- Who do I let go and what’s the best way to do that?
- How do I best serve and keep my clients safe and secure?
- How do I protect myself and my family from harm and illness?
- How do I take care of those people that have helped me build, run and grow this business?
- I do have a business to run so unless you are bringing something valuable and unique to my situation, I don’t have time to talk to you or respond to your emails.
In closing, here are some responses below that we received from some of the 50 participants in our session.
Thank you be safe and stay healthy.
- It’s time to make friends not money
- Run zoom rooms with top 20
- Using the quote about “People want to know how much you care before they care how much you know.”
- Change my attitude
- Make sure you listen to your clients
- Get to know your clients better
- Assume that your clients need a solution, not a sales pitch
- Short term actions lead to long term results
- Your best clients look great to competition at any price
- Human Touch in a High-Tech World….love this!
- Make friends, not sales
- Take advantage of technology, learn to provide creative solutions, pick up the phone and be unique!
- Be persistent, but not pestilent.
- Think Strategically
Interested in Leadership Development for your organization? While our program is personalized, it will often include an initial in-person kick-off training day or virtual zoom-cast, followed by a series of focused Coaching Calls with the “Leader in Development” as well touchpoints with the Executive team.
