part 2 of 2
This blog post and Part 1 were published earlier this month in the Birmingham Business Journal. As a guest columnist, I wanted to share my thoughts on our “new normal.”
In our previous blog, we talked about how much—and how fast—life and work have changed since the coronavirus crisis began.
Not only are consumer buying behaviors changing, but also we’ve seen significant changes in business-to-business (B2B) sales—especially those involving outside salespeople. In some industries, especially the high-tech sector, the outside sales position has always been different, more specialized perhaps.
But the pandemic has disrupted the outside salesperson’s job in traditional industries like healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, academia, finance, etc. In some ways, we are seeing the demise of the traditional outside salesperson or, at a minimum, a dramatic change in what they do—and no longer do.
In the last several years, as online business activity has become the norm, many buyers have been reluctant to see salespeople. Now, due to the pandemic, many companies are not allowing salespeople to come visit at all unless they are on a “short list” or can address a critical issue the buyer might be encountering.
So today, we are encouraging outside salespeople to forget how they might have sold in the past—there’s no future in it. Here’s how outside salespeople can adapt to the “new normal” way of selling:
Meet the new face-to-face meeting. According to Zoom, its number of daily active users jumped from 10 million to over 200 million in three months. From the CEO to Aunt Jo, everyone is using video conferencing these days. This trend probably will not go away even as people return to their actual workplaces. Many salespeople will now be asking for a 30-minute video call to assess a buyer’s needs, present a solution or offer training. Successful salespeople will master this technology and use it as a tool like they do Office 365, CRMs and social media.
Office 2.0: traditional office, home office and virtual office. In the past, many salespeople were “out of the office” or “in the field” spending one-on-one time with buyers. That model has long been under attack from company leadership as unproductive and inefficient. Moving forward, more and more of a salesperson’s time will be spent “in” the office however “office” is defined. That will drive efficiencies and provide the accountability to actually use CRMs as a tool in the sales process.
Working in teams & sharing information. Traditionally, outside salespeople worked independently, and many thought they “owned” a particular account because they were the company’s “face” with the buyer. We foresee more cooperation and teamwork where several people might interact with the buyer(s). Email campaigns, blogs, CRMs, pipeline management, electronic proposals, customer surveys, e-sales meetings, automatic scheduling of buyer video calls, etc. all need to be orchestrated and part of a well-thought-out process. Buyer information will be recorded, stored and shared by many. (We know most companies today have CRMs, but few salespeople use this as a tool—they view it as a waste of time, something meant for marketing and a product of “big brother.”)
Primary communication with buyers has changed. With fewer buyers accepting face-to-face meetings, sellers will have to use other forms of communication like email, texts and even phone calls. Social media like LinkedIn and even Instagram messaging will play a part in selling in this quarantined world. Figure out how to rely upon—and excel at—these kinds of communication in order to stand out from the crowd.
Be a consultant; be an expert. For years, I have challenged salespeople to brand themselves as a consultant for their clients. I’ve encouraged them to become “the expert” in their fields. Doing this is more important than ever! Many sales managers are telling me that buyers are reducing the number of suppliers that they work with these days. You can be one of those chosen few by positioning yourself as the expert in your industry. (For more on the consultative salesperson, download a free copy of our Authentic Selling eBook.)
Understand your buyers’ journey to purchasing. In digital marketing, this is called the Customer Journey Map. It’s all about how someone first finds you, then gets educated about what you provide and then makes the decision to purchase your product or service. It is a visual representation of every experience your buyer has with you—from reading your blog, to visiting your website to evaluating your proposal, to making a purchase. Is your message consistent throughout? Is the journey easy to navigate? It is imperative that you know how to provide a consistent, positive experience for your buyer.
“Alexa, I want to lease 50,000 sq. ft. of ‘A’ class office space near UAB Hospital.” People are already using Smart Assistants (AI or Artificial Intelligence) to do things like check the weather, get directions, choose which music to listen to or check their child’s homework for accuracy. So, you can imagine people are going to use this kind of technology for work-related buying. It is time to think about how AI can help in your sales process. Residential sellers already are offering virtual tours. I’ve heard of people buying a home with only a virtual tour! Think about how you can use AI and other technology in B2B selling.
People want responsiveness and answers—now! Consumer buying behaviors are spilling over into B2B selling. We can check—from oven to front door—the status of the pizza we ordered. Amazon sends notifications—or even photos—to tell us our packages have arrived. We’re going to expect the same immediate, real-time info at work. People won’t tolerate an “I’m out of the office on vacation” message anymore. They don’t want to press another button to get an answer. Sellers are going to have to be responsive—quickly and consistently.
Unlike with the coronavirus, this is not a time for salespeople to flatten the curve. Those who will be successful going forward will embrace the new realities of selling; they will acquire the skills needed to reach the quarantined buyer. They will work well with others and even work in ways that might feel uncomfortable. They will decide to get better; they will work smarter and faster; they will embrace change and use it to their advantage.
I believe this mindset of action, not fear, is the way to do what you do better.