Selling in the midst of COVID-19

Recommendations for your sales approach during the coronavirus crisis

“there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

This response from US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in a 2002 news briefing is relevant today more than ever.

COVID-19 is one of the most unique and challenging crises of this generation. We do not know how long it will last nor do we have a cure or vaccine yet. This new reality requires creativity, adaptability and reinvention. It means reinventing the way we buy and sell, the way we interact and the way we do business.

I never thought I would be having a family dinner over a video conferencing app, but I am. And so are many of my friends and acquaintances. Why? Because we are adapting to a new reality and adopting new ways of doing things. We are human, with basic human needs of love, belonging and having relationships. The novel coronavirus is presenting us with a challenge that has birthed so many opportunities to invest in our existing relationships and create new ones. Organizations have a decisive role in this. Your employees’ and customers’ needs are drastically changing, creating uncertainty and anxiety. More than ever, they are looking for your support. This starts with taking action early, communicating constantly and planning ahead.

How should we be selling during the coronavirus? This is a common question that sales leaders have been asked or have thought of in the past few weeks. 30 years in sales have not prepared me enough to have an infallible answer. However, what my experience has taught me is that your sales approach starts first with your own definition of “selling”. Your perception of selling has a direct impact on your strategy and process. The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers a few definitions of “selling”, most of them not very flattering. The most common one is along the lines of: “exchange something in return for money”. Hmm… kinda, but no!

It has always been my belief that selling means helping your clients successfully achieve their goals. You are selling so that your customers will be in a better position than they were before they used your product or service. When your customer is successful, you are successful. Therefore, I see selling as making your customers’ lives better.

In any crisis, fear will kick in, sometimes panic. And right now, it’s normal for businesses to worry about their future, their survival. Salesreps will grow worrisome about their quotas, their commissions, their job, their needs. This concern is palpable and noticeable by your customers. This can lead to a “thinner” pipeline, lost deals, canceled visits and meetings. How do you prepare and adapt your sales process to provide value to your customers and your organization?

Innovation in your sales process

When we speak of innovation, it is often in relation to products, solutions and technologies. How innovative is your sales process? For example, in your current process you might be used to doing a discovery call, followed by an on-site presentation… this is no longer an option until things get back to “normal”. So, what now?

First of all, don’t stop selling. Now is not the time to assume the worst. Your deals may stall, your pipeline might lose a few pounds, but not all is lost. Now more than ever, rethink your approach, switch it up quickly and frequently.

Here are some recommendations for your sales teams that you can put in place as soon as right now:

Demonstrate real care

Empathy has been the sales buzzword of March 2020 (yawn)…

Be careful with the ad nauseam “we are empathetic” communications and take real action that reflects your sensitivity to the changes in the market. Using an empathetic communication approach means nothing if you are not actively listening to, sharing with and helping your customers. There are numerous actions you can take to demonstrate that you care. For example, you can be more flexible and review your terms and conditions or your pricing if needed.

P.S. if you waited for a global pandemic to be empathetic in your sales approach, you might need more than just a few tips right now.

Be transparent

Newsflash! You are not the only one dealing with the impact of this crisis. The entire world (literally) is going through it. Put your ego aside and allow yourself to be vulnerable and transparent with your customers. Don’t be afraid to share some details about what your business is going through and what you are working on. Allow your customers to get a behind-the-scenes look into your own challenges and the actions that you are taking to help them and their community. This helps to build trust and stronger relationships. That trust is the first step in allowing you to have truly candid conversations with your customers.

Focus on existing relationships

As mentioned earlier, when you make your customers’ lives better, you achieve a higher level of trust. This takes time. It is more likely that existing opportunities and accounts already have a certain level of trust in you. As such, you will have more success when you focus on nurturing those relationships instead of pursuing new opportunities. These relationships are closer to the finish line and you should spend more time with them. It will be very challenging to build trust with new contacts during this crisis. Keep your leads warm, keep your follow ups regular, check in more often. You can further strengthen the relationship with your customers by giving them a bigger voice in your communications such as asking them for feedback.

Try new things

You are not the only one trying to adapt during this time, your clients are too. It is a good time to try new things with your customers. When your intentions are good, this can help you both. Most salespeople today are accustomed to video conferencing and working remotely, but not all of your clients are used to it. Lead them through this transition by trying new things and helping them adapt. For example, not all clients are cancelling meetings, some are moving them to video. If you are used to doing on-site visits that cost you thousands of dollars, you can send a care kit to customers at the fraction of the price. Imagine sending a 300$ tablet to your customer so they can easily have video meetings…

Stock up on leads

Uncertainty and fear led to stocking up on toilet paper. In preparation for “getting back to normal”, what are you stocking up on in your sales process? What is the important supply that you should have enough of when you bounce back?

Leads. Stock up on leads. Not to be confused with the previous concept of focusing on existing relationships, this is more about prospecting as an investment for your future. Invest more time and resources in your prospecting efforts today so that you are better prepared when the crisis is over.

Position your solution around COVID-19

No matter who you are selling to and what you are selling, your customers are all worried about the novel coronavirus (some more than others). Re-ignite your sales pitch around how your product or solution is related to their coronavirus concerns so you can help them during this time. For example, if you are offering a service that makes online buying easier, this can be of great value to customers who were ill-prepared for taking their business online. Your new sales pitch must demonstrate how you can help them build a new source of revenue. What better way to create value?

This does not mean to completely change your approach. Many of the benefits of your product work today as they did before the coronavirus, but you will need to adjust and adapt your sales pitch to reflect what your prospects are dealing with today, like the future of their business, limited access to their supply chain or figuring out how to work remotely.

“Il meglio è l’inimico del bene”

Perfect is the enemy of good! (Italian proverb)

For the above tips to work, leaders must endorse speed over perfection. Working on your messaging for a few days is counterproductive. Things are moving really fast right now. Your message should be adaptable and ready to change daily. Make quicker decisions. They won’t be perfect but they will provide progress and great learning. In addition, make sure that you remove red tape and allow your teams to be more autonomous and agile

I would love to hear your feedback and learn about what has been working for your team.