Salespeople didn’t know how easy we had it before March 2020. In those days, we mainly had to focus on asking open-ended questions, explaining how our products and services could meet the customers’ needs, overcoming their objections, and closing the sale. Throw in some follow-ups and referral requests, and you had yourself a pretty complete sales process. If you followed those steps consistently, you probably did well.
Increased Challenges
Of course, in those days we weren’t worried about cleaning protocols, social distancing, correct mask usage, or empty showrooms as the public cautiously resumes going back to stores. On top of that, many businesses are deliberately understaffing to protect their employees to prevent an outbreak. Operating under all of these restrictions, worrying about so much more on top of our sales processes, maybe we should expect the customer experience to suffer. We’re all in this together, so we just all have to hunker down and weather the storm, right?
High Standards
Of course, it’s not that simple. Despite all of the extra challenges, we have to demand of ourselves the same high standards that we always have. Remember, sales have always been a key part of a business’s survival—in the face of a global pandemic, a downturned economy, decreased consumer spending, etc., etc., etc., it’s even harder. If we don’t fight to overcome these obstacles, then our businesses will not weather the storm. Now is not the time to hunker down but to stand tall and meet these challenges head-on.
Important Lessons
In that vein, check out Dave Kurlan’s blog post, 15 Things Salespeople Must Do to Make up for a Lackluster 2nd Quarter. In it, he describes dropping off his son for his freshman year in college, and how the college president took the time to coach new students on how to navigate these difficult times. Several of the president’s points seemed equally applicable to sales, so Kurlan decided to share them with all of us. Here are a few of our favorites you should consider:
The very first point is to just show up. That’s the biggest step when you think about it. Now, let’s be clear: we don’t mean that you should choose to physically show up if you were quarantined at home for safety reasons. When we say show up, we mean bring your A-game. Don’t just aim to be a warm body. Come to play. Be fully present.
Another great point is how important it is to understand and accept that you’ll be uncomfortable. You just have to do the work anyway. There’s no ignoring the world around us; masks, social distancing, and the like are not going away tomorrow. We’re all uncomfortable. Suck it up and get it done. If you won’t, who will?
Finally, take responsibility—for the stuff you can control. There are externalities, such as the health and safety protocols, as well as consumer anxieties about even being in public. These are realities you can’t dispel with a magic wand. Really, all you can control is what’s directly in front of you. That means following the safety protocols set forth by your company to help ensure yours and others’ literal health. But for the survivability of the business you work for, you still need to follow your sales and customer service processes and be even more understanding of and accommodating customer needs as you’ve ever been. It’s a tall order, no doubt.
Overcoming Tough Times
Look, it’s not easy. We all know that. And we all know that you’ll be putting in a ton of work that may not translate to the scoreboard right away for all of the reasons we’ve just mentioned. But we have a recommendation for that: consider asking your company to mystery shop you. We know that sounds like a strange request: after all, who wants to be tested?
The answer to that question is simple. The people who want to improve are the ones who look forward to the tests. Like all challenges, they face them head-on without hesitation.
Consider this: if your business isn’t mystery shopping yet, then the only way to measure an employee’s success is purely off the sales figures and the occasional comment card. But you deserve more recognition than that, especially considering how you’re likely seeing fewer opportunities than the way it was before March 2020.
So, point your manager to us at The Brandt Group, and let’s get started on ensuring not only your business’s survival but also its long-term growth. Don’t just be a warm body—stand tall today and let’s meet this challenge together.
