Sales is the backbone of any business: it’s the sales team that connects customers with your product or service. However, the pandemic has made it harder for B2B reps to sell products to prospects and customers whose priorities have since shifted.
Even when the going gets tough, businesses rely on sales to ensure their survival and to keep the economic wheel turning. The question is, how do you sell during a pandemic when almost every pointer is in the red? It’s all about going back to the fundamentals of selling: understanding your customer is the key to making a sale.
Follow these 7 tips to sell like a pro during the pandemic
1. Be considerate
Your customers are already going through so much, and their priorities have shifted as a result. For instance, some may have cut their budgets to the bone to ensure they don’t go under. Â
To work around this disruption, adopt a more considerate sales approach. Give your customers time to adjust and let them take the lead when scheduling appointments or sales calls. Let them tell you when they are free and ready to hear your pitch or book a follow-up call. The last thing you should do is be pushy or put them under pressure.
2. Connect with clients virtually
Communication is the fabric that builds and strengthens client connections. Clients need a personal touch, even if social distancing has created barriers to physical contact and in-person meetings.
To make up for the lack of face-to-face sales interactions, it helps to design an effective virtual sales experience.
You can also create client forums that reveal trends and opportunities they can capitalize on, or conduct Q&A webinars that deepen your interactions with your clients.
3. Focus on the value you provide
Clients pay for the value you bring to the marketplace. To keep your sales figures rolling, you’ll need to adapt your value proposition to fit their current circumstances.
For example, if they are losing business or confronted with a new set of challenges, your products must demonstrate how they can help your clients navigate the “new normal” or help them stay afloat.
Let their changing business model be your guide as you adapt your products or services to meet the emerging needs.
4. Restructure your offering
COVID-19 has not just disrupted your clients’ operations — it has also affected their purchasing power. Clients may be hesitant to invest the same amount of money in products and services as they were before.
With this new situation in mind, consider offering a temporary discount or “pay later” option to help your prospects get what they need. A lot of companies have stepped up to help their customers during the pandemic. Think of what you can do for your prospects to create a win-win situation for you both.
5. Leverage digital infrastructure
With many clients shifting to digital platforms in an effort to continue operating and cut costs, you should consider tweaking your sales model and incorporating digital solutions to help serve your clients better.
For instance, instead of insisting that your clients should sign application forms, contracts, or purchase orders using traditional “wet ink,” give them the option to use an electronic signature tool like Signeasy. Signeasy is a secure, quick, and easy way to request signatures from clients – they won’t even need an account to access a document link and drop their eSignature.
Try out Signeasy’s affordable eSignature solution to see how much time and effort it can save: Sign up now for a 14-day free trial!
6. Cross-sell and upsell
The cost of acquiring a new customer is higher than the cost of retaining an existing one. This is where upselling and cross-selling come into the picture. Using these tactics, you can add more value to your existing offers while retaining your customers and solidifying your brand as their go-to solution.
You can use free trials, incentive programs, and discounts to get them to subscribe without incurring an upfront cost. You can also offer your prospects and clients a different service that complements your existing product.
7. Use a collaborative approach to designing your solution
Collaborate with and listen to your clients when you are designing a solution for them. This will help ensure that their concerns and challenges are being addressed right from the beginning. Paying attention to prospects’ needs and requirements makes the buy-in process much easier and pulls them into the product formulation process.
COVID-19 has introduced the need for customized solutions, and one of the ways to achieve that is through close collaboration with your prospects and clients.
Move into touchless sales
The challenges related to COVID-19 will likely be with us for some time. Keeping the above points in mind will help you shift your perspective and adapt your business model to your clients’ shifting needs. Start the journey into touchless sales by signing up for Signeasy.
