The coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed consumers’ behaviors. From individuals who are under- or unemployed to businesses with clients who have paused their contracts, this pandemic has had a sweeping effect across all industries. Some might be faring better than others, but no one was spared.

For entrepreneurs and leaders who have employees and clients counting on them to keep things going, it might be hard to juggle the demands of the business and the pressure to boost sales at a challenging time. It’s still possible to go beyond just maintaining your sales during this pandemic. All it takes is making the right decisions.

What can sales leaders do for their organization to achieve and exceed their goals despite the current situation? There are a few things you need to accomplish to make it happen.

Optimize sales channels

Now is the best time to run through your current and available sales channels. As it’s still better to be safe than sorry these days, you have to find ways to reach your target market most efficiently. This means you need to come up with solutions before they grow into bigger problems.

Is your team equipped with proper web conferencing and client messaging software? Do you have a credible and user-friendly online presence? Are you addressing all your customers’ probable questions right away? These are things you have to get out of the way to ensure that your sales team can do the heavier lifting.

Doing webinars instead of face to face pitches will become more common, so you need to be ready. Bookings and inquiries will likely be made online as well. Lead generation will have to be done through channels like these, so it’s best to invest in the proper resources instead of just waiting things out.

Grow customer relationships

If you are struggling, chances are your customers are, too. You have to bear their hardship as much as you put up with yours. Even if you are doing the most to find new customers, make sure you do as much to maintain your relationships with your old ones.

As most salespersons know, it’s much more cost-efficient to retain old customers than find new ones. So what can you do to strengthen your relationships with your current customers? Start by engaging them in channels or platforms that you know they are active in. Find out what their concerns are, what they need, and how they hope you can help.

Now more than ever, you have to be responsive - whether it’s to inquiries, requests, or meetings. Make sure you are covering all bases and doing things that show them how much they are valued. Deliver on your promise to provide the best solutions, and don’t take shortcuts when providing customer service.

Recalibrate your approach to help address coronavirus concerns

You will be making a big mistake if you refuse to acknowledge how the pandemic has changed your consumers’ lifestyles and behaviors. The best way to determine your market’s pain points and ensure that your product or service adapts to address these. As a sales leader, you have to propel your team towards innovation.

Talk to your team and begin to embrace a spirit of resilience and flexibility. A more dynamic approach to sales is required, especially if you have to adapt your pitch to the challenges of these times. Make sure you and your team collaborate on repositioning your product and how it can address your customers’ pain points and exceed their expectations.

Now is the time to make use of your customer data. If you don’t have enough of it yet, start diving into it now. Use it to understand how their buying habits are changing, which of their needs are unmet, and where opportunities lie. Keep testing and refining your approach until you hit the spot.

Don’t stop selling  

There couldn’t be any worse time to push sales, but you shouldn’t stop selling. Sales may drop across most industries, but many opportunities will also arise.

As a sales leader, you have to be your team’s strength and offer them guidance as they navigate these trying times. Some of your team members might be handling it worse than others. Provide additional support where needed and make them feel that you are there to help them.

What can you and your team do to push sales? Highlight your product’s benefits that would be most beneficial during this pandemic. Ensure that your messaging fits your customers’ current needs. This is the perfect time to try new approaches as well - there is minimal risk in attempting to solve things in an older or newer way. What matters is that you are selling.

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