Keep Selling During a Pandemic

IT is important now to prepare for the time when the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and we return to something more normal. Once the storm has passed, it will be too late to gain any meaningful competitive advantage. Here are four tips on how to close deals to help you through.

First, uplevel your prospecting. Seems like a no-brainer because it is. But simply sending emails may not be enough anymore. Engage with your prospects’ social posts, send handwritten notes, give gifts within your company’s ethical guidelines, or leverage zoom to connect face-to-face. A lot of marketing agencies are encouraging custom-curated videos to prospects as well. There is no playbook that exists, so creativity, experimentation, and consistent effort will be key. Deploy, test, iterate, repeat.

Second, shift your mindset to think about your prospect’s customer, because these people now hold the key to your success. Once you understand how the people your prospect is selling to have been affected, you’ll have a better understanding of what to expect during sales calls, and can adjust your focus and forecasts accordingly. Don’t be afraid to ask your prospect directly. “Given the new environment, has anything changed?” and “Can you walk me through the approval process on a deal like this?”

Third, try a little empathy. Put yourself in your prospects shoes and focus on what it would take to get the deal done. This may take the form of deferred payments, adjusted payment schedules or contract lengths, or discounted or free products. What’s important here is that you’re asking the right questions and tailoring your approach to their specific needs.

Just remember that even though you may be sacrificing a bit of premium, you’re doing good. If you can get product they need into their hands, you’re building a relationship and investing in loyalty.

Fourth, pitch all deals like you’re pitching to the CFO. This means focusing on real ROI, drawing a direct line between what you are selling and your prospect’s organizational goals. This ROI will involve money saved, cost avoided, and as we mentioned in our last video, time and effort savings as well. 

Finally, just to reiterate, keep testing new tactics and tightening your process. The pandemic won’t last forever, but that doesn’t mean you can afford to stop selling and wait it out. Keep hustling, stay empathetic, and sell smarter.

See the rest of this series on the “Building a Better Business Case” playlist.