Whether you’re working from home during this season, or practicing social distancing at work, it’s still vital to maintain your sales activity. But how? These 7 tips will help.
1. Adapt
Your ability to flex and adapt in the midst of whatever level of quarantine your community is facing is critical. Sure, it might be easier to just suspend your sales work, however, your pipeline today determines your sales in the next 90-180 days. So if you stop now, come quarters 3 and 4 of this year, you could be in real trouble. Think outside the box. Look from a different angle. How can you adapt to the circumstances and still accomplish sales activity? What mediums of communication can you use in this time? What content means the most to people right now? Adapt. Flex. Find a way.
2. Use Your Resources
Right now in this time of social distancing, shelter in place, and quarantine many are working from home, or if they are in the office, not receiving visitors. Humans are social creatures. A few days of isolation and we’re dying for connection. Use what you have available to you. Make phone calls. People are going to be answering. Send a personalized email. Make a short video recording and send it via social channels to your clients and prospects. People are going to be on their devices at this time. With data caps waived in many areas, the sky is the limit.
3. Craft Your Message
While this is critical at any time for sales, it is especially important in this season. People are in need of genuine help. Do your best not to be overly salesy or pushy in your messaging. Remove the pressure. Leave the ball in the prospect’s court. This empowers prospects and gives them the feeling of control. In unstable times such as these, this is a valuable gift you can offer. Take time to review your messaging. Modify to ensure what you are communicating is care, concern, and help without inducing any fear or sense of pressure or doubt.
4. Build Your Pipeline
Downtime driving you crazy? Got cabin fever? Put this energy to use! Now is the time when you’re stuck at home or in your office to find and prequalify new prospects. Whether it’s through LinkedIn, FaceBook, or Google, get on the hunt. When you’ve identified a potential pipeline candidate, research them. The content on their profile, in their posts, or on their websites can indicate if they are someone you should add to your pipeline or not. Remember, your pipeline today determines your sales in the future. Get on it.
5. Clean Up Your CRM
If you’re like me, you no doubt have numerous sales notes, trackers, data, and information. Maybe together, or maybe in several locations. Sometimes Sales Activity Records can end up looking like your junk drawer. While initially tidy, over time it has accumulated more and more items. And those items weren’t placed with care and are thus disorganized (AKA, Junk). In this lighter “out of office” activity time, you have no excuse. Clean up your notes. They are your lifeline, and the key to effective and efficient sales.
6. Sharpen Your Skills
When was the last time you got in some professional development? With social interactions being limited, now is the perfect time. Get a book. Read it. Do it. Find an online seminar or course to attend. Hone your skills. If you want sales, develop your skills. If you want better sales, develop your skills. If you want more sales, develop your skills. Professional development is essential. Get it in now while there’s time.
7. Be Creative
In times such as these, a little creativity goes a long way. What can you do to still reach people and make connections? I have one client who is doing door hangers to honor social distancing. I have another who put googly eyes on paper cutouts to “detect” earthquakes 😂 I have another who made a singing videogram to send out. Pick something and run with it.