Go with the flow took on an entirely new meaning when the flow became a raging river of change in 2021.
Especially in the world of sales, managers are constantly faced with a plethora of new and unexpected challenges. 2021 has taken this challenging field- where everyone pushes your buttons- and tossed it in the air, letting the pieces fall where they may.
That's you, somewhere in the midst of those pieces of your previously well-known world of sales. Instead of driving to work in the morning it's getting online. The ocean of eager to buy customers has evaporated into a lake of willing buyers as the economy takes its hits. There are endless changes in the field of sales, and they are all due to the pandemic. So, what is the best way to cope with and overcome all of this change?
Have you ever heard that laughter is the best medicine?
Below we've gathered 10 GIFs that sum up sales challenges in 2021 that we are sure most managers will be able to relate to.
1) Promoting and Maintaining Company Morale
The secret behind every great company is its employees. With so many changes in 2021 keeping employees happy can seem like a challenge. They need the opportunity for advancement and to be recognized. During the pandemic many companies have had to take on an entire reconstruction of their business models and change from in person to remote work. Keeping employees happy in the midst of this has presented a challenge for many sales managers.
2) Maintaining Customer Satisfaction So That They Continuously Feel Valued
Customers that feel they are valued will stay loyal to the company. How the customer feels is everything, and above all you want them to feel valued because if a customer doesn't feel like a company cares about them then they will surely move on to another company that does. 2021 has required and added a lot of distance to most interactions making it easier than usual for customers to feel shoved to the side.
3) Hiring Qualified Sales Representatives
Assessing the strength of a candidate's qualifications and sales talent is already hard enough, place this process in a virtual environment and a challenge is most definitely presented. Usually a candidate would be interviewing face to face with a company manager.
As well as this, it is also hard to get a feel for the candidate as a whole when interviewing them virtually or behind a mask. There are simply things that you need to know about a possible employee that a computer screen can not tell you.
4) Training and Coaching Sales Representatives
Training to be a successful sales representative is something that requires a lot of personal time and attention, or the outcome might not be the best. Usually, a newly hired worker would train side by side with a more seasoned employee to learn the tricks of the trade. This is a process that has become quite difficult during the pandemic as physical interactions have been restricted.
5) Engaging with Customers
Engaging with customers is a major part of sales and in 2021 there is so much going on that it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a buyer's attention. In sales, it's important to get the product in front of the customer, to get them thinking about it and to make sure that they don't lose interest. Keeping a customer engaged in 2021 is posing another challenge for the world of sales.
6) Finding New Business
New business is not easy to come by in 2021 and this is hitting sales managers where it hurts. The economy has suffered incredibly from the loss of many jobs, among other crippling economic changes. In these uncertain times many decision-makers are more hesitant to say yes. The economic ground is shifting and buyers are focusing more on their own stability during the craziest year in history than saying yes to another business venture.
7) Maintaining a Successful Negotiation in Order to Maintain Profitability
The pandemic made penny-pinching a way of life and there are a lot of customers cutting costs and trying to save money. This makes negotiations tougher as customers are fighting tooth and nail for those extra savings. It's imperative, however, that profitability is maintained, which is a challenge to sales in 2021.
8) Overcoming Competitors Who Have Had to Become More Aggressive
In these ever-changing times competitors have had to become extra crafty and more aggressive in order to stay afloat and succeed. Most companies are facing the challenge of shifting to a more virtual environment, which creates a time of vulnerability that is easily taken advantage of by stronger companies. On the other hand this new virtual world has opened new channels of customers. This means new opportunities for business as well as competition.
9) Selling the Product by Showing Value
Even an amateur sales rep knows that the best way to sell a product is to convince the customer that it will add value to their lives if they purchase it. This is usually done by showing how the product can solve a customer's needs. In 2021, like most things, customer's needs have changed, their focuses have shifted and it is harder than ever for the sales representative to know what needs the customer has. This makes it difficult to connect with the customer and ultimately make the sale.
10) Developing a Relationship with the Customer
Selling is all about developing a close relationship with the customer. They want to know that they can trust you and the company that you work for! Building rapport is something that is essential and is usually done through face to face contact. This creates the trust that is necessary for the customer to want to buy from you. In 2021, we are left with virtual and masked interactions, making selling an uphill battle.
