My years of working in a blended role—as part seller and as part consultant—keeps me grounded and attached to the needs of sellers as well as customers and new business prospects.
Here’s some advice that I’m using in my sales role and passing along as a consultant: during this time of turmoil one of the most important things you can do is listen and demonstrate empathy. You will have plenty of time to sell in the future (post-turmoil). Also, if you listen closely enough, you will discover business needs unknown a couple of weeks ago.
Most people in sales roles are born with innate talents that enable us to sell. This can be a blessing and a curse. World-class sellers know when to sell is as important, if not, more important than knowing how to sell or what to sell. Pitchmen (or women) who are constantly selling tend to annoy customers who are not ready to buy. Currently, many customers are in a state of turmoil and not ready to buy. Simply put, it is not the time to be pitchman (or woman), it's time to be a listener.
During this state of turmoil, virtually every business sector developed a list of things to do during the current market conditions
Here’s an example from my 401k provider:
Take a deep breath and know that ups and downs are a natural part of investing. Remember, after periods of downturns, there will always be a recovery.
As you see your investments decline, it's natural to want to cash out and "cut your losses." Panicking would lock in your investment loss.
Asset allocation is one of the most important decisions you can make in your retirement planning. It's important to review your investments to ensure they are in line with your risk tolerance.
Be sure to monitor your plan investments against your desired asset allocation. As a result of stock market changes, your investment holdings may increase or decrease at different rates, causing your original allocation to change over time.
There has been a lot of this type of information pushed out in the past week. Some provide valuable information and other information is simply over-the-top sales pitches. One rule of thumb to follow is to never share this kind of information (propaganda) until you talk with customers and listen!
Used properly—and at the right time—this type of information can enhance the sales process. Not used at all OR used at the wrong time, and both are potential ways to annoy clients and derail future sales.
Build your proposal based on their needs (desired business results) and your products and services. Proposals like these close easily and often.
Follow this process and you might discover you don’t need the things to do during the current market conditions information your company has created.