The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Sales managers and salespeople have discovered new ways of conducting face-to-face sales activity as a result of recent social distancing restrictions. Being creative and using video technology to stay connected with customers as well as propose and close business with new prospects has become the new normal.

World-class sellers know it’s time to move from playing defense to playing offense because customers and prospects need help. They need solutions. They need the problem-solving expertise that a quality salesperson brings to the table. Simply put, customers are more open to ideas and solutions than ever before because their level of pain is high.

- MOTIVATION -

"What we dwell on is who we become."

-Oprah Winfrey

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Given the sudden health and economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase, “Never waste a good crisis,” has surfaced quite a few times. Noted public figures ranging from Machiavelli and Winston Churchill to Barack Obama have all invoked the phrase in times of trouble.

It’s often viewed as an opportunist looking to advance an agenda during an unfortunate circumstance. The reality is the phrase is more accurately a challenge to commit to doing things differently and better as a result of what we experience. And that’s the challenge we have for you.

- MOTIVATION -

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right."

-Henry Ford

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When you try to engage in a serious conversation via email, you will generally find the recipient calling you on the phone to have the conversation. If you meet other people for a living—aka work in sales—verbal communication is usually the best form of communication.

To people like us, we only prefer written text when confirming dates or answering 'yes' or 'no' questions. Most salespeople are more effective when they have a face-to-face opportunity than when they depend on their writing abilities. With those face-to-face meetings now temporarily on-hold, we need email to help us reach people we don’t know. You need to stand out from all the other emails, and here's how.

Taking refuge from the coronavirus, several salespeople have joined the estimated 8 million employees already working from home. Sales managers and salespeople alike are learning new skill sets that will help increase productivity, maintain relationships, and generate revenue to keep their sales pipeline strong.

Below we've gathered ten GIFs that all salespeople working from home can understand. Share these with your team or on social media the next time you need a good laugh to make a point.

- MOTIVATION -

"Be the kind of person who dares to face life's challenges and over them rather than dodging them."

-Roy Bennett

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Most people would agree that their world feels as though it has recently flipped upside-down! In this brand new world of social distancing, we’re scrambling to figure out how to be productive in an unplanned work from home environment—and also remain engaged.

Even in a strong business climate (like we had just weeks ago), company culture and employee engagement are vital to the success of an organization. They have a direct impact on revenue, employee turnover, and key account retention. 

During these uncertain times, however, when most of us are forced to work in dramatically different ways than we normally would, it is paramount!

Many clients at The Center for Sales Strategy are essentially in the business of helping companies grow their business. 

In order to do that effectively, we teach salespeople how to think like a business owner. Thinking like a business owner takes the focus off what you sell (your products) and puts your focus on how to help your client or prospect achieve their desired business results. 

The better a salesperson becomes at thinking like a business owner, the better they will be at asking questions, establishing credibility, and ultimately becoming trusted and valued.

There are endless amounts of podcasts out there on business development and new ones being released daily. This article isn’t about all the great business podcasts hitting the market, but rather a handful of the best podcasts that we feel will help salespeople improve their business acumen and encourage salespeople to help their clients and prospects grow their business.

Most of us have joined what Time calls "the World's Largest Work-From-Home Experiment." Without proper preparation, the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted business leaders everywhere to tell their team to work remotely until further notice.

Sales managers—your direct reports need your individualized coaching more than ever! The best managers have always individualized their coaching, but doing so remotely requires greater focus and intentionality. How can you help your team cope, adjust, and sell in the midst of our new normal?