Keep Selling, Stay Relevant and Add Value!

Sales is best defined as helping clients succeed. When we help our clients succeed, we succeed as well. In times like these, it's easy to start thinking about and acting on what is important to us, our quota, our commission, our needs. Clients can sense this immediately and will back away.

How is the pandemic currently impacting B2B sales pipelines?

• One leader observed that customers are focused on their employees' safety, as they should be. But it is causing some softness in the pipeline, which he thinks will continue. His sense was that the comeback will be faster and stronger than ever, although it will expose weaknesses, and those who are weak won't make it.
• Another sales leader reports no direct impact to the business yet. They have exceeded their quarter ending in March. But they have been seeing softness in their pipeline, deal slippage, meetings canceled, and site visits eliminated. But he didn't see the impact being severe, due to their large client base in the government, where business is surging. He believes the government business will counterbalance what is lost or postponed commercially.
• Another reports that clients are fortunately maintaining - not cancelling - meetings by moving to video. As clients continue to work from home, some are granting more access (virtually) to the sales force and even accelerating projects. One leader said about a large client: "They have problems to solve that they can't solve with existing resources, so they're moving on it."
• As one leader cautioned, "This is not an excuse to do nothing. Our employers will continue to expect us to produce results."
• The situation is obviously different for some B2B organizations and in the B2C sector, which is experiencing immediate challenges, including a decline or stoppage in cash flow.

I consult and coach in many different industries and as you may imagine, sales people are being affected in many unique ways. As we continue to navigate in this 'new normal', we have to be creative and resilient. Please email me at leslie@groeneconsulting.com if you'd like to strategize on your particular selling environment on how to stay relevant and keep selling!

Use this link to hear my 20 minutes interview on Sales in the 'New Normal' https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-kqybi-e1580b