As an outside salesperson, the main activity in my schedule for 15 years has been setting up meetings, traveling to see customers, and making sales calls. In industrial sales for engineered metals products, sales calls are usually technical discussions or problem-solving sessions to develop solutions.
Much of the work can be done over the phone, but pulling everyone into a room for a face to face meeting had a way of bringing focus to the process. Each stakeholder could get their voice heard or bring up concerns. The team could get on the same page, at the same time, about what the real challenge is. And it was easier to drive towards a decision and figure out a path forward.
As I adjust to the new reality of virtual meetings and less face to face interactions with clients, I am working at defining what the main issues are.
The Challenges We Face
Building trust and rapport and getting to know clients on a personal level is more complicated. Sitting down with the team, you can see who the different personalities are and how they interact with each other. You could figure out who your leading advocate is. And sharing a meal, or a beer, or taking a walk through their plant made them more forthcoming with juicy details about where things stand.
Along these same lines is that it is harder to get a hold of people and get enough time with them. When you go on a visit, there was always unscheduled time around the meeting for connection conversations that don’t meet an agenda item. Or when you go on a tour of their facility, you could not only see the type of work they are doing but pick up on the company culture and the things that are important to the organization. It was easier to pinpoint what makes the company tick and see how your products could help the entire organization become successful.
We are being excluded from more parts of the buying group’s decision-making process. We have seen several projects get shelved or large OEM’s push out their forecasts. I am sure these folks made the right decision based on the circumstances they are facing, but it would be good to know the reasons they made the changes. If we were allowed to be more involved in the process, together, we could have come up with different outcomes.
It is easier to think about things going back to the way things used to be where. You could hug someone outside of your immediate family or shake someone’s hand other than your dog or book a flight somewhere and sit next to someone fascinating to visit a small town in the middle of nowhere and meet with interesting people.
Most of these things will come back, but how can we move ahead to a new normal that is better than what it used to be. How can our sales roles or sales teams advance to a new way of being that makes us say this is better than it ever was.
What Are The Opportunities?
Take an interest in the personal lives of our clients. Find out about how this crisis has impacted their family. Ask them about the crazy stuff their kids have come up with to stay entertained. Find ways to connect with them on a deeper level and share whats going on in your own life so they can get to know you.
Work hard to find ways to honor the work your customers are doing. Be curious about the products or services, and take a genuine interest in them. Ask pointed questions about what it is like to work at their company. Find out why the company was founded and why people decided to work there. And look for ways that your products and services can help fulfill their mission.
Make a point to have a conversation with your clients about the decision-making process. Find out who is involved or what senior leaders are looking for and the time frame for a decision. Ask clients about the appropriate amount of contact not to overwhelm them—schedule dates and action items and schedule future conversations when you are on the call.
Once we get through this crisis, and we get to a better place, may continue to care for and serve each other. We interact with people throughout the day, may we never forget that they are people. People are always going through issues, even though currently, we are all going through one collectively. Let’s commit to being there for one another.
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Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
1 Peter 4:12-13
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