Good morning!
Here is my third in a series of special sales tips designed to help you make the most use of your time during this virus-created slowdown.
During week one I encouraged you to contact your existing customers and see if there are any new opportunities to help them battle their own challenges created by this crisis.
Last week I talked to you about sharpening the saw by reading books or going online and doing research, all things that you’ve never had time to do until now.
This week, I want to talk you about your sales process and how it needs to change.
Once upon a time, sales was done primarily face-to-face. There was a receptionist at the desk who greeted you. Doors were unlocked. Office hours were available, even for the non-incumbent sales rep. All in all, it was easier and better way to do business.
9/11 changed a lot of that as security got a lot more tight. We had to adapt our selling style.
The coronavirus takes things to a different level. Many salespeople are now working from home. For reps like me who have done that for decades, it’s easy. However, for many others, this is new territory.
A March 2 article in the Wall Street Journal talked about how car sales in China is off by 92%. Volkswagen, for example, are teaching thousands of dealers how to take their pitch from the showroom to the chat room.
What will you need to do differently?
I suggest you completely revamp your prospecting process.
Wait! What was I thinking? 90% if you don’t have a process at all, according to the Sales Assessment tests that can be found on my website: BillFarquharson.com.
Okay, here’s something you can use:
- Week one: Do pre-call research and send an introductory letter;
- Week two: Make two follow-up phone calls;
- Week three: Send a handwritten postcard and make another phone call;
- Week four: Make one more phone call, send an email if you have the address, and then make a decision to either continue or stop altogether.
You need to adjust your selling style and your prospecting process to face the new reality that people are no longer automatically available to you. Everything is different and you need to adjust.
Next week, another idea for how to use this gift of time.
