Water and oil. That is about how well unprecedented times go with the sales industry. Yet this is exactly the situation sales representatives may find themselves faced with in 2020. And what a long 10 years this year has been.
Despite the stimulus money many received thanks to the CARES Act, Coronavirus (Covid-19) has completely transformed the way Americans spend their money. Regardless of the product, service or experience you are selling, many Americans are choosing not to spend on anything deemed unnecessary at this point.
So how exactly do you navigate sales growth in 2020? Is it possible to go against the tide and be successful despite the odds? Absolutely. Studies conducted by Harvard Business Review found 14 percent of companies in every industry were able to both accelerate growth and increase profitability during the past four recessions.
It wasn’t easy but they were resilient. Companies that thrive in crisis find ways to see how the situation is happening for them instead of to them.
Here are a few ways tactical ways to shift your mindset and make 2020 a year of sales growth:
Relationships are key
No two customers are alike, this we know. But that has never been more true today in a time when emotions are heightened and tables are turned.
What differentiates a good sales representative from a great one is his or her ability to build, maintain, and strengthen relationships along every part of the way.
Remember the person behind the voice on the other line is probably facing similar circumstances or maybe worse. Check on them regularly instead of checking in on them. Serve them before you sell to them. Your bottom line will thank you.
Expect the unexpected
Very few people could have predicted the level to which Covid-19 would completely take over the entire direction of this year. But those who are smart were prepared regardless.
Sales leaders need to have a plan A, B, C, and F in order to build a resilience toward uncertainty and thrive. This enables them to pivot throughout different sales forecasts, act accordingly, and continue on when others are still back at square one.
And, if you hadn’t prepared, it’s not too late to make those plan A, B and Cs as you travel the uncertainty of this new future.
Embrace a growth mindset
Keeping your sights set on how you can learn from each and every sales call or experience is a way to embrace a growth mindset at its most basic level.
In addition, cost-cutting may be necessary, but it is not king in time of crisis. Instead, keeping future growth opportunities in mind will help you as a sales professional or sales leader stay focused and maintain morale.
Studies show that those companies who continue to invest in research and development at times it may seem a good thing to cut come out of challenging times more quickly and successfully than those who don’t.
Put technology to work for you
Simply put, do less work for greater reward. That sounds pretty great, right? Remembering to find ways that 2020 is teaching us as sales professionals means taking in the good along with the bad. And one such good thing is technology.
Thanks to the ever-evolving technology industry, there are more tools than ever to support current climate.
Work from anywhere with real-time order and delivery tracking, reporting dashboards, and custom web shop and product catalogue creation products, like those offered at Aleran Software.
Lighten the load and work from anywhere with easy-to-use, cloud-based order management platform you can access 24/7. You can make water and oil work for you with the right tools in place to do so.
For more information, or to request a demo, call (888) 388-2408 or visit us online.
