In August 2020 I wrote an article about where businesses had been exposed during the pandemic crisis.
At that time, having conversations with business leaders across Australia and internationally, we found the following 11 ‘cracks’ as the most common to have appeared in their sales systems:
- CRM – The lack of quality and accuracy of customer data
- No Sales Strategy – zip, nothing, zero
- A reactive and short-term approach to sales
- No proactive prospecting activity, capability, and discipline
- Lack of support and training for sales team to help them keep selling while at different stages of lockdown
- An overreliance on networking events to get sales leads
- Only focusing on cost management instead growth management
- Ill equipped and poorly skilled sales leaders
- Too internally focused and not genuinely customer centric
- Too bureaucratic, not quick enough to adapt to new markets
- Waiting for to it all to go back to ‘normal’ (pre pandemic)
Two years have passed and while all these remain challenges for businesses when it comes to driving more and better sales, we have found in speaking with sales and business leaders since the beginning of the year, the following topics are now top of mind:
Developing trusted relationships (internally and externally)
During the pandemic, as we ventured into the unknown, our need to rely upon and trust people, of all persuasions, was thrust into the spotlight. Clients, for instance, when looking for help and support soon found out which suppliers and their salespeople had their backs and who didn’t. Added to this, being forced to sell remotely made it harder for some salespeople to establish trusted client relationships. With lockdowns ending, many businesses were hoping this issue would resolve itself, however, they soon realised that the ability to develop trust-based viable client relationships built on value and substance was lacking or not consistent in many of their sales teams. Salespeople and teams who didn’t work collaboratively with clients, have seen their clients looking elsewhere for other options.
Contact and Communications (internally and externally)
Lack of communication and poor communication in terms of messaging are big challenges for sales and service teams. Businesses that don’t have clear internal and external communication protocols can leave frontline sales and service people dealing with frustrated customers and disengaged prospects. Again, like lack of trust, clients are left feeling they don’t have support, and nobody has their backs. Delivery of effective communication in a timely manner takes the number one spot here.
Ability of sales teams to sell value and maintain profit margins
This has become more and more evident over 2021 and increasingly in 2022, with supply chains being severely disrupted and cost of materials going up affecting the sale price of goods and services. This has put added pressure on sales teams having to talk about increased prices. Salespeople and teams who sell transactionally have been exposed, whereas salespeople and teams who know how to sell in real value beyond a price point have been able to weather the price rise storm a whole lot better.
Sales processes
With the new combination of face-to-face and remote selling now the norm, and the changes to global logistics, and new ways of work, most sales processes have changed for good. Businesses are finding they need to update their sales processes to achieve efficiency, clarity and consistency throughout their sales teams.
Remote selling
Remote selling was not a ‘during lockdown fad’ after all. Salespeople now need to be skilled in both face-to-face and remote selling and discern what part of the sales cycle calls for one or the other or adjust to their customers’ meeting and buying preferences.
Sales and service team structure
Businesses are reconsidering the right structure for their sales and service team. In many industries, what worked until 2019 isn’t working anymore, and others are exploring variations to allow their teams to work remotely (part or full-time), or work in territories closer to where they live.
What is top of mind for you?
Let us know in the comments below or via email: contact@barrett.com.au
Remember, everybody lives by selling something.
Related topics
Where have businesses been exposed during the crisis when it comes to Sales?
Will ‘Selling Remotely’ become the norm for field sales teams post COVID-19?
In your clients’ shoes: is it easy to deal with your business?
A year ago
Are you treating symptoms or the cause? Doing sales assessment right
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