14 May 2020

As operations are gradually resuming in various sectors of our economy, our businesses must perform quite a bit of gymnastics—synchronizing supply chains, recalling teams, restarting production and shipping—while respecting sanitary and physical distancing instructions.

But before anything, you will need to have contracts. So how do you stimulate your sales while COVID-19 is changing the regular methods and channels?

First, you must adjust your portfolio of products or services. What changes do you foresee in demand? Will this have an impact on your targeted clientele and market segmentation? Your flexibility will allow you to increase your offer’s value and grow your market shares.

Marketing through videoconference

Since face-to-face meetings with clients and trade shows are not conceivable in the short term, phone or videoconference prospecting will stand as the primary tool for your representatives.

You must therefore take a moment to think: Do you need to set up an internal sales department or increase the number of resources? How do you encourage and support your representatives in adopting a sales method through virtual calls? This is a matter of compliance, but also of training, to properly equip your team. Your team will need to develop new skills in remote sales and adjust its regular material to make this new strategy profitable – something to think about in your future hires.

By extension, you must also define new sales objectives and adapt performance management measures for your teams.

Beware of hypotheses based on past needs!

Be sensitive to the current needs of your clients, especially in the recovery period: Their turnaround time may be longer or potentially quicker, there may be changes or cancellations, and some will need to manage new budgetary constraints. You may need to be creative in implementing purchase options, as well as technical support or remote professional development.

Additionally, since you will have to adapt to your clients’ needs, some in-person meetings may remain necessary. Ensure you have the appropriate personal protective equipment in sufficient quantity for all your resources who will have to travel. Establish measures and practices to promote public health, including case examples, as you will be judged—especially by your clients—on the measures you have put in place.

More than ever: The power of the web

Stimulating your online sales—through a transactional website or external platforms—is obviously an avenue worth exploring, and even adopting for some.

Beyond e-commerce, the web also provides a sales space to highlight what makes your products or services stand out from the competition. Furthermore, it provides a forum for discussion with your current and potential clients. Not to mention that it helps you promote your employer brand, bringing added value.

The fact remains that whether it be online or in person, prospecting will always be about relationships.

Be solution-oriented for your clients! Our team of experts can help you.

Make sure to also look out for the video clip we will post soon on our social networks to discover other tips to make sales in time of crisis!

info@sherbrooke-innopole.com / 819 821-5577 ext. 0