As salespeople we have a choice to make when times get tough. We can take the attitude that external forces are to be blamed for our results, admitting defeat and giving up or we can look for opportunity and find new ways to turn external pressures into positive results. Making the most of any unavoidable down time will leave you ready to hit the ground running as soon as you're able to head out on sales calls again.
Gary Delbridge and Joanne Hallam from Objective Assessment share their top tips for making the most of business down time over the next few weeks/months:
The use of technology:
There are lots of ways we can use technology to stay in front of our customers and continue to develop relationships. Here’s a few tools we use:
Zoom – Rather than meeting face to face set up a zoom call and hold virtual meetings. Zoom allows you to record your calls and to share your screen so there is nothing stopping you from achieving your appointment targets.
Bomb Bomb – Bomb Bomb is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to send video messages via e-mail, a great way to send a more engaging communication that is less likely to be ignored. They currently have a 14 day free trial available with no card details required.
Share video on social media – as more and more people will be working from home we expect viewing to increase as people look for human interaction. If you’ve not been brave enough to film yourself yet, now is the time to try! People buy people, so smile, show your warmth and add value to their day.
Next up is focusing on your own self-development:
Practice role plays - take time to call colleagues and practice your role play together. Practice your questions and review your differentiators. The results from the companies we work with who adopt role-play practice show significant improvements in conversions and business growth. Take a look at a case study here.
Take an online course - use the time saved not travelling to meetings or commuting to work on your professional development. Our online courses are a great way to build your skills in the comfort of your home or office. We have courses for both Sales Managers and Sales People so you can make sure you're ready to excel and exceed as soon as you're back out selling! Find out more here.
Read or listen to audio books – A couple of Gary Delbridge’s and Joanne Hallam’s favourite sales books are Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount and They ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan. Batten down the hatches, put the kettle on and enjoy a productive reading session!
Finally, think about all the admin you can get done and out of the way before you hit the road again:
CRM – are your CRM notes up to date? Can you cleanse out old data? Now is the perfect time to catch up on CRM admin.
Content - take time to write digital content that’s compelling for your customers (you’ll be so much better at this after your read the two book recommendations!). What will your customers find most useful? Are there seasonal articles, e-newsletters and social media posts that you can prepare for the future?
Build your reviews - Now is a great time to reach out to your customers and ask them to review your services. Potential customers may be spending more time researching so spread a positive message about what you do and fill your pipeline with prospective customers! You can create a shareable link using your Google My Business page that takes customers straight to where they can add a review. You can also add a testimonials section to your website.
And finally, finally, wash your hands!
If you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and we'll be here to help. The Objective Assessment team send you virtual positive vibes and all of our wishes for health and happiness.