Exploring post-pandemic sales strategy will be necessary as we bounce back from economic hardships. Sales leaders who are thinking ahead will focus their reps on the advantages of technology and how hybrid work schedules will influence prospecting.
It has become clear that we won’t be back to “business as usual” anytime soon. A few months ago, the changes to the workplace brought on by Covid-19 were viewed as a temporary adjustment. But as companies settle into the reality that the current state of things might be the new normal, they need to shift their focus from temporary fixes to a fresh approach to your organizational strategy.
For any business that relies on direct sales to drive revenue, it’s time to systematically update your sales organization for the world we’re living in now.
Let’s go through five helpful tips that can guide your business to boost post-pandemic sales strategy.
Reevaluate Your Offering
It’s no secret that the onset of COVID-19 has changed how we live our lives every day. This is one thing that you cannot ignore when it comes to your customers. Some products you sell may be irrelevant to their needs, while others may be more important than ever.
Ask yourself the following questions to determine what you should still be selling during and after the pandemic.
- What products do you sell that may no longer be relevant?
- What products can you sell that may be more relevant to customers?
- Where can you move physical offerings to online venues?
- How can you readjust your service to better cater to customers?
Put Sales at The Center of Your Strategy
Most organizational strategy models either ignore the sales function entirely or only address it peripherally, focusing instead on markets, products and capabilities, initiatives, and so forth. This may have worked well enough in a good economy, but in a tight market, look to your sales function to win business. Sales connect all of your offerings to the market and the sales function is how strategy gets executed.
Give sales the tools it needs to succeed by clearly identifying your ideal client profile, detailing the specific reasons clients will choose you over the competition, and getting clear about issues that will likely drive customer decisions.
Move Everything Online
This should be one of the most important post-pandemic sales strategy. With the lockdowns and travel restrictions of the pandemic, it’s no surprise that everything is shifting online. Now is the time to increase your online presence.
You likely already have some of your business functions online (perhaps you’re using one of these 64 affordable online marketing tools) but the pandemic has shown us just how much more we can do online.
Communicate with Customers
During and after the pandemic, it’s crucial that your business is constantly communicating with your audience. Businesses and customers are both experiencing many changes in their day-to-day life, whether it’s a financial struggle or a simple change of routine.
Invest in Social Media Ads
As more people spend time at home and on social media, the ROI on PPC ads in many industries has skyrocketed. This is a good way to remind people that your business is alive and well and that you aim to be a very significant part of the ‘new normal.’
Facebook and Instagram ads, in particular, are quite affordable—even for local businesses—and can help you showcase any changes you have made to your business or any
COVID-19-exclusive discounts or promotions you might be offering. Online ads have always been engaging, affordable, and well-targeted. But now more than ever before, they offer you the ability to truly scale your business.
Rely More on Automation
It might be easy to think of automation as a robotic arm drilling a piece of a new car into place in a factory. In reality, automation technology replaces many manual and repetitive processes done by a human with consistent, software-assisted action.
For sellers, automation can take over for common, time-consuming areas. Such as manually sending an email sequence or adding a lead to a customer relationship management record.
Closing Thought
Facing the disruptions caused by Covid-19 continues to be a challenge. It can provide unexpected opportunities to drive a better sales process with prospects and customers. With thoughtful modifications, planning, and some imagination, your post-pandemic sales strategy, sales experience, and customer interactions can emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.
