{"id":50069,"date":"2020-08-04T17:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T17:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=50069"},"modified":"2022-10-30T17:43:04","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T00:43:04","slug":"5-sales-tips-for-the-new-normal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/5-sales-tips-for-the-new-normal\/","title":{"rendered":"5 sales tips for \u2018the new normal\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1. Be adaptable in all facets of sales<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Strong sales reps and teams have always been able to adapt to changing environments. No one thought that the inability to jump on a plane and go to close a deal within the country would be something for sales to adapt to so quickly, but sales teams and reps have done that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Careers full of unforeseen forces have prepared reps well \u2013 it\u2019s always a winding and bumpy path from lead to deal, so reps are incredibly adaptable. Now is the time to really be as adaptable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adaptable doesn\u2019t just mean being able to work remotely though \u2013 it also means finding new opportunities. So if your clients are travel, tourism and hospitality, it\u2019s easy to throw your hands in the air right now. But that\u2019s dismissive \u2013 an adaptable rep accepts that there are things outside of their control and looks for new opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your contacts at prospect companies are moving around, it\u2019s easy to now think a deal is lost because the CIO, the CFO \u2013 the person you\u2019d been working with \u2013 has left. But that’s a very defeatist attitude. Adaptability means understanding that people may move but the companies remain the same and their needs will still be there. It\u2019s about going back to the drawing board to enable that new contact to get up to speed on your value quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Practice patience and empathy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the absence of a burning directive to pivot (for example COVID-tracing apps), the concept of a fast sale has pretty much been eroded. In particular, establishing a new relationship now is a matter of taking time for empathy \u2013 to relate on a human level to what someone is experiencing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we\u2019re seeing a slowing down of certain conversations, and more wide-ranging conversations as well that might be about how someone is managing a remote team or helping employees through difficulty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having those conversations is really important \u2013 it’s not about just trying to get yes-or-no answers. It\u2019s about understanding each other, building a relationship based on empathy. That’s been quite important for salespeople to learn \u2013 there was no sales book for this and it\u2019s just evolved this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Find new strengths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One thing we have been able to do much more easily than we could have in the past is make use locally of some of our international leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I\u2019m inviting some of my contacts to join virtual events or calls, I can say that our Global Growth Evangelist Tiffani Bova will be in conversation with our ANZ CEO Pip Marlow. The switch to virtual events and virtual meetings means the list of potential speakers and collaborators is far longer than it would otherwise be.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Everything at the moment has to do with these digital relationships.<\/p>On-demand webinar: Sales leads the way, <\/cite><\/blockquote>\nwith Tiffani Bova and Pip Marlow |\u00a0Watch now<\/a><\/span>\n