Drive Sales during the levels of Lockdown

The new ‘phasing in’ approach slowly reopens the South African Economy. The ‘new normal’ in business remains a challenge for companies, their employees and their sales. The upskilling of sales teams and their adapting to a new ‘Sales Mindset is now critical in surviving these trying times more than ever. Sales Consultants, in particular, are reliant on their commission but how can they sell when they are restricted during the phased in approach of opening the economy and when the virus is rapidly spreading? The way we will sell in future is one of the many areas in business that will change. 

The Mindspa Institute created *a powerful 5- hour online training session via the Zoom platform, that will help any sales team adapt to a new sales mindset. Most prospective customers and clients are reluctant to meet with Sales Representatives or Consultants during this time. Several companies still remain closed and might only be allowed to trade during the very last level, and many are only partially operational. 

This powerful, practical session from The Mindspa Institute will show any sales team that remote sales can be equally effective as traditional face-to-face sales and will teach sales teams the strategies, tools, and techniques to ensure continued sales success during this period. To gain a bit of insight into the course we briefly discuss the 6 Practical Techniques for Effective Remote Sales which will form part of the online session and will be discussed in greater depths:

6 Practical Techniques for Effective Remote Sales

1. Structure your Remote Sales Process

Clear and simple processes make managing any job easier.  If sales consultants or representatives work in a structured and organised way, and if they know exactly how to respond in various situations, it will give them more confidence and lessen their need for additional support, especially when the leads are at a closing stage. Get all the necessary documentation right so that you can send anything the customer asks for straight away. 

2. Be Data Driven

This is an age of data. CRM (Customer Relationship Management Systems), Facebook, LinkedIn etc. have massive amounts of data for sales people to use to their advantage. If sales representatives gather data and analyse the customer data they can determine how to use and implement it to achieve their targets. With the correct data and self-motivation the desired results are easier met. It is a good idea for Sales Managers to talk individually with each of their remote sales consultants about what it means to be data driven and set clear, ideal performance objectives and expectations to motivate them. 

3. Build Trust through Education

Relationship building forms a vital part of any sales person’s job description. Trust is not only of great essence in building any relationship but even more so with online relationships. Sales professionals do not have the benefit of in-person communication when doing virtual selling. Education helps build trust. Customers value transparency and want to know everything about the product or service before they buy. They no longer only want their needs fulfilled but also want to be taken on a journey. They want an experience out of the sales process while learning about the product or the service. If sales representatives know their products or services’ ins and outs and they sound confident when educating the customer, the customer will also feel like they can trust not only the product or service but also the consultant. This holistic sales experience will build their trust through education.

4. Focus on Helping

Customers want to feel like someone cares about them. They want empathy and an understanding of their circumstances. Remember, that this is also a new experience for the customer, and many have not worked on various online platforms. Guide and help them with understanding the sales process, the product or service, and also the online sales channel you are using. Be readily available when they need you and make sure they know exactly how to get hold of you if they have any further questions. Providing them with added value and assistance will go a long way.  

5. End on an Action

You can lose an online customer very quickly because they can simply leave or opt-out and blame the internet or just not respond again. Excite the customer from the beginning and get them hooked, and take advantage of this by setting a clear call to action at the end by getting some sort of clear commitment from them. 

6. Use your Marketing Team

Don’t forget about all the help and resources you have at your disposal. You are not alone and the more your fellow departments assist you the better your selling can be. Get some help in developing marketing material you can use as part of your online presence and with follow up emails. They may have a lot of different ideas and channels they can use to generate more leads. Remember that your marketing team can assist you a great deal…all you need is to ask. 

“I’m extremely excited about this course. The job of a Sales Rep or Consultant has evolved over the past few years. Now even more so, Sales people are forced to think out of the box and explore different strategies that include remote sales channels. Research showed that customers no longer only want their needs fulfilled, but want an experience as part of the sales process. They want someone they can trust who has their best interests at heart. But how do you accomplish this without face-to-face interactions? We teach sales teams how to adapt to a new sales mindset during the pandemic,” says Elmarie Pretorius, Author, Skills Specialist, International Trainer and Managing Owner at The Mindspa Institute.