So what can you do during these changing times to improve your sales game right now and in the months and years ahead? Here are some ways you can improve your bottom line results today and better position your business for revenue growth no matter what the future holds.
Take a long term view.
Are you focused on making it through tomorrow? If you’re like most business owners and sales leaders today, it’s probably impossible for you to think much beyond surviving until the day after tomorrow.
Still, planning three moves or plays ahead is critical to winning any game or sport. The same is true for businesses. Despite the dynamic times we’re all living through right now, it’s likely that you have information at your disposal that points toward where things could be headed in the future.
- Constantly monitor what’s selling and what’s not.
- Figure out which messages prospective customers are responding to and which are falling flat.
- Take time to understand what sales tactics are closing deals and which are killing them.
Doing this will help you keep pace with what’s going on with your customers and how they currently relate to your business and what their mindset could be in the future. It will give you the information needed to make the right sales moves now and better position your team for tomorrow.
If you find it challenging to track these things, investing in a sales enablement system like the one offered by Mobile Locker could help make it simple. It monitors every interaction your sales team has with clients and prospects and provides clear and actionable data and information that can guide the evolution of your sales process over the long term.
Think of it this way: How do teams win the World Series, Super Bowl and Stanley Cup? They provide top tier athletes with the data they need to optimize their performance on the playing field and better train for future games. The same should be true for your sales team, as well.
Don’t only think BIG. Consider micro growth, as well.
Many business owners and salespeople think exclusively about winning in a big way. Who doesn’t want their company to become the next Amazon, Facebook or Microsoft? Still, the vast majority of successful businesses in the United States serve a niche or defined market really well. They’re category killers rather than behemoths that try to be everything to everyone.
- What’s your company particularly successful at right now?
- What do you do really well?
- What types of customers and prospects are buying the products and services you offer?
Focus your time on what’s working with your current customer base today to maximize your profit potential right now. Then think about how you can expand on that in a controlled way in the future.
- Can you find more things to offer the people you’re already doing business with?
- How can you deepen your relationships with them?
- Could you find more customers similar to those in your base?
During times like these, making micro moves could get you farther than going big, failing and being forced to go home without a win.
Watch the scoreboard. All the time.
If you haven’t taken a fresh look at the data available to you lately, it’s time. The amount and quality are vastly greater than what you could access even a year ago.
The issue you could face when you do this is that it’s hard to understand the numbers coming from all the different sources, including your client relationship management system (CRM), email service, Google Ads, Google Analytics, social media sites, sales records and more.
The solution: Leverage a sales enablement system like the one developed by Mobile Locker to tie together all your sources of sales and marketing metrics and information. It provides the single, easy-to-understand data dashboard that will help you take advantage of current opportunities. What’s more, it will allow you to identify future sales, marketing and messaging trends so you can take steps today that will position you to beat the competition in the future.
Outsource your sales function.
Ask yourself: Are you really ready and able to sell your products and services during these constantly changing times? The answer for most small and mid-sized businesses is NO. It’s impossible to keep up with today’s challenges while trying to figure out what they could face ahead.
That’s why more and more are outsourcing all — or part — of their sales functions. It allows the business to focus on what it does best: Providing top-notch products and services and developing new ones. They don’t waste time on selling, which is not a core competency.
It’s a winning solution for many organizations. It allows them to outpace the competition when it comes to servicing clients and developing new and better offerings. At the same time, selling is handled by a team of well-trained professional experts.
Are you concerned about turning over your sales to an outside operation? Leverage a sales enablement system like the one offered by Mobile Locker. It’s a great way to monitor sales activity in real time to help ensure you’re getting the results you expect.
Move it online.
In a world where people are less likely to congregate and interact in person, more and more of the sales function is moving online. If you do one thing right now, invest in moving as much of your sales process online as possible. It will help you close more deals now. PLUS most experts predict selling will never return to the good old days prior to the pandemic, which makes it a really smart long-term investment.
Use social media to build relationships.
With many people practicing social distancing, more and more are using social media to stay connected. The same is true for sales reps. They’re staying top of mind with clients and prospects in the virtual world rather than the real one. They share regular updates on things like industry trends, the latest news, promotions and product and service opportunities.
It’s a cost effective way to keep in touch with people right now. It also positions sales reps as friends, helping build relationships and closer ties that could last for years, long after the pandemic and economic crisis are over.
Encourage close collaboration between sales and marketing.
Sales and marketing teams often work at cross purposes. Sales is generally focused on closing deals and getting results. Marketing is concerned with maintaining the brand and it’s perception and reputation over the long term.
During times like now when things are changing FAST, it’s necessary for them to work closely together. It’s the only way that marketing can instantly supply sales reps with the messages and materials they need to sell, as new opportunities come up.
Adopting a sales enablement process, along with a system like the one offered by Mobile Locker, can help encourage collaboration. It encourages sales and marketing to work together toward the same set of goals. Contact a friendly and helpful Mobile Locker rep to learn more.
