How Sales Teams Can Adapt and Thrive in a Pandemic World

Businesses reeling from the crisis and trying to work out how to adapt are treading a thin line. It’s paramount now to take care of your people and customers, but you still need to look after the bottom line and work out how to sell amid drastically changed customer expectations and market conditions.

The change of consumer habits during the pandemic accelerated ongoing digital trends that were underway long before COVID-19 hit, meaning B2B sales operations are likely to look drastically different from now on. For sales directors looking to build resilience and navigate the tough conditions of the pandemic, there are some key strategy aspects to consider.

Think of your prospect’s needs

In an almost exclusively virtual selling environment, you need to become more effective in your prospecting. This is tricky, as some tried-and-tested methods aren’t working as well as they used to (for example, email open rates are lower than they used to be) so you’ll have to foster an experimental subculture in order to cut through to prospects in unique circumstances.

Think about where your prospects are likely to be, engage with social media posts and give your salespeople the ability to offer strategic but genuine gifts.

Be empathetic when you reach potential leads; what do they need in order to get a deal over the line? You might not be able to sell at a premium right now, but if you can get your product or solution into the hands of someone who needs it during a challenging time, you’re going to build long-term loyalty that’s worth the short-term sacrifice. Similarly, think about your prospect’s customer; how are they coping financially? If they’re struggling, your lead might be less likely to buy from you. Knowing this information can help you focus your sales resources on deals you’ve got a better chance of closing.

Leverage digital technology

McKinsey commissioned a survey of B2B businesses from across 11 countries to identify how both buyers and sellers are reacting to the current situation. The results showed business leaders are adapting their sales strategy to bolster their organization’s resilience and prepare for operations in the ‘new normal’.

Across multiple areas of spend, there was an emphasis on omnichannel selling, ecommerce and tech-enabled service provision. It’s clear that the ability to leverage digital technology is crucial for B2B sales teams looking to adapt and thrive in a pandemic world and beyond.

B2B sales and marketing has traditionally been most effective in person, at meetings or live events. However, with these options off the table, you don’t have to miss out on the engagement these types of interactions offer. Technology now allows the creation of virtual events as comprehensive as anything that could be organized in a physical venue, and with a broader potential audience.

Perhaps even more beneficial is that the audience pool isn’t just bigger, it’s better. Digital summits are largely attended by pre-qualified and highly engaged audiences in decision making positions. As such, your sales strategy can’t afford to underestimate the importance of bringing your content to virtual events, such as roundtables, forums or panel discussions.

Integrating intimate, roundtable events into your broader strategy will give you the chance to connect with c-suite executives and exchange valuable ideas. You’ll be able to keep up to speed with the solutions required by relevant industry sectors and come away with fresh perspectives to integrate into your sales approach.

By hosting or co-sponsoring your own virtual event and providing solutions to current business challenges, you can ensure an engaged audience of executives ready to have a meeting with sales right after the event.

Embrace virtual events

While virtual events are crucial to building a thriving sales strategy right now, it’s also important not to treat them as a pitch. The C-suite buyers and executives that participate in these events are looking for idea exchange and value; outcomes and impact over features and benefits. Make sure the content you bring to roundtables isn’t too salesy. The key to virtual events is to foster conversation and engagement; you can focus on the sales part later.

We’re all going through challenging times right now, and there’s a lot of pressure on sales teams to keep revenue coming in. B2B sales leaders can deliver tangible ROI by incorporating virtual events into the broader sales strategy, fostering connections with enterprise buyers and executives and repurposing content marketing materials for digital summits. This will accelerate your sales pipeline and develop long-term prospects.

There’s no telling when – or if – things will return to normal after the pandemic. What’s for sure is that we’re unlikely to be gathering at large, in-person business conferences for some time, so virtual summits, digital roundtables and online panels are likely to be a staple of 2021, with a GDS and IFP survey of over 200 high-level executives and directors revealing that 80% of respondents were planning at least six virtual events in 2021.