Sure sales might be tough at the moment but it’s important to remember that your buyers might be in a crisis right now as well.
By the end of this post you’re going to know exactly how to deal with prospects during this COVID pandemic that is seemingly never ending…
#1 YOUR MINDSET
The first thing you need to do to sell prospects during this covid pandemic is to stop for a second and look inward. Are you stressed out right now? Is your job on the line because it’s been tough to get deals done?
Well if you’re stressed, this will come across in your sales communication with the prospect and derail the conversation.
Everyone has what are called “mirror neurons” in their brains and they literally mirror the emotions they see.
If you call a prospect who is currently calm and relaxed, but you’re stressed out… then when they speak with you, their mirror neurons will pick up on this stress, mirror it and they will become stressed too.
And nobody buys anything when they’re stressed out.
The stressed buyer will be defensive, they’ll throw objections at you and no sale will move forward.
So make sure, before you send that email or pick up the phone that you’ve turned down your own emotional state.
#2 THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Everyone gets it. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic that doesn’t seem to want to end.
So call out the elephant in the room when you speak to your prospects. Say “I appreciate that the world is a different place at the moment…” then carry on with your sales script.
Show some empathy and you’ll likely get some in return from your prospect.
#3 FOCUS ON THE LONGER TERM
I get it, you have a sales target to hit right now.
Your sales manager might be standing over your shoulder every day, monitoring what you’re doing, calling you out for not closing enough sales right now…
But be real. No matter how good at influencing other people you are (and if you want to learn how to become more influential on the phone, click subscribe as we’ve a video coming that cover how to do that) you can’t out influence the market.
What I mean by this is that the market, the global economy as decided to cut budgets and hold onto their cash right now.
This isn’t your middle management prospect playing hardball. These are decisions coming from the C-suite and board of directors downward.
So if you can’t get deals done right this minute, make sure you’re positioning yourself to be the first to secure budget when the money does start flowing again.
#4 KEEP YOUR ASKS REASONABLE
If a prospect had just been attacked by killer bees and they’d just spent 6 weeks in hospital recovering from their injuries…
You wouldn’t invite them to go and collect honey would you?
So don’t ask a prospect who is fighting for their own job right now during this pandemic to take risks.
Don’t make demands from prospects who genuinely has no budget, to magically find it like they can usually do in good economic times.
Keep your asks from prospects reasonable.
#5 DON’T STOP SELLING
I see salespeople going on of two ways during this extended covid pandemic. They either –
- Push to hard and burn relationships that will deliver revenue in a few months’ time.
- Or don’t do anything and they’re wasting months on end.
As long as you’re following the tips I just outlined of –
- Getting your mindset right
- Talking about the elephant in the room
- And keeping your asks reasonable
Then there is no reason why you should stop prospecting for new business and attempting to close deals that are ready to be closed.
Keep pushing forward with your sales activities and all of this will blow over eventually. Bad times always make room for good times.
