Many Australian Sales Teams are in Social Distancing Mode and working remotely right at this moment. This places many new demands on the sales team, and we have taken the opportunity to offer some insights as to the silver linings which are visible as a result of working remotely.
Some Salespeople may struggle with time management working from home and this can be expected, however setting and agreeing on expectations is crucial. Expectations such the amount of sales activity, proposal offered, won sales, should be part of the agreements. If your sales team is acquiring new business then they should still be able to prospect at this time, provided they are calling on industries that are not having financial hardship or at risk of closing. What is important that you create a strategy with respect to what industries your team should be reaching out to. Remember that even in times of adversity their will be industries that are playing steady or in growth mode.
For sales teams that are in account management, then this is a great time to catch some of your clients on the phone and have a general discussion. Discussions could lead into an account health check. Of course, find out what your clients will be doing to handle the current situation and how you may be able to assist them. All these actions will be relevant today and in the future.
Regular contact with each sales team member, and possibly even daily is recommended to ensure that they have zero barriers to success. Ongoing mentoring will be crucial at this time to maintaining motivational levels. Let’s talk more about our successes and what is working and keep the negatives away from the discussions.
What are some of the other tasks your sales team can complete during this remote working session, well here some additional tasks:
Reviewing, and cleaning up the sales pipeline – this is crucial and as we have discussed on many occasion, distorted sales pipelines do not do any favors for the company and the sales team. In fact, the current circumstances may actually have an impact on the timeline of the opportunity – the opportunity could be delayed or advanced as a result of the current climate.
Following up on past sales opportunities or projects that were never closed off – this is a great opportunity to discuss these with your clients, and possibly line up a plan of action for the future.
How about just calling some clients or prospects that you have not heard from for a while, start the call with a statement such, “Hello Mary, just calling to say hi”. You will find that many people will be delighted with the call. Just talk, don’t sell, the business discussion may come at the end, but certainly building that forgotten bridge may be beneficial.
Researching who are the customers that are not buying any more from your firm, ask your administration / accounts for a list and work through the names and call each company. Some may be glad to hear from you, even if its only to say hi. Sometimes we lose touch with people who once provided a steady revenue stream for your company.
This would also be a great opportunity to update your CRM system, even calling some of the entries to cleanse the database would be advantageous. The process of cleansing a database by phone can generate leads. So, don’t be afraid to hop on the phone to tidy up your database.
Training is another task that can be scheduled during these times, it could be product or sales training. Another great use of time at this moment. If you are seeking information on Sales Training Brisbane, Sales Training Adelaide, Sales Training Perth, Sales Training Melbourne, Sales Training Darwin, Sales Training Sydney, Sales Training Hobart then why not call us for some options which can assist your team at this time.
If you are seeking further information on the above article or more information on the training options we can offer remotely then please call our Toll-Free Number 1300 791 571, or call George Manolis directly on 0418 436 743, or email george@sfsi.com.au.