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Last year was testing for everyone on professional and personal levels. As we continue to move forward, we are some way off from ‘normality’ - but we have done an amazing job of being agile and adapting to new ways of working and communicating.
This, however, has naturally brought a number of questions to the table…
- When will in-person meetings come back?
- Will events ever come back?
- Are we going to stay virtual forever?
In due time, I’m confident we will get back to ‘normal’, but I do believe that the acceleration of digital and the habits we’ve picked up are here to stay - which is not a bad thing. But as this blog is titled: What should sales expect in 2021? Well, I believe you should expect and prepare for the following…
Keep on helping
Customers and prospects are always key, but it’s important that you continue to help and offer them support during tough and confusing times.
Stand out from the crowd and become a trusted advisor by offering your audience the educational content, advice and support that they need right now.
In-person meetings
They will happen again - when, who knows - but this time, they will carry more weight. In my eyes, in-person meetings will be more meaningful.
The opportunity for face-to-face meetings will be appreciated as we haven’t been conducting as many as we normally would. This is a fantastic opportunity to make sure you use this time wisely.
Videos
Those who have been following me or consumed any of my content will know I’ve been a big advocate of using video and video outreaches for some time, much prior to the pandemic.
From my own experience, I’m more than confident that they will be expected in 2021. Since the pandemic kicked in last year, I have been using video as my primary outreach and the response has been fantastic. People want human interaction, and they appreciate that you have gone to the effort of shooting and sending them a video rather than an email. Add in personalisation, and you’re on to a winner.
Combine your communications
I, like you, miss human-to-human interaction - especially when it comes to workshop sessions. I’ve had to adapt and be agile, which meant recreating workshops normally found in a meeting room and on a whiteboard, virtually.
Whether you’re running workshops, brainstorming sessions or pitching and presenting proposals, don’t be afraid to combine communications. If its workshops, you can have virtual meetings and use Miro, the digital whiteboard, to let you collaborate in real-time. If you have a proposal, don’t just email it over, send a video walking through the key aspects.
I know everything is easier said than done and change is hard. And, as sales professionals, you are all by nature social creatures. So, take the energy, mindset and methods we consider to be ‘norm’ pre-pandemic, and adapt them to the ‘new normal’, which is what my suggestions above are all about.
Stay safe, positive and strong. You got this!
