Things are opening up and people are crawling out of their basements. Commerce is coming back to life. We’re beginning to see business after Covid. Even though the construction industry held strong through the various incarnations of lockdowns, business still was not quite as usual.
Now companies will need to reengage their sales strategies.
The big question is this: Exactly how do you accomplish that? The first step is to take a breath. Review what was effective prior to the pandemic and take the successful elements into consideration. Your outside sales effort will still be vital to ongoing success, especially if the market turns in any fashion. By meeting with customers face to face, you can gain a pulse of what’s trending.
The opening of associations and organizations is a good place to begin as you interact with your customer base. Attend consistently and be sure to focus on customer-rich groups. This will allow you to connect with a larger pool of clients and potential clients. Get to as many events as possible and maintain consistent involvement.
Frequenting proven networking groups and events can also reignite your sales mojo. Casual business functions provide the opportunity to be more relaxed and knock off some of the rust.
Oh, you will be rusty. For some, it has been a year since they’ve engaged with customers in any format that doesn’t include a computer screen. It is already becoming apparent that Zoom meetings will not be the differentiator. People who prefer these types of virtual meetings over traditional in-person sales work will be forced into more intense pricing situations and less development of true customer relationships.
Relationship growth is always the differentiator in sales. It increases the level of trust and creates a fertile environment for gaining critical information. Two crucial elements tilt the scales in your favor: 1) The opinion that sales work can now be done from the comfort of one’s home, which is misguided, and 2) That salespeople will be the drivers of businesses’ recovery, which is absolutely true.
As for crucial element number one, if we’re already seeing people taking sales appointments post-pandemic, it’s only a matter of time when those who don’t get out publicly will attract less attention.
I’ve witnessed multiple revolutionary sales trends over the years that eventually fade, and there is a return to the tried-and-true methodology of outside selling.
Covid dealt a severe blow to many in the sales realm. Some were forced to move in new directions, others are coming out of it hungry. Those with an appetite will be aggressive and leave those who are hesitant in the dust. Waiting to see what transpires may seem prudent, but this strategy could put you behind the frontrunners. Markets are a bit unpredictable at the time of this writing; the one thing that will be a constant is that the most active sales personnel will be those who bring the greatest results.
As for crucial element number two, as PPPs, unemployment compensation and backlogs fade, people will become more anxious to produce. Those with the responsibility of selling will need to be the drivers. New business will need to be secured, and there is a great deal of instability in the construction industry. The combination of escalating material costs with tight labor pools can compress opportunity. This will require an expansion of your customer base to cover fluctuations.
Clients who may have previously been consistent, recurring business may no longer be as reliable. Qualifying new customers and beginning the process of winning some of their projects will not happen overnight. Getting in front of them before the rest of the pack could give you an edge.
I feel the need to reiterate that I’m not trying to set a standard for anyone concerning their response to the pandemic. That is an individual choice. I’m simply pointing out what is already becoming apparent: The choice to engage with the customer base is going to prove effective in moving the sales bar. Not all customers will be ready to embrace the return to traditional sales work initially, but plenty are jumping at the chance to get out and reconnect.
The question is this: Are you ready?
Tom Woodcock, president of seal the deal, is a speaker and trainer for the construction industry nationwide. He can be reached via his website, www.tomwoodcocksealthedeal.com, or at 314.775.9217.