By Andrew Milbourn, CEO at Kiss The Fish
One thing is for sure – things are already very different for sales teams in B2B land than they were in March 2020. There are so many questions about what is going to happen. When will customers come back and will we lose the business we counted on? You have a choice. You can either wait and see what the world is like, or you can get out there (albeit virtually) and make things happen. I’ve always believed that in every time of recession or hardship, there is opportunity, and this time round there is opportunity for sure. There has never been a better time to come to terms with what is really required post-Covid19.
Clients and potential clients are going to want partnerships like never before. They are going to want to know that suppliers are reliable, and that they are there ready to be agile to flex around whatever their business and their markets throw at them.
I think TRUST is going to be an even bigger issue than before Covid, buyers will want to minimize any risk – it’s got to be the right first time and things are going to have to move fast. Are you ready for this?
Our clients are going to want to know that they can trust us and that our word actually means something. I’ve been studying the Neuroscience behind what forms a bond of trust in an individual, and I think it’s going to give us and our clients an edge in the coming months.
Developing Trust
Developing trust face to face is difficult, on a Zoom call – it’s really difficult, but trust is what is required post-Covid.
First issue – are you just acting or are you genuine? The brain has amazingly fast receptors which pick up the smallest of signals in the way you look and speak and on a Zoom call. Every action is accentuated, no matter how small.
Salespeople have got to learn to stop worrying about sales targets and even trying to sell at all. The only thing that they should be concerned with is whether are they helping someone else make money, or get back on their feet. We all need a purpose and not just a corporate purpose, but a personal purpose – a reason beyond money that explains why we do what we do – why we get out of bed in the morning. If we have a purpose that gives something back to humanity then being sincere on a call is easy. I am genuinely doing what I do to add something to my clients, and to my employers, as well as earn a salary (that is a consequence of my work – not the reason I do it).
Secondly, is the approach itself – one of the things I’ve learned recently is that benevolence is one of the keys to triggering oxytocin which is the magic piece of neuroscience that we need to generate in someone else, so they trust us. How do we apply that to sales? – well that’s easy, be creative, think, what could I give this customer or potential client that they would value and that is available to give? That could be a piece of information on their market, it could be some baby clothes for their new baby, or it could just be a document to go through as an agenda which clearly shows that this is about them – not you. The opportunity to be benevolent is endless – in a world where being ‘safe’ is the primary modus operandi in all homes, a simple, ‘How are you and the family in this difficult time?’ This is a simple and effective opening to any conversation on Zoom, and you’ve got to mean it. It sounds obvious but if we are calling someone to try and achieve our sales target then we are missing the point and we are going to fail.
Where is your sales plan?
Right now, we need a sales plan like never before. We need a plan that is truly person-centric and that person needs to be our clients. At Kiss The Fish, we have a culture target to be true “customer curious”
What does Customer Curious mean? Well it means that we are truly focused on how we can help our clients, and what they really need right now. If we get that right, selling and sales growth are inevitable. People want to do business with people who will help them – not those who are just trying to take money from them.
Talk to us for a chat about how we can help you with your business – that’s what we’re here for!
