The cost-of-living continues to make headlines, and put a dent in our personal finances. And from a business perspective, the pending recession was the hottest topic at this year’s SIE, with clients and contacts sharing concerns around volatile markets, recruitment freezes, layoffs and budget cuts. How can you adapt your key sales behaviours to combat the uncertainty?
From a personal perspective, I’m not the only person who put off turning on the heating for as long as I could manage. I’m glued to Martin Lewis’ social media, hoping he can make my finances easier to manage this year. But what’s the Martin Lewis equivalent for B2B businesses? Below, we take a look at 5 key sales behaviours that will ensure you are set up for success, whatever the economy throws at us.
Recessions change consumer behaviour – just like we saw in the pandemic. Key sales behaviour #1 is to keep asking questions of your new and existing clients to ensure you have the best possible understanding of the challenges and priorities ahead of them. You’ll see commonality between clients, and when you have those themes, you can become an expert in how to counter them.
Your clients may not have budget to work with you right now, but when they do, you want to be front of mind. Ensuring you provide valuable insights and data means building confidence and rapport that put you first in line when budgets are reinstated. According to Rain Group, the number one thing clients want from salespeople is to be educated on new ideas and perspectives – that’s even more relevant as clients look for solutions to new problems.
Keep your customer at the heart of everything you do. What help do they need right now, and how can you help them get there? Revisit your ICP, and ensure your energy is going where it’s needed. And consider how you position yourself – by having a clear purpose and illustrating how you can help a customer get through this crisis, you are showing understanding and sharing a solution.
91% of clients say they’ll refer a customer on, but only 9% of salespeople ask. You can’t buy that feelgood factor. Ask them to champion you! That referral could be the extra reassurance new customers need to take the leap. Make sure you look after your existing clients and keep those testimonials coming, share them on social, and be loud and proud of what you’ve achieved.
53% of why a client will choose you is down to the sales experience. That is only going to get more important in times of uncertainty. Sales teams who show understanding and empathy and don’t shy away from discussing difficult topics will stand out.
At Flume, we would argue that now is the time to ramp up your sales training, not cut the budget. For insights into this and our ground-breaking approach to sales training, check out our blog, follow us on LinkedIn, or reach out for a meeting. We’re here to listen, and to help.
Anna Sudbury
Head of Sales
+44 (0)7506 703 696
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