Post-COVID Selling: Getting Back into Shape

As the world continues to navigate the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are encountering a unique set of challenges and opportunities. The common sentiment across the board, as I’ve gathered from several keynotes delivered in 2024 already, is a need to recalibrate and enhance sales strategies. “We have to get back into selling shape,” is a refrain I’ve heard repeatedly, echoed by professionals in a wide range of industries. Many organizations have ridden the wave of high demand during the pandemic, enjoying increased sales without the need for aggressive marketing or sales tactics. However, as normalcy resumes and market conditions stabilize (yes you read that right, things are stabilizing despite what the media will have you believe), there is a pressing need to shift back to proactive selling to secure and expand business opportunities.

Three Simple Steps to Revitalize Your Sales Approach

1. Get Prescriptive

The transition back to proactive selling requires a strategic approach where leaders play a pivotal role. It’s essential for leaders to not only set goals but also actively engage in mentoring their teams on achieving these objectives through disciplined and intentional actions. This involves:

•  Defining Clear Expectations: Articulate what successful selling looks like now. Specify behaviors and results that are expected from each team member.
• Role Modeling: Demonstrate these behaviors through your actions as a leader to set a standard for the team.
• Structured Training Programs: Develop comprehensive training sessions that focus on skills like negotiation, digital communication, and customer engagement in a post-COVID world.  

2. Scrimmage

Just as athletes scrimmage to prepare for games, sales teams need to practice their skills in simulated environments. This preparation goes beyond traditional role plays; it involves:

• Real-time Feedback: Provide immediate feedback during practice sessions to allow for quick adjustments and learning.
• Use of Technology: Incorporate CRM and other sales enablement tools in training to ensure familiarity and efficient usage in real scenarios.
• Emphasis on Soft Skills: Encourage the development of empathy, adaptability, communication, connection and problem-solving, which are crucial in understanding and meeting customer needs post-pandemic.

3. Accountability

Maintaining high performance in sales teams requires a robust framework for accountability:

• Regular Check-ins: Implement a consistent schedule of one-on-one meetings to review progress, discuss challenges, and adjust strategies.
• Performance Metrics: Clearly define what success looks like.  
• Motivation: Just like athletes need a coach to push players to do the things they know they should do, but don’t always want to do them, so do sales professionals.  As a sales professional myself, I know if a coach or leader pushes me and holds me accountable I will be more successful
• Recognition and Rewards: Motivate your team by recognizing and rewarding efforts and achievements that contribute to the business’s goals.  Doesn’t have to be complicated- but it does need to be consistent. 

Embracing the Challenge

The post-COVID world presents what could be considered the greatest sales challenge in modern history. The disparity between teams that adapt and those that do not could very well determine the future trajectory of many businesses (and such a great opportunity for you if you have the right mindset). By embracing proactive selling and embedding these strategies into you and/or your team’s operations, you can ensure that your organization not only survives but thrives in this ‘new’ landscape.

As we step into this new era, it is crucial for sales leaders and their teams to adopt a mindset of continuous improvement and resilience. The shift from reactive to proactive selling is not merely a change of tactics but a complete cultural shift towards greater engagement, innovation, and customer focus. This proactive approach will not only help close the current sales gap but also set a solid foundation for sustained success in a world that continues to evolve rapidly.