Sales in the Subscription Economy #12
Uptick in sales this week, how to sell in our new normal, how agile is your sales org., and new podcasts! – let's dig in, read issue #12 now!
Here's what you need to know this week:
How to Grow B2B Sales During the “New Normal” of 2020 & Beyond by Sanjit Singh, Founder and CEO of Boltt.io
Key Takeaways:
It’s critical to redefine your company’s value as customers redefine their definition of value as we move into the “new normal."
You and your company will have to do some deep thinking about the new business environment post COVID-19. What does this new world need from your company? What are your company’s strengths? Regardless of your position, can you encourage your leadership to pivot if necessary? If you were building a company from scratch right now, what would it look like? What can your company learn from this exercise? Brainstorm and iterate until you feel like your company is on the right track.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself, “How are they re-prioritizing right now? How would I spend money if I was in their position? Am I helping my customer unlock more value? Sell more? Cut costs? Sell more while cutting costs?” And listen to your customers more intently than ever and help them do more with less.
You can certainly reference the crisis and let people know how you can help them through it, but don’t focus exclusively on it. And remember, emotions are running high, so downplay any strong opinions you have about COVID-19 and its impact.
Members of your own sales team may be dealing with a variety of emotional, medical, and financial issues. Be kind, compassionate and patient with them. Listen and be supportive and provide whatever resources you can. We all need that right now.
3 Not-So-Obvious Shifts You MUST Make to Sell in Uncertain Times by Todd Caponi on SalesHacker
Key Takeaways:
Optimize your message – we're all experiencing the global crisis together and we all have the same basic priorities: eliminating discretionary spending, extending the runway on essentials, and minimizing risk. So, evaluate your message and optimize it with a sole focus on those 3 things. Revenue growth is a "nice-to-have" right now. How does your solution solve for each of these 3 priorities? Hone your message accordingly.
Cut the red tape and optimize the buying journey for the customer. Meaning, simplify the sales process and eliminate any unnecessary steps. Embrace transparency by giving your buyer both the pros and cons of buying from you; negotiate transparently – don't play games; get your new customers to value recognition FAST.
Keep selling, smarter. Pick an industry vertical and focus solely on it for a while. Become an expert on those prospects' issues. That will earn you credibility, confidence, and the ability to have demonstrable empathy for your prospect. It will also lessen the homework you have to do between calls.
Messaging developed during an economic upswing often will not work during a downturn. If you haven’t already, optimize your messaging, remove friction from the buying journey wherever possible, keep selling!
2 Ingredients for successful B2B sales: Agility and Stability by Boudewijn Driedonks and Ryan Paulowsky
Key Takeaways:
Amanda's note: the full article is absolutely worth the read. We know the organizations who make it in the long run are agile and adaptable. There is a killer graphic in the article that effectively demonstrates what your sales organization needs to look like right now to thrive, so check it out!
I want to specifically highlight the following section of the article so you can give yourself a quick and solid gut check: Five trademarks of agile B2B sales organizations. How do you match up?
Common aspiration across the sales organization (“North Star”)
Network of empowered sales teams (supported by digital capabilities)
Rapid decisions and dynamic pipeline management
Dynamic people support to foster customer-centric sales capabilities
Next-generation-enabling technology
Last but not least, Hubspot is tracking some compelling sales metrics right now that you need to be following. This week's numbers are actually encouraging!!
New Sales in the Subscription Economy Podcasts!
Podcast #10: Germain Brion, SVP of Global Sales at Chargebee demonstrates the unwavering importance of tracking leading indicators right now, making great sales hires by bringing the heat during interviews, team mental health, and future-proofing your customers' businesses.
Podcast #11: Kyle Petersen, VP of Sales at Gusto challenges Sales to "be a solution to a problem worth solving," the Success = Skill x Will equation, leading with empathy & value, and more!
Listen to Sales in the Subscription Economy at subscriptioncoach.com/podcast or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.
The podcast is a conversation with Sales VPs for Sales VPs competing in the subscription economy who are trying not to just survive this crisis, but emerge from it even better. Subscribe now and be one of those leaders!
This is an unprecedented opportunity for you to get your sh*t together: sales SOPs, your team, sales enablement, and everything else.
Get serious about becoming the best and see how Sales Solutions Sessions + Roadmap can help you emerge from this crisis at the top of your team's sales game.
Book that 30 minute exploratory call with me right now – let's get your sales machine operating at full strength. And no kidding, even if you can't afford it, book a call with me and let's see if I can help. We all need to bring our skills to the table to help others in need.
Lastly, I want to introduce a quick new offer that myself and the team of amazing sales recruiters that I work with are offering to help you through the COVID-19 crisis: for recruiting contracts signed by June 30th, 2020, we will offer a one year candidate replacement guarantee, a 4 day in-person sales training session, the CraftMetrics aptitude & coaching profile, and 90 day payment terms. Email amanda@subscriptioncoach.com and let's talk about your team.
Follow me on Twitter @NorthcuttAmanda