How a crisis can throw up new sales opportunities and how salespeople can save the day!

Written by Huthwaite International

Over the last few weeks, businesses have grappled to understand how and what works best during a pandemic. No-one could foresee how COVID 19 would impact the world!

For those selling in the current crisis the question: ‘how can we improve our outcomes based on the current market?’ is an all too familiar one.

At Huthwaite, we train sellers to think like a buyer. It is easy to put all your energy into looking at ‘the steps of a sale’ rather than to spend time putting yourself into the shoes of the buyer.

Before the crisis hit, some customers may have been in the stage of the Buying Cycle™ that Huthwaite refers to as the 'Implementation Stage'.    In this stage, we might assume that the customer is happy and the solution provided by the current incumbent suits their requirements. In a normal business environment, the potential for customers changing supplier at this stage could be perceived as too disruptive, costly and risky for the business.  Why would they change?  The catalyst for change just isn't there.

But move into crisis time and the story could be very different.  The situation will have thrown some customers back into the stage of the cycle we call ‘Changes over Time - unexpectedly, they may have moved from residual satisfaction with their solution into a more chaotic business environment that throws up new challenges.   They could well be wondering how they are going to function in this new world, and if their current systems and procedures are unsuitable for newly emerging requirements.  Organisations that were happy as they were, are potentially in a serious state of flux.

This is where skilled sellers can really standout and create value for their customers.  How you react to new information and how you talk to your customers can suddenly take you on a new sales journey.  If you can react quickly to these changing business requirements, you'll be in a position to offer new solutions to customers who were once buried in the ‘call me back next year’ pile!’  By recognising their needs and actively exploring their new business concerns, you can help them move through the buying cycle to the ‘Decision’ phase quickly.

So, in this time of uncertainty, think again about where your customers are in the Buying Cycle™.  If they are in the 'Changes over Time' stage, how can you re-connect?

Capes at the ready - you could become the hero of the moment!

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