Planning for 2021? You’ve Already Made Great Strides, Now Let’s Build.

Closing out 2020 is going to be more of the same experiences, but a bit easier.

“What?”

We’ve had to adjust in many ways in order to ensure business moves in the right direction. As we look back to all the changes and adjustments we’ve made, there are numerous good things that happened as a result.

1.  We learned that the sales cycle can be done over the phone or Zoom. As a sales rep, you were accustomed to going on-site to see for yourself the issue(s) the customer was experiencing. Now, the customer used Zoom on their device and showed you the problem virtually. You asked questions, they got the answer and the sales cycle continued.

2.  We found out how much we relied on trade shows for sales leads. When we evaluated the quality of the leads we gathered from the booth, maybe it wasn’t all that we thought it was. Sometimes scans were just taken, even if they weren’t interested. So you gathered names, but what percentage moved into the sales funnel and what percentage is now ‘dead’ in the CRM.?

3.  We discovered there’s a good size learning curve for virtual trade shows and we need to rethink how to make them successful. Everyone is learning on this one. Those that project manage the show, and those that are exhibitors. Both are trying to figure out how the software works and how to maneuver its numerous features. So far, the findings are encouraging. Because the ‘chat’ function is critical in discussions, these turn out to be decent qualifiers of those who are interested or not. The feature is honing our skills in knowing who’s hot and who’s not.

4.  We got better at crafting our message. It’s more concise, to the point and tells the message faster.

When there’s challenging situations, there’s always good that come out. We sometimes forget to take inventory of the good because it’s hard to ‘see’. If you think about it, would you have made these improvements without being forced to do it? We’ll all better for it.

What's Ahead? Welcome 2021!

With this in mind, we now need to think about how to budget and plan for 2021. Waiting until December may be too late, and thinking about how to approach 2021 with or without a vaccine is crucial to new business development.

The marketing plan and sales tactics will be a bit different. However, we do encourage you to take the time now and be creative. Here’s why. Relying on the traditional ways of doing digital isn’t going to be enough. For instance, email. That digital outlet has been overused. If you use that method, things will need to be different. Salesleads will get deeper into the subject next month. However, if you have any questions on the subject, now is the time to ask us for inclusion in the article.

Make sure you think about marketing and sales in a multi-touch approach. What do you have left if email is too popular of channel? Plenty.

1.  LinkedIn – LinkedIn will ensure you use it properly as they restrict how much you can or cannot do. So think about who you want to connect with and why. Be sure to personalize a note as to why they should connect with you. Think about the value you will bring to them.

2.  SalesLeads’ Project Reports – These reports are instrumental in pointing you to companies that are expanding, renovating, and/or upgrading equipment. The content on the Project Report gives you insights into what they are looking to accomplish and by when. You’ll get the contact names, email addresses and direct phone numbers. Finding leads to go directly into the sales funnel, is exactly the type of program needed for 2021. Which leads me to…

3.  Calling Efforts – Pick up the phone and call. It always proves to be the most effective way to get the information you’re looking for. Call the contacts on the project report. Because of the amount of emails they are receiving, you have a better chance of then answering the phone or at least calling you back.

SalesLeads has given you plenty to think about: what you’ve accomplished and what to build upon next. With challenging situations there’s always positive to be found. Let’s look forward to the positives, and keep the focus.