Selling Through Uncertainty Webinar Insights

The coronavirus pandemic has created a lot of uncertainty for businesses. You may have lost opportunities and struggled to navigate this new sales environment.

Last Tuesday, Bonfire’s Senior Digital Advisor David Sierakowski spoke to two leading sales professionals from the aged care and real estate industries about how they have overcome the challenges of selling in a pandemic, and their recommendations for other businesses in a live webinar.

The Agency’s Director Paul Tonich spoke about the importance of always being prepared and prioritising problem solving to attract new business. While Southern Cross Care WA’s Head of Sales Oliver Warr shared how experimentation and upskilling have helped them pivot their business.

To help you navigate uncertainty now and in the future, here are their top 5 tips:

1. Company culture

It has never been more important to have a resilient and determined team to bolster your company culture. When recruiting, look beyond a candidate’s resume to find examples of when they have overcome adversity. Sales leaders should also invest in training to upskill and retain a high-performance team.

2. Simplify the process

At the height of Australia’s coronavirus restrictions, it was easy to lose track of time and a sense of urgency. To overcome this, create your own schedule and specify attainable daily goals for your team. It’s also vital to identify what is within your control, so your business can focus attention on what’s important for your customers. If in doubt, ask yourself “what solution can we provide?”.

3. Embrace change

As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of all invention”. The pandemic has created a rare opportunity for businesses to explore new opportunities and pivot their strategy quickly.

Operating within the high-risk aged care sector, Southern Cross Care WA made several changes to their business. To protect the health and safety of their team and potential customers, they changed in-home consultations to phone call consultations after Government social distancing restrictions were introduced. In addition, they introduced a new company policy that prohibited anyone from entering their facilities who did not test negative or was asymptomatic.

The Agency flipped their strategy and began advertising buyers instead of houses to prove to the market that there were still eligible buyers. This resulted in the sale of homes ranging between $1.5 million and under $3 million that were not on the market. They also began publicising achievements that they would have dismissed previously, such as the number of people who attended a home open.

4. Collaborate

Your business does not need to stand alone. Look for opportunities to collaborate with other companies within your industry or community who align with your brand. This will broaden your reach and introduce your brand to new markets.

For example, The Agency ran a $15,000 bathroom giveaway in collaboration with Dale Alcock Homes and Reece Plumbing through social media channels. The competition received 3,000 entries and the cost for the prize was divided between the three businesses.

5. Reflect and act

In times of uncertainty, you need to be open and accepting of change and taking risks. Alter your perspective to view challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities for your business to evolve. Now is the time to take your learnings from this period and apply them to your future business strategy.

As many sales professionals are aware, it is always more difficult to win new clients than to keep existing ones. To do this, be aware of any leaks in your sales funnel and work hard to deliver the best experience for your customers.

If you are interested in attending our next live webinar, email marketing@bonfire.com.au.