Improving your Sales strategy during a pandemic

It is clear that the World is not going back to business as usual. The past year has ushered businesses and organizations into changes that will affect them forever. Even though we had to endure staying at home for several months, the pandemic changed the face of business activities completely.

Currently, businesses have settled into the reality of virtual meetings, remote work, online marketing, and other remote approaches to getting work done at a distance. The fact is that Covid-19 changed the whole world. Even people with packed pipeline management had to adjust to this new lease of life. While certain businesses have been hit so hard, others like technology, e-commerce, and marketing have been able to turn the tide in their favor. Since more people had to stay at home, online businesses got a nudge forward.

How is the Pandemic currently impacting sales?

According to a CMO survey, B2B companies did better than B2C companies. On average, B2B product companies recorded about a 14.28% decline in sales. The survey also shows sales impact across several industry verticals- technology recorded a mean sales impact of -9.36%, Banking -17.54%, retail -29.73%, and health care -13.47%.

The National Federation of Independent Business NFIB, on the other hand, reports that about one-quarter of small business owners reported a negative impact in terms of slow sales (42%), supply chain disruptions (39%), and sick workers (4%). As a result, many businesses have recorded a massive decline in sales.

What you can do to make it better

If you’re experiencing a decline in sales, you’re not alone. Several companies are experiencing the same. However, since people turned more to digital tools and online marketing, there are more ways to stay connected with customers during the Pandemic while keeping your business on its A-game. In the following section, you will see many actionable ways to make your sales better during a pandemic.

1. CRM

CRM means Customer Relationship Management. This refers to all the techniques, tools, software, and strategies businesses use to retain customers and increase their sales. In most cases, you need CRM software for a CRM system. The software runs sales, marketing, and service management services.

On the upside, a CRM helps simplify the several activities involved in a business. It allows you to monitor your business while allowing for digital transparency. Additionally, it enables the assessment and management of the sales pipeline.

Features of a good CRM platform or software

• Responsiveness and interactive features
• Customer interaction via diverse channels
• Data management
• Sales acceleration

You can refer to CRM software as a database of information because it monitors daily activities, records sales interactions, and manages the task. If you’d consider a CRM platform, it is best if you thought;

• The simplicity of use
• The cost and features
• Its analytic strength
• Popularity etc.

Currently, one of the top platforms in the market is Salesforce. The Salesforce CRM provides a myriad of features that gives your business the right push when you take advantage of it.

First of all, you have a complete and overall view of your business. With Salesforce dashboards, you can determine what part of the business requires immediate consideration. Thus, fostering customer satisfaction and ultimately a boost in sales. With this, it is evident that sales opportunity management in Salesforce is robust and promising.

You also get access to a customer data management component that allows you to personalize and profile customers according to their unique needs. You can integrate this tool with existing customer information to have a comprehensive engagement and view.

Salesforce reports make lead generation hassle-free by creating reports that outline specific details for every lead. You can also trust Salesforce to integrate your contacts and secure their data. All communications within the platform are secure from end to end with an authentication system.

2. Stay connected with your Customers

One of the ideal ways to stay connected to customers during the pandemic is to utilize the internet. The pandemic showed a sharp increase in the number of internet users and the time people spent online. By integrating your business into social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you can increase your sales. People constantly check on the latest updates; consider posting related pieces on your website, social media pages, and even emails. This is what you know as digital marketing.

Another way to connect is by letting your customers know what you’re doing to prevent the spread of the virus. Additionally, consider providing promotional offers, including holiday sales, price slash, free deliveries, and more. One customer that got a sales offer is very likely to tell others about it. That way, you have more customers and more sales.

3. Remote Work

With the new era in business life, office work will never be the same again. Many people have embraced the remote work culture; it may be time to do the same. Working remotely keeps the workforce safe and the business at less risk. The fact remains that remote work provides; flexibility, productivity, work-life balance, less stress, and so much more. One of the main ways to foster a productive remote work team is to make sure they have access to the correct equipment, data, people, and software needed to be effective. We’ve seen an increase in the number of Salesforce optimization projects and app installs because these tools can make up for the face-to-face interactions that we used to fall back on for coordinating.

Many teams have collaborated from home using Salesforce’s marketing calendar to schedule their work. Also, team leaders have been able to monitor productivity by using the Report Sender, which helps everyone stay in sight of the goal even though they’re out of sight. If you need to edit an opportunity on the team, you can use the Opportunity Team Edit Override.

With the right tools and motivated team members, remote work is not only achievable, it is easier. Furthermore, it makes work-from-home as effective as the traditional method. Many employees report that information and communication technology like Sales reports helps them do their work effectively. Additionally, they get to spend more time with family.

Conclusion

Indeed the pandemic could be a trying period, but it is also a time when you can strategize to stay ahead of your sales. You can navigate through it by optimizing tools that would support your team and increase sales. By doing this, you’re setting your business up for success and more productivity.