For ad sellers dealing with pandemic’s economic effect, the battle is over. The siege has now begun.
“The novelty of us not being together, not being able to be with our customers or go to events, is wearing off,” says Doug Weaver, founder of sales training consultancy The Upstream Group.
Instead of face-to-face trainings and coaching, he’s moved everything to Zoom – including the occasional happy hour).
The salespeople he’s trained have adjusted to a new reality, which means putting long-term relationships ahead of short-term sales, figuring out how to be helpful and useful to clients during their time of need and learning how to read a room when everyone in it is virtual.
Managers, too, need to coach employees differently. Someone stuck at home alone will face different challenges than someone who’s also homeschooling their kids.
With such an uncertain time ahead, Weaver’s also advising clients that nearsightedness and generosity can be an asset to getting things done. “It’s hard to be a victim when you’re a caretaker,” he said – whether that’s philanthropic work or supporting customers.
“We have an unusual relationship with time right now,” he said. “Collapse time. Stay focused on the 90 minutes in front of you.” Be productive – and start to string those productive hours together helping clients and getting meaningful things done.
