How to shift your sales approach in the midst of a crisis

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve thrown my entire sales playbook out the window. 

All the traditional tactics for calling on prospects either felt aggressive or uncomfortable. And I found myself, like so many other sales professionals, needing to develop an entirely new approach to earning new business. 

At first, establishing a new way of selling seemed like a daunting task. But then I realized since so many people are craving connection right now, there’s just one simple question sales professionals need to ask themselves, “How can I find unique ways to connect that feel natural to me and authentic to my customers?” 

To begin crafting my new approach, I spent some quiet time looking inward and identifying how I could tap into my interpersonal strengths to create genuine connections. As an avid Enneagram enthusiast, I decided to start there. I used what I know about myself to begin to rebuild my sales technique. I am a 2 on the Enneagram scale, which is known as “The Helper”. My core values include kindness, altruism, empathy, and most importantly, togetherness. From there, I began to craft my approach around that one concept – We are all in this together. 

Keeping this one idea in mind helped me navigate those situations more confidently. I began reaching out to customers with a very simple phrase, “How can I help?” 

I started making honest connections by offering my time and energy to create a sense of community and togetherness. And I created a shortlist of tangible services to offer my clients and candidates: 

1.     Resume Writing. Oftentimes when companies lay off staff they cut employees with the highest salaries - people who have been with the company for years. If you haven’t written a resume in 10+ years it can feel like an overwhelming task. I can help with that. 

2.     Market Knowledge. As a career recruiter, I’m closely tied to the corporate community. You might be wondering who is hiring, which industries have been the least impacted, or where you should be looking for new opportunities. I can help with that. 

3.     Support. Having an experienced support system as you enter the job market as a new candidate can be crucial to your success. I can help with that too! 

My new approach has been well received and the best part is, it FEELS RIGHT. It feels authentic. And it has become a differentiator for me. By sending a note about togetherness, kindness, and support with no strings attached – you can build lasting relationships. And in the end, that’s the most important sales tool you’ll ever need. 

I challenge you to spend some time learning about your interpersonal strengths and how you can best utilize them during this challenging time to create success for yourself. Here is a list of free personality tests that might help you dive deeper into the inner workings of your personality. 

Enneagram: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/dotest 

Truity TypeFinder Personality Test: https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new 

High5Test: https://high5test.com/strengthsfinder-free/ 

Comment below with what you’ve learned about yourself and how you plan to use your strengths to create honest, authentic connections!