SubscribeYes, Things Have Changed in 2009
Selling in 2009 has been unlike any other year for executives trying to figure out what to focus on internally to generate leads and increase sales in their marketplace. This in turn has increased the pressure for these companies’ sales people to do more with less.
In a January 2009 report by IDC, they reported that companies who reduced their sales and marketing investments in 2009 and blame their lack of sales on the economy will fail by 2010. 40% of those companies surveyed said that their sales plan for 2009 would be greatly affected. 40%! Many companies will use the economic downturn to eliminate or replace salespeople. Why? Because over 50% of companies believe their salespeople are not productive. At CNN.com, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was quoted as saying that “recovery will only gradually gain momentum and that economic slack will diminish slowly,” and that companies will be, “wary of hiring and the unemployment rate is likely to rise even after economic growth resumes.”
So what can you do?
1. Stop wasting your time with your colleagues and complaining about “how bad it is” around the water cooler and start learning.
2. Differentiate yourself from your colleagues by being the expert in your area.
3. Learn everything about your products and services and what the marginal value of your offer is in comparison to your competitors’ and not just an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
4. At the same time, don’t waste your customers’ time. They themselves have to do more with less and feel overwhelmed. They want relevant information that will help eliminate current and future breakdowns and they want it now as the market is changing faster than ever before. Become their trusted advisor.
As stated in an article in the June 8, 2009 edition of Forbes, gone are the days of expensive lunches, golf outings and ritzy sales conferences. The salespeople who will win in today’s marketplace will be those who match their communication and sales skills to the needs of their customers and do it fast and “Oh” so right the first time.
Those links, again, for your reading pleasure: