2020 was a year of 360-degree changes for everyone and we are not only talking about everyday life but also in the workplace, everyone has lived it and the world of sales is not left out since it has been especially affected, so both sellers and customers have had to adapt almost by force to digital sales. According to IDE, 85% of companies say that if they do not transform or adapt to the digital era, they will fall behind their competitors and suffer more financially. It is more than clear that you are not going to be the exception so we want to share some very interesting information for you to be part of the digital sales world.
The fall in customer demand has affected all economic and labor sectors, according to estimates by the International Labor Organization (ILO) global labor income fell by 11% in the first quarters of 2020. The pandemic has led several companies to go into savings mode to survive in these times and also add that the traditional method of face-to-face sales is no longer viable, which makes it much more difficult to connect with customers and they can buy your product or service. So how do you sell more in these pandemic times? The first thing to keep in mind is that the fact that the Covid – 19 has impacted and affected the daily life does not necessarily affect your business, what you should do is to adapt and think about digital strategies that can make your business can be maintained and even manage to grow in these times.
We want to give you some tips that we ourselves have adopted, so that you can face these times in the best way and that your business is not affected. On the contrary, it is time to take advantage of the situation.
How to approach communication and public relations?
Consumers don’t just want to be “the sale”, they want to trust and create a bond with the brand, they are tired of being numbers and want to be seen and treated as the people they are. According to a survey conducted by America Retail, 94% of consumers consider empathy to be essential in all areas of life. This term, empathy, is what makes it possible for a person to create a connection with another and is the basis for them to understand different perspectives and situations. That is why as salespeople, beyond selling a product, you must put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think about the solution they need.
Consumers don’t just want to be “the sale”, they want to trust and create a bond with the brand, It is necessary to understand that it affects both salespeople and customers. A study conducted by PepsiCo and Ipsos indicates that in order to qualify brands as empathetic, they must treat consumers with respect (52%), listen to them (43%), take care of them (41%) and recognize their mistakes (37%). Listening to and taking care of customers will create better solutions for them. Identify the challenges and needs faced by customers and communicate solutions through digital content. With these actions you not only demonstrate your empathy towards the situation but also establish a relationship through caring. are tired of being numbers and want to be seen and treated as the people they are. According to a survey conducted by America Retail, 94% of consumers consider empathy to be essential in all areas of life. This term, empathy, is what makes it possible for a person to create a connection with another and is the basis for them to understand different perspectives and situations. That is why as salespeople, beyond selling a product, you must put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think about the solution they need.
The same study conducted by PesiCo and Ipsos states that 56% of consumers believe that brands talking about Covid-19 in their marketing and advertising campaigns is an act of empathy. Keeping in mind also that originality and the way you communicate should highlight your brand over the others as this is a trending topic. Do not forget that your communication must show emotion and responsibility.
Change the angle from analog to digital
Just as the environment has changed, your business must change as well. It is necessary to change the focus and review and evaluate your business model to adapt it to the digital scheme.
We are not talking about rethinking the entire commercial area, what you should do differently are the commercial activities, approach the customer in a different way, make the most of digital tools in order to provide customized solutions to the new challenges they face and provide alternatives to get ahead. Accenture indicates that 33% of consumers ended their relationship with a company because their experience was not personalized enough.
We are in the age of inbound marketing, where it is determined whether a prospect meets the criteria to be a repeat customer, before the customer determines whether the vendor can be their supplier. Upon determining if they meet the criteria, the vendor closes the deal and makes a specific offer, thus increasing leads by offering specific solutions to their problems rather than a product or service. This generates long-term relationships and not purely transactional as it usually happens. According to the Inbound study, 68% of professionals who work with inbound marketing consider that their strategy is effective, while 52% of professionals who use outbound marketing believe that their strategy is not.
The habit of physical sales and direct contact with the customer makes it difficult to think of other alternatives, so it is necessary to maintain proximity within digital media. The social networks, the Web site and an Email, are the means that will help to maintain communication and connection with customers. A study by DataReportal indicates that 4.57 billion people around the world use the Internet, of which, 346 million joined within the last twelve months, this means that they joined after and during the pandemic.
You must stay in the minds of your customers, become the solution they are looking for, whether it is a product or a service. Videos and live streams generate the most engagement in the digital world. According to a video study, 80% of users who enter a website watch a video, so you should start generating video content that excites and attracts your customers.
Brand positioning and relevance
Now, you should not only think about positioning your brand now, you should also think about the future, your reputation is maintained over time and consumers have a memory.
Let’s focus on the social responsibility of your business, this connects to the empathy we already mentioned. According to Antevenio, 40% of consumers look for brands with a purpose and trust brands that act in favor of society. Demonstrating your social responsibility will help you to be relevant, trustworthy and present.
Find a way to communicate to your customers how to solve their needs, help them through tips or from your knowledge, give a bit of “I know how to do this” to your customers to connect from your experiences.
Content Marketing
- Activations: Break the routine of your customers who are at home, distract them creatively and take them for a moment out of everyday life and boredom.
- Articles of interest: Create blogs to communicate with your customers in a different way and promote your products and services in a non-invasive way.
- Visual content (images, videos and lives): Audiovisual material is more easily engraved in the memory, so it is important to create pieces not only with relevant content, but that aesthetically impact the customer, attract and engage them.
The situation is not easy for anyone, but as we mentioned at the beginning this does not have to be the most difficult for your business, take advantage of these tips and adapt them to your business model, remember that the transformation and changes are important to remain relevant in the market that is constantly changing and fluctuating, it is time to adhere to change and the digital world to enhance your business and maximize sales.
