How to sell in uncertainty

How do you sell in times of uncertainty? How can you increase sales in 2022? There are many things you can do to thrive in your selling this year, but none of them will go far if you do not do this one thing-show empathy. There is hope in the air locally and globally. Deaths and hospitalization from COVID-19 are rapidly receding and the world is in a kind of mixed recovery; cautiously optimistic if you please. No longer in shock (that ship sailed) but not in acceptance stage either. So how do you increase sales during the pandemic or in times of uncertainty? By communicating with empathy.

You can be seen as insensitive

In this time of the pandemic, or post pandemic, how are you going to sell the product or service you so competently used to? Well, in addition to your competence, consider that your prospects and customers may have undergone a traumatic experience Even if their businesses thrived, possibly their personal lives didn’t. So, caught in the throes of getting ahead with the sale you could be imagining that the best way to get things cracking is not to talk about the possible trauma and come out as insensitive to the prospect who’s still grieving the loss of his mother from the pesky corona virus. Likely, the sale is dead on arrival at that point.

Don’t assume, ask.

And don’t assume you know how COVID has affected them. You don’t. That’s not hw to sell in uncertainty. For instance, it is generally assumed that vaccines are a good thing. That there are no serious side effects of vaccinations. What if I told you that last year I buried a friend, and a client’s wife is still recovering from a traumatic skin disfigurement, both following a vaccine jab? Now imagine, making the sweeping statement, ‘Thank God for the vaccine and how they are helping’, to one who’s loved one developed a clot in the brain after a jab?

How to sell in times of uncertainty.

So, tentatively find out. “It was a difficult time for many people and businesses last year. How was it for you?” (Empathy) The ‘you’ is deliberately left open to allow for a personal and professional response. If the prospect becomes analytical and asks “Me, personally, or the business?”, say, “Both. After all, without you there is no business.” (More empathy).

And then LISTEN! Empathy is not about the questions you ask so much as it is about your looking concerned through genuinely listening. Polite eye contact, nodding, seeking clarifications are all ways of doing so.  This is an important part of managing your relationship with your customers and building trust with them. But at the same time remember you have targets. So, once you all caught up, depending on how you read the situation, proceed with permission selling thus: “Mercifully, it looks like things are getting better and we keep hoping for the best. Is it ok if I shared with you what I have for your consideration?” (Further professional empathy)

If you would like to have your sales team sell more, we can help. In order for us to do so we propose a free consultation meeting or a call. If in agreement please complete the form below and we will get in touch after receiving your details, none of which will be public. Thank you.