Why Preparedness and Agile Sales Approach is Crucial for B2B Success and Survival

Adversity can come knocking when you are least prepared!  This could be devastating when it comes to sales with all the targets and goals to be achieved. 2020 was a clear example of how prepared we should be and how agile sales should be in case there are some unknown challenges for us to face.

So what is it that needs to be embraced as a fundamental change in the organizational mind set or within teams or maybe even as a part of training in sales and marketing today? It’s the change in approach and the need to stay prepared!

Here are some aspects that could help you stay afloat in the future in any situation:

Resilience:

One of the most important things that 2020 taught us was resilience! It is a critical characteristic not just in sales but in any business to help us stay afloat. Amid challenges, this virtue can get us back on track. It’s important that this is ingrained in company culture so that every team knows how to handle challenges and survive. Marketing teams should inculcate this as an important quality to be able to revisit plans, refurbish them and come up with new solutions in any given situation.

Preparedness:

Crisis preparedness can be a part of organizational planning. Most of the organizations spend time planning business, but they may not be really prepared for a crisis that could stop them from implementing any of their business plans. 2020 has shown us how important being prepared is and what are the consequences if we aren’t. A clear crisis communication plan should be put in place and conveyed it across all functions in the organization to be able to survive in hard times. In sales, one could be more agile and have agile processes in place to be more prepared in the future.  

Taking one thing at a time:

A lot of tasks and processes if prioritized can take the load off the sales and marketing teams. Taking one thing at a time to know what is really important and what is not is a good way to go about it. Prioritizing tasks, team responsibilities, customer responses can help keep things on track in any given situation. It could also create more scope for an organized way of working and make resources available whenever needed.

Retaining customers:

Sales doesn’t always mean getting new customers, it also means retaining the existing customers. In fact, at times it is more challenging to retain customers. A lot of nurturing is required to retain existing clients and continue to have a good rapport and maintain relationships with them. This has a huge benefit in challenging times when you are unable to find or convert new leads. You know the existing customers well and when you know what they need it makes it easier for you to deliver things seamlessly.

Conclusion:

No matter which year it is or which time of the year it is, what needs to be adopted the most is a flexible approach and being prepared to face any adverse situation. Along with the above aspects several other factors such as data, customer journey, buyer personas etc. can be focused upon more for better planning. Developing long lasting relationships can also be a part of this approach.