In the blink of an eye the world is a different place.
StormSPACE work directly with executives and teams in all sizes businesses and trust me, acceptance has landed.
The vast majority of businesses now fully recognise that the present pandemic conditions are here to stay. Certainly, for far longer than many of us predicted.
So the decision is easy.
Businesses must adapt. Right now. If they do not adapt, they will fail.
There is no middle-ground.
As a result, we are witnessing the largest global change management project in the history of humankind. Executed from coffee counters and kitchen tables, without a plan, or even a clear view of the next goal, just a shared understanding that something must be done, and that failure is not an option.
The camaraderie is alive and incredible work is happening.
A Quick Guide to Pandemic Safe Prospecting
Step into your prospect’s shoes. What is the only thing on their mind right now. Offer inspiration and help them solve it.
(a) Adjust targeting to help businesses in sectors still able to avail your products/services rather than selling to them
(b) Adjust your proposition to directly meet new or revised business requirements for the next 12 months.
(c) Adjust your messaging to reflect the relevance of your propositionin in context with the current conditions.
(d) Adjust your systems & processes to stay organised and on top of your prospecting activities.
Access our Growth Suite
Why then – are some businesses fearing the consequences of prospecting?
Here’s why.
Through our conversations with B2B businesses in recent weeks we have seen a spike in businesses who are receiving objections to prospecting.
An objection to prospecting can sting a little.
Anxiety and stress levels are in uncharted territory right now, tempers are frayed, and harsh words are sometimes exchanged without due consideration. It is especially easy to vent through a keyboard. In the vast majority of cases, people that object to approaches don’t have any particular gripe with you, they are just experiencing a difficult time.
The business community fully understands that we don’t get through this without a concerted effort to maintain business as usual wherever possible. We all know that no business can flourish without finding new customers… so your offer to support business X with your product or service is not at all inappropriate.
It’s just that times are tough.
Don’t be dismayed if you receive a disgruntled response to a prospecting communication or two over the coming months.
You are not damaging your brand. People are just stressed.
It’s perfectly natural to panic and you won’t be the only one questioning whether continuing to prospect is really the right decision.
It definitely is.
I’ve lost count of the times we’ve heard about the effects of pausing prospecting… the damage far outweighs the risks every time.
Here are some examples of the kind of messages you might see. Do you really think this is top of my list right now? Thanks but I have far more pressing issues with the COVID situation right now. How can you possibly be asking if I need help with recruitment right now?
Not pleasant messages to receive… but don’t stress. There’s a perfectly simple response, and nothing more to it:
Please accept my apologies if I caught you at a bad time. Totally understandable. I’ll put this on hold for 3 months. Best Wishes….
Done. Hakuna Matata.
No risk of brand damage.
More importantly… you are still prospecting. The business engine is being fuelled and you will get through this. These changes will have huge positive impact.
I’ll leave you with this great prospecting rule from Jeb Blount.
The 30 Day Rule
The 30-Day Rule states that the prospecting you do in this 30-day period will pay off for the next 90 days.
Miss a day of prospecting and it will tend to bite you sometime in the next 90 days.
Miss a week and you will certainly feel it.
Miss the entire month and you will tank your pipeline, fall into a slump, and wake up 90 days later desperate, with no clue how you ended up there.
― Jeb Blount, Fanatical Prospecting
