With a world that has been turned upside down, sales that have fallen to unprecedented levels, and a future that is still filled with uncertainty, recruiting new employees may not be the top priority on your To-Do list. However, an old proverb says, “the best time to make hay is while the sun is shining”.
There are two major reasons to consider looking for your next superstar, right now, while the sun is shining:
Reason #1: Major “Life” events, including what we’ve just experienced, cause people to “re-think” their priorities. For many, this means considering a career move.
A Gallup poll shows that during normal times 67% of U.S. employees are disengaged at work, and 51% say they are actively looking for a new job or are open to one. We can only assume that these numbers have spiked along with unemployment.
Reason #2: As people return to work, some will be even more disengaged. The personalities and beliefs of owners and managers and the “return to work” policies they implement will determine the level of their employees’ anxiety. Some will think the precautions and mandates will be too much, while others will believe it is not enough, both causing uneasiness, disgruntlement, and reasons to ultimately look for a different employer.
One of the most important duties of a manager is building and maintaining a strong team. While recruitment may not be a top priority, it should always be a high priority and a regular, ongoing function for every manager. There is nothing worse than having one of your sellers hand you their two-week notice when you don’t have someone on the bench. The truth is … the two reasons listed above apply to your employees as well.
While it may feel and seem odd, the sun is truly shining. So, get the recruitment machine fired up, make sure the barn is ready, and start making hay! The sun is shining!
Whether these infamous words were spoken to you by your parents, a teacher, or a sales trainer, at some point we were all taught a lesson through this expression, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen more and talk less”.
Talking “too much” and not knowing when to “shut up” is one of the most common mistakes made in sales.
As true and profound as that statement normally is, this week, I am going against the grain a bit and suggesting that instead of listening more and talking less, you are going to need to talk a little more than normal to get your clients and prospects to say “Yes“!
Bear with me before you go and say, “He must have ‘lost it’ over the last few weeks”! Hear me out. In normal times I agree, talking less and listening more is nearly always the best recipe for success, but in case you have forgotten, we are in the “new normal”, at least for the time being.
Continuing from our last ENS on Sales topic, Ideas and Plans = Courage, we know that as you return to the streets and start making presentations, you will be greeted with a different tone. That tone will be the sound of hesitance, stalling, reluctance, fear, anxiety, and trepidation, just to name a few!
Talking more does not mean rambling on about things that are not important. What it does mean is being prepared to go deeper than you potentially normally go. Be prepared to answer more questions and objections. This means you will need to be better prepared with testimonials, facts, and words of assurance. Instead of accepting the client’s first or second “no”, be willing to go the extra mile to explain that advertising is the right thing to do, all while answering their objections and calming their fears.
With all this said, there is another old expression that needs to be adhered to which is, “Don’t win the battle, but lose the war”. We are in business-to-business sales and there is always tomorrow!
The moral of this story is not to talk more, but rather, be more prepared. In the near future, it’s going to take better ideas, better proposals, better presentations, and a little more talking to get your clients and prospects to say, “Yes“!
“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”
– L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
For most small and medium-sized business owners, advertising during normal times takes a certain level of courage. In our current situation, let’s be honest, in many cases, business owners will need to dig deep and find some “extra” courage to start advertising again.
By definition, courage is “the ability to do something that frightens one”, and/or, “strength in the face of pain or grief”.
Spending money on advertising now without fully knowing what the future holds or brings can certainly cause anyone fear and trepidation.
In the immediate future, meaning the next 4 to 6 weeks, the most common objection that you will hear from decision-makers is going to be, “Not now – I am going to ‘wait and see’ what happens”.
As media reps, how can you help provide some “extra” courage or take away some of their fear? This can be answered with two words: IDEAS and PLANS.
If we simply start calling on businesses and asking them if they are ready to start advertising again, we will hear NO, nearly every time!
However, if you provide them with an IDEA and a PLAN on how to execute the idea, you will certainly take away some of the fear, and by doing so you will instill HOPE! The better the idea, and the more well-thought-out the plan is, the more COURAGE you will provide!
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage.
If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it.
Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie
Now go out and get busy! Have an idea for every client, with a plan on how to execute the idea, and you will turn a “No” into “Maybe”, and a “Maybe” into “YES”!
Oprah Winfrey clarifies the point we are trying to make today with her quote that says,
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
-Oprah Winfrey
This “moment”, in your case, is the next 30 to 60 days; the time when commerce reopens and you, as a media rep, get back to seeing your clients and prospects face to face.
This moment is a sprint. What you do in the next 30 to 60 days will determine how productive, effective, and successful your next moment will be – the remainder of 2020!
This moment is not a sprint to see how quickly you can sell, but a sprint to make sure you are in front of your clients and prospects with ideas and solutions that will help them get their business back on track!
This moment is also an opportunity. It’s your chance to be a hero to your clients; to show them that you are there to HELP them and not just sell them.
This moment, the one in front of you as businesses reopen, is a sprint. Work hard, work fast, work diligently, work smart, be compassionate, be patient. Bring IDEAS!
If you approach this moment with a well thought out plan and dedicate yourself to doing everything you can to accomplish your plan, your next moment will be easier and more successful, and it will prepare you for the next moment.
While we are not suggesting that the next moment will be a walk in the park, we do offer that you’ll have more time to think. There will be more room for error and more time to make a wrong, right. You can work smarter, not harder.
Doing the very best you can for the next 30 to 60 days will put you in the best place for your next moment! GO GET ‘EM!
I’m hoping Mr. Shakespeare does not mind us stealing one of his famous lines and putting our twist on it, however, the question is real. This is exactly what many business owners are asking themselves…Should I advertise, or shouldn’t I?
As frightened as business owners were when the whole COVID-19 crisis started, in some ways, they are equally scared and confused now. In addition to the question, “Should I or shouldn’t I?”, they are most likely following it up with, “If I do, when do I start and what do I say?”
We all have opinions on when and how people will react and what it’s going to look like as we begin to reopen. The truth is, no one really knows, and we will not know until we get there. Being prepared and ready to pull the trigger when the time is right is key. If they snooze – they will certainly lose!
As we speak, the debate is ongoing as to what to say. Some say, stick with your “pre- COVID-19” message, others claim a message with a Coronavirus theme of thanks and gratitude will get a better response. Either will work, but only if they air it!
Where you say it is not as important. However, we strongly suggest they stick to the same stations/mediums as they were using before. Regardless of the message, the audience will be familiar with them.
The key to selling advertising as we creep back to “normal” is this… have an IDEA! An idea for your clients and prospects will make it easier for them to say YES! You must have an idea, or help them create an idea so when it comes time to answer the proclamation of, “To Advertise or Not to Advertise”, they answer, “Let’s Advertise!”
