Corona Virus Sales Plan

Corona Virus Sales Plan 

Here at myRep Solutions we have made the difficult decision to cease external sales calls and bring everything in house.  Whilst this has not been mandated by government we see this as the socially responsible thing to do.  But it poses the question.  What can you do during Carona Virus disruptions to make the most of a bad situation.  Here is our top 10 suggestions:

1.  Have a solid plan - Bring your team together and think tank.  Work together to establish a good plan to drive sales from an internal perspective.  It may mean upgrading some IT, it may mean setting up work from home resources, it could be that you need to set-up an online meeting room. 

2.  Clean shop - This is a great time to clean out the warehouse and the cupboards.  Sit with your inventory and have a good long look at those items that are slow moving and make a plan to get rid of them.  Perhaps you can focus your sales team on moving this stock or listing these items "on Sale" via online sales portals.  

3.  Motivation - Remember a motivated sales team is a winning sale team.  Think of ways to implement a Corona Virus bonus for the sales team member that records the highest sales during this period.  It could be a case of Coronas, movie tickets or a trip for two somewhere nice (once thing settle down of course). 

4.  Focus on New Business -  Use this time to introduce your business to new customers.  Ask your sales team to provide a list of new accounts that they will target during this isolation time and give them a bonus for each new account that signs up and spends in the following two or three months.  Even $10 per new account can be an amazing motivator and new business will breathe new life into your business when things return to normal.

​5.  Sell through the Range -  While people are home in isolation they will have a little more time to consider your email and your offering. We would encourage you to find creative ways of helping customers to better understand your range.  "Take the Tour" or "Your Guide" are great throw away lines.  I often find it amazing how companies know very little about the product and services that their suppliers offer.  

6.  Video Video Video -  This is an ideal time to make some product videos or product reviews. Your sales team should be confident enough to stand in front of an iPhone/Android and do a little sales pitch on products they sell. If you have a large team ask each team member to make several videos each. Arrange now for products to be supplied to them so they have hem ready.  This will have a two fold effect.  A). Your team member will learn more about your products and B). You will have a bunch of new material for social media and website addition. 

7.  Sell what you have OR take orders - If you have product shortages due to supply chain issues then focus on other items that you can supply OR secure orders for when supply resumes.  This will be difficult due to uncertainty but this will be critical for the continuation of your business.  Remembering that your customers business will also be suffering perhaps look at offering some extended trading terms for orders placed or some volume discounts that are very attractive. 

8. Pricing Review - In the last months the world has changed forever.  Even when things return to some form of normal  we will have inflationary affects that could last for years and years. So now is the time to really sit and look at your product pricing. Remember the best price is not always the winner.  The company that offers a competitive price and value adds will always win. If you need to increase prices try to increase the value proposition as well.  The math are also in your favour.  If you increase prices by 10% you can lose more customers than your realise and still be in the same financial position.  Increasing prices is a psychologically challenging thing to do, especially in an economic downturn. For larger businesses this is an ideal time to review your accounts.  Some customers will have big discounts applied and be buying little while others could really benefit from the correct discounts.

9. Time to get Creative - In times of distress it is extremely hard to be a creative thinker.  But now more than ever you need to try and make this a priority.  Use your resources around you, even family members and especially anyone younger.  Ask them to look at your offering and make comment.  What would they change!  I did this recently with a mate of mine and he suggested we develop a phone app for our business that included in app notifications. He rightly pointed out that the apps we use the most are the ones with the little red dots.  We are programmed to open them and clear them.  The guy is a genius!!    

10.  Purchase Your Own Products -  while you have the time.  Make a purchase from your own company, or try to make appointment.  Ga about this task from a new customers perspective.  Take a 360 degree look at the entire customer experience.  It's amazing what you will discover.  How user friendly is your website, how do your team answers the phone, do you have on hold messages that are current, does your foyer or sales showroom look tidy, are people in uniform, did you get an order confirmation and delivery notification.  Every little thing adds value to what you offer.  

So as you can see this Corona virus can present a fantastic opportunity.  It's not all negative!  You can actually come out the other side of this stronger, with a better offering, profitable pricing and delivering better customer value.  So use this time wisely and have some fun doing it. You will be surrounded by negativity in the coming months and your business and your team (if you have one) will be amazed at your direction and positivity.  You will have a plan and have useful and productive things to do that will engage your team and give them hope for tomorrow!  Remember, this will end...and things will get better.

​Jason Marshall