In 2020, going digital has been the name of the game. From closures to remote work, taking things online has helped many businesses continue operating in some capacity. At the onset of the pandemic, 42 percent of the US workforce shifted to a work from home model. While this number is striking, there’s one profession who was prepared for the solitude: salespeople.
From long days on the road making calls, to early mornings at your kitchen table prospecting, if you work in sales, you’re no stranger to working in isolation. However, that doesn’t mean you haven’t been impacted by the pandemic. With more businesses closed or at limited capacity, and many people limiting in-person conversations, you might be finding your job a bit harder than usual.
At Beyond, we know the value in making sure our salesforce is armed with all the necessary tools, no matter what happens. At the beginning of the pandemic, we made sure we were giving our sales team everything they needed to succeed—even if they couldn’t go knocking on doors anymore. If you’re a salesperson trying to stay competitive in the changing market, check out these three tips to digitize your sales strategy right now.
Ditch Paper Business Cards
For many salespeople, business cards are their bread and butter, their holy grail, their number one sidekick. It’s the easiest way to stay top of mind while prospecting and gives them a reason to visit businesses in-person. But with more virtual meetings and people taking more safety precautions thanks to the pandemic, the value of a paper business card has seriously diminished. We recommend taking the leap to digital business cards—and can attest, you won’t regret it.
Did you know 88 percent of business cards handed out will be thrown out in less than one week? At Beyond, we made the switch to digital business cards because we care about giving our sales squad a competitive edge with newer technology. Digitizing our business cards has given our sales employees valuable insight into their leads by providing them weekly tracking reports that show who has used their business card and which product they are most interested in. Leveraging digital business cards will give you more insight, speed up the sales cycle, and impress prospects with flashy digital resources. It also gives your clients and prospects quicker access to helpful resources and your personal contact information.
Get Your Training Online
Excellent training and onboarding are critical for any sales leader to nurture a successful sales team. If your employer hasn’t been investing in taking training online now that you’re fully remote, it might be time to make a career change. Many companies rely on in-person training seminars to get their team started, but now that large gatherings aren’t an option, online training is critical to your success.
Knowing that 84 percent of all sales training is lost after 90 days, Beyond developed a comprehensive sales training website to make sure our employees have everything they needed, whenever they need it.
From product videos to cold calling classes, we include training on every angle of our business to keep our sales team up-to-speed, even when we can’t meet in-person. We provide quick access to product catalogs, marketing materials, compensation models, and more—all easily accessible online. You can’t be expected to stay educated and perform your best if your organization hasn’t adapted to a remote training model.
Take Advantage of Social Media
Another way to stay competitive is by diving into social media. 2020 has been a tough year to sell—no matter your business. With economic instability and mandated business closures, many business owners have kept their wallets close, making sales even trickier. At Beyond, we found that one way to keep our sales team top of mind was leaning into our LinkedIn and Facebook strategy. We give our sales team a leg up by providing valuable content for them to share with prospects online. 65 percent of salespeople who use social selling fill their pipeline and outsell their competitors, so make sure your organization prioritizes the digital sales journey, too.
At Beyond, we’re committed to giving our sales team the innovative edge they need, and always keep technology a top priority. Looking to work somewhere that’s ready to invest in your career? Learn more.
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