Why is “intel” – aka gathering client and competitor intelligence – so important right now? There is no crystal ball to forecast the future. What insights do you want your team to gather to help you make future sales decisions?
When we asked sales leaders to identify their biggest challenge with COVID, 83% stated it was the unknown and how challenging it is to plan for the future.
When we asked sales leaders to identify their biggest challenge with COVID, 83% stated it was the unknown and how challenging it is to plan for the future. Share on XEven though several businesses are starting to re-open, there are still many travel restrictions, especially into customer facilities. Business owners, senior organizational leaders and customers are seeking business intelligence to help them make future decisions on how COVID will continue to impact their business.
Even though your sales team is not currently on their “feet on the street”, they can put on their detective hats. They can still be creative, be curious, and be confident in order to gather this important intel.
Turn your Check In Conversations into more PURPOSEful Business Conversations to gather business intel for your senior leadership team and help them understand what is going on in the marketplace.
Your sales team needs to understand that business will never be the same. Your sales team needs to understand why this information is critical to the future decision making, sustainability and success of your business. This information can be as critical and precious as new leads.
Here are different ways for you to gather business intelligence for your organization. Talk to your customers to ask and learn:
- What projects are they working on now and in the future?
- What will the new norm look like?
- Will there be pent up demand for their services to their customers?
- Will there be a pent up demand for your services?
- How will they adapt their facilities to allow employees & customers back?
- Will current deals be lost during COVID and into the fall?
- Is there different services they are looking for?
- How will their staffing situation change?
- What is the impact of their sales?
- Are they employing cost cutting, cost optimization or spending for growth?
- Is their senior leadership team being pro-active, reactive or cocooning?
Here’s one of the best questions to ask, “What do you think January 1, 2021 will look like for both business and your personal life?
Talk to your customers to ask and learn. Here’s one of the best questions to ask, “What do you think January 1, 2021 will look like for both business and your personal life? Share on XTalk to your fellow sales colleagues and ask them the same questions above to get their insights.
Research your Competitors:
- Check out their Website and COVID update
- Order their product online to experience their e-commerce experience
- Check out their Social media channels
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.