Even before COVID-19, there has been a long gradual change in how customers buy your products and services. COVID-19 may simply accelerate the transition that was already underway.

• Industries moving from field sales to a hybrid field/inside model
• Companies moving an entire segment or product to inside sales or online only and self-service models
• Strategic or specific targeted customers merging account teams with field, inside, and field marketing functions (Account-Based Marketing)
• Companies attempting to push marketing teams out of the focus on clicks, and more on relationships
• Looking for ways to link digital to the sales organizations and break the sales team's isolation from the digital world
• Companies trying new models like a virtual "Pod" structure that adapts to customer situations and brings in sales functions on-demand

Combining the need to cover the market with sales headcount with the changing behavior of customers is a driver to change. Since customers have alternative channels in which they can get information, the salesperson is no longer the primary source of information. Many companies are beginning to find out that customers no longer buy the way that a traditional sales organization manages sales processes.

The COVID-19 crisis has already forced many people in sales to use social channels to try to make up for the lack of face-to-face contact. It has made all field sales people turn in to inside sales people overnight. Is that the new normal?

We feel that most companies need to evaluate and continuously evaluate the role of the sales team.

How you optimize your sales team’s approach should link to your customers’ challenges

Our approach to the New Selling is not to prescribe some best practice, which was developed in one geography in different industries. Our approach is to take a look at your customer, first, then work backwards to the objective.

In some cases, we find that sales needs to expand its role, but there are gaps in skill. In other cases, you find new ways that sales people can add value to the customer relationship that were not considered before. It gets down to defining your target, when you act, with what message, and what communication channel. Often a sales role becomes more of an orchestration of varying messages, channels, and deliverables at different stages than a rigid process. It is a new role, with new skills needed on top of traditional selling skills.

Coming from a sales and account management background, we understand the complexity of change. We can help you with the journey to adapt to a new normal with new selling.

How you optimize your sales team’s approach should link to your customers’ challenges

Our approach to the New Selling is not to prescribe some best practice, which was developed in one geography in different industries. Our approach is to take a look at your customer, first, then work backwards to the objective.

In some cases, we find that sales needs to expand its role, but there are gaps in skill. In other cases, you find new ways that sales people can add value to the customer relationship that were not considered before. It gets down to defining your target, when you act, with what message, and what communication channel. Often a sales role becomes more of an orchestration of varying messages, channels, and deliverables at different stages than a rigid process. It is a new role, with new skills needed on top of traditional selling skills.

Coming from a sales and account management background, we understand the complexity of change. We can help you with the journey to adapt to a new normal with new selling.