Covid-19 has shocked economies to the core, with realisation of what constitutes an essential service. As such we’ve been forced to look at our world differently.
We have a challenging and difficult road to recovery ahead. We must ensure we are relevant and address the very challenges of our customers to help them survive.
We are at a point in time where no business has had to face such a crisis before and had to adapt so quickly to meet the immediate needs of customers and the market. With it, communications has to change to connect with the challenges customers are facing, otherwise friction will impact sales opportunities. Haynes MarComs has built a framework to help businesses pivot their offering and marketing communication, and how to support customer-facing teams in delivery.
Value Framework
Your value proposition will need to adapt and evolve. Most importantly it needs to remain focused on the customer.
Know the value your products and services drive for the customer now compared to yesterday. Establish your value drivers to articulate the problems your offerings solve and benefits they deliver.
A value framework for each value driver will guide the conversation with the customer and help them methodically explain the most pressing problems affecting their business. By taking a consultative approach you can position your capabilities to achieve the desired outcomes.
Customer Engagement Model
In a low-touch economy your communications must be effective. Create organisational rigor and role clarity by aligning each departmental activity with a stage in the customer journey i.e. awareness, discovery, delivery and success. Designing a customer engagement model ensures you provide a methodical approach for a successful outcome - being empathetic in the process.
Clear buyer personas enable your teams and your marketing to be more effective in sharing the relevant message with the right person. Speak to prospects and customers to understand their profile, garnering feedback from each internal touchpoint.
Align your marketing assets to your value drivers including defensible differentiators, industry insights and customer references to support the conversation. A knowledge bible and sales playbook will make your commercial teams effective at each stage of the sales funnel.
Create a process where information passes seamlessly between departments limiting information loss (i.e. value leakage) to improve conversion and retention rates.
Sales Opportunity Management and Coaching
Selling in a world of uncertainty and limited budgets is extremely tough but a structured approach presents greater control of the process and better conversion, more accurate forecasting, higher deal values and better allocation of resources.
An internal buyer driven sales methodology will help your team guide the customer through the sales process and create a stronger sales pipeline, improve qualification, negotiate value and accurately forecast quarterly results in a consistent and scalable manner. A clear sales cycle and agreed communications approach gives prospects a consistent experience and helps the business focus on the goals.
Allow your sales team to retain account ownership with the support at important stages during the negotiation, to reduce friction in the sales approach. Formal opportunity coaching empowers your sales team to control the conversation enhancing their credibility with the client.
Go-to-market planning
Take a holistic approach to sales and marketing channels giving more autonomy to your team. Go beyond your existing reach and build bigger networks to optimise remote working by putting greater trust in your teams
In your Go-to-market plan collaborate with complementary businesses, create partnerships, work closer with industry organisations and official associations, and identify potential sales partners and reseller relationships.
Keep in mind
You and your team will need to be more agile over the coming few years, so prepare your workforce
Focus on the benefits your bring your customers, and be defined by this
Resource when it’s critical: your team will need to take the load
Remain flexible to working environments, hours and approach
Put teamship at the forefront with plenty of management support and coaching
Customer is first - deliver your promise
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