
Three Top Tips from Sales Superstar Audrey Pierson
In this installment of “Superstar Salespeople Share Their Best Sales Tips,” a true expert shares how to be the most effective sales leader. Here are Audrey’s three top tips…
“This too shall pass.” is one of the old adages we rely on to help as a reminder that better times will come and to continue to persevere. In thinking about how the last six weeks as COVID-19 and social distancing have changed our interactions, it seemed fitting to consider the “silver linings” we are realizing and can positively control, in seeking to improve our sales skills, strategies and methodologies as professional salespeople.
My suitcase was officially closeted Sunday, March 8th, after returning home from an industry conference in Las Vegas. Monday, March 9th some of our company began working from home, as less than 10 miles away, in New Rochelle, NY, COVID-19 was already wreaking havoc. By the end of that week, the spread and threat of this silent enemy became very real in New York. We began working from home to protect our employees and their families from this unseen threat.
It has been more than a month since then. In those six short weeks, we have experienced incredible changes and challenges. Here in New York, as well as much of the rest of the world, directives to “shelter in place” have included the closing of schools, restaurants and gathering spaces being shuttered, millions losing their jobs, and eventually, only “essential businesses” continuing to operate.
The need for uninterrupted security and life-safety services is non-negotiable, meaning that security integrators are considered essential businesses. As such, you been tasked with the critical responsibility of remaining operational while doing what you can to keep your employees safe and healthy. It has required flexibility and ingenuity, sending some of your team to work remotely from home, having others serve your customers by reporting daily to the office, and others providing service in the field. The world has become scary in a way most of us have never imagined.
That said, there has been plenty to admire in how those in our industry have responded. We have seen people rising with resilience to maintain their jobs, to help their families and others in need, to continue working in support of entities who need our services, and to adapt to this everchanging new world. With uncertainty over how our “paused” economy will affect pipelines and revenue, management teams have made personal sacrifices in order to keep workers on their payroll, or to soften the financial impact on employees who are laid-off or furloughed. Manufacturers have been ramping up free online training and other resources to allow integrators to hone their skills and make productive use of down time. We’ve read about integrators donating their stockpile of construction masks to local hospitals to serve as PPE. We have seen and experienced some real “silver linings” and I believe, we will continue to see more.
What’s different? I started to think more recently about how this pandemic environment and the continually changing world around us is affecting security salespeople and how we do our jobs.
I’ll share a few things I’ve learned so far as we work with salespeople and security integrators daily. We’ll also talk a little bit about the near future and how best to continue selling and supporting your accounts and your profession.
Working Remotely: As you get used to working from home and in certain cases, deciding when to go to an appointment, versus handle meetings remotely, there can be a sense of being overwhelmed and “stuck” simultaneously. It can also be exhausting, spending so much time on the phone and in Zoom and GoToMeeting, Google and other webinar meetings, all while dealing with personal life interruptions such as: dogs, kids, spouses, laundry, meals, Amazon and other deliveries! Believe me, we’re all feeling it and learning together.
Do you remember when we used to wish we could work from home? Even our kids are wishing they could go back to school! Questions over how long this current situation will continue, and what our new normal will look like once we’re allowed to emerge from our cocoons, will require ongoing behavioral alignments. Here are a few ideas of how to make the adjustments easier.
To help smooth the rough edges, let’s first focus on six things that can help you create a comfortable and supportive work-from-home environment. It’s all about making your office space “yours.”
Sales skills improvement. Now is the time to focus on what you can do to better your skills, strategy and methodologies as a salesperson.
Silver Linings. Here are a few things we have heard repeatedly in conversations with our Clients at WeSuite over the last four weeks.
When I think of the silver linings this crazy and very strange time is providing, I am buoyed knowing of the resilience, creativity, and “we got this” approach salespeople are taking. They are honing sales skills, focusing on customer needs, and continuing to build and grow professionally in this very special, challenging and respectable profession known as security sales.
If you have a COVID-19 Sales Success story and are focused on improving your sales skills during this time, we’d love to hear from you. Sharing sales silver linings is a great way to keep each other positive and successful.
If you need to sell remotely and are interested in how we may be able to help, reach out to info@wesuite.com. Our team is more than happy to talk with you.
In this installment of “Superstar Salespeople Share Their Best Sales Tips,” a true expert shares how to be the most effective sales leader. Here are Audrey’s three top tips…
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