How is the process of selling/business development different now compared to pre-pandemic times?
Or is it the same?
I spoke with a very experienced sales professional earlier this week to catch up. We had joined Microsoft in telesales at roughly the same time, ~15 years ago. One of his statements got me thinking about the common element of our jobs back then and how we sell now.
Building a relationship remotely - it's easier to read people and adjust your tone accordingly when you are in the same room as them. Selling remotely makes this substantially more difficult. However, it's easier now with video (Zoom/Teams) compared to over the phone back in the day.
I am not trying to downplay the challenge of trying to stay relevant during a global pandemic or the fact that it’s unprecedented. While buyers are more receptive to being sold remotely (as they work remotely themselves), it’s still a difficult situation.
The reality is that the way people buy changed even before the pandemic hit – they became more informed & expected more self-serve. This change made the selling process more marketing & product driven.
The larger question for me then becomes, how did we as salespeople adapt to *this* change – if at all?