When we get married or make a long-term commitment, one thing that is inevitable is that there will be rough times. Some people are lucky and they only face minor obstacles, others will have to deal with a full-blown catastrophe, such as losing a home or even worse, a child.

Research has shown that couples don’t separate because their life is in shambles, they separate because they don’t know how to handle these difficult situations. Blame is one ingredient that doesn’t improve the circumstances and things often spiral out of control.

It was a long time coming

The same holds true for this Corona Virus crisis. Everybody who has read credible publications or watched trustworthy news over the last years must have heard that a Pandemic was looming. I can’t remember a time in the last decade where there wasn’t a potential danger of an outbreak of the magnitude that we are experiencing right now, but then it didn’t happen and we sighed with relief and moved on with our lives.

Although we know that at any time there is a worldwide pandemic that could linger, what have we done to prepare? Not a lot as anybody can see. We are reacting, but we are not executing plans that were developed prior to this outbreak. And I am not even talking about the fact that there don’t seem to be enough test kits or face masks available, that is almost a rookie mistake.

Reaction vs. Preparation can lead to Panic

What happens when there is a lack of preparation is a feeling overwhelm and panic. The financial fallout from this crisis could be devastating and it could have been mitigated if we had a solid crisis plan in place.

Events are being canceled and schools are considering to home-school children. When I watched the local news the other day, they were referring to the way some countries are now engaging with students as E-Learning. They don’t even have the terminology right. It’s not E-Learning, it’s long-distance learning. I know that because I own a company that has E-Learning capability with a technology platform and a curriculum that was developed so sales people who are disbursed all over the world can all learn at the same pace. On the other hand, we now have teachers who are instructing their students over the internet without the ability to truly collaborate or being able to tap into an E-Learning platform.

Crisis Management

And all of this happens in the 21st century with so many technology solutions available. We scramble, we panic and we react and it’s really scary to watch how the news develop and there is no clear path to success outlined.

For governments this should be a wake-up call to fund departments to be prepared. We have access to the data and we know that the next Hurricane, Flood or even Pandemic will be coming. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when and how often.

Shareholders should keep companies accountable and require a crisis preparedness plan to be in place. There are many companies who offer crisis management, including training, incident planning and response tools.

Even if we weather this emergency in a way where we contain it (fingers crossed) the question still remains how well prepared we are for the next crisis.

From a very early age on I was fascinated by fairy tales and stories. Storytelling is essential in a consultative sales environment. It helps you connect with your prospects and it is a great way to add value rather than pushing a feature.

In a consultative B2B environment we are often faced with a situation where we are selling the invisible. Often, there is no physical product we can showcase when we are prospecting on the phone and we are challenged to connect with a prospect in a short period of time. It is therefore imperative to build am emotional connection and that can only happen when we tell a story.

Telling stories and sharing best practices gives us an opportunity to communicate a business objective in a personal way where people can relate.

Remember 1001 nights?

When I was a kid I loved the idea of people gathering in a tent or square and listening to stories. It’s fairy tales and stories that shape our thinking, they trigger our imagination and fuel our creativity. As adults it’s not that different, we are always drawn to stories where we feel that something speaks to us directly.

When I started out in sales, I had come from a public relations/marketing background with no credentials in sales so I decided to do what I liked best – listening to stories. I researched case studies and told my prospects about the success that other companies had when using our service. It worked!

Why?

Because people like to listen to stories, they can relate to them. Product features are boring to people unless they can use them to their advantage. Nobody wants to listen to you bragging about your company, your service, how good you are, etc.

What people are interested in is what your service can do for them and how it will help their business.

If you don’t have something to show, share a story

Even, if you have something to show you should tell a story, but it’s especially important in a B2B environment where you often don’t have a product to show and you need to rely on anecdotes to get people interested, especially when you first engage with a prospect. The key question is “What do the clients do with the service you provide?”

What better way to explain than sharing success stories.

Why is it easier to sell a story than a product or service?

Rather than selling a service, focus on the value it brings to the client and the human experience. Instead of selling a service that is “better”, offer a solution that helps increase efficiencies. Once we are able to tap into somebody’s emotion, it’s a lot easier to connect. Never forget that it is human beings you are targeting. Although you are trying to sell them something, you are also an advisor, a consultant in the true sense, a resource to help them make the right decision.

When telling stories, it is important that you own them and make them yours. Be personal, just like a dinner conversation. First, listen to your prospects, then choose a case study/story that you think will resonate with their needs and I can assure you that your prospects will listen. Because, everybody likes stories…

Emails are the New Snail Mail

In my work, helping sales people developing qualified leads, I often come across a misconception about email communication. This hold especially true since the rise of content marketing. Sales people have become more “salesy” in the way they engage with people and then wonder why they don’t get the responses they are hoping for.

Every interaction with our prospects and clients is an opportunity to connect, leave an impression and communicate value. If we treat email like a mass communication vehicle, it will be perceived as such.

Emails are the new Snail Mail

Just remember when we used to get letters, not flyers but actual letters. We would sit down, read them and then take an action, or not.

Emails are not that different. It’s the “new letter” where we want to be as careful in the way we write, phrase and format, being mindful of grammar and spelling and making sure that we are heard.

Get attention with your Subject Line

First off, there is the subject line. It needs to draw you in and it needs to be eye catching, but not to the point of sounding like a commercial. One of my favorite subject lines is “Discussion on (fill in blank). Whether it’s a Discussion on Sales Training, or a Discussion on Internet Connectivity, it gives the person on the other side of the screen an idea what you are all about.

Focus on the Value

Then there is the introduction. You want to get to the point quickly, focusing on the value that you would bring to the table, should they partner with you. In order to communicate the value you need to research your audiences carefully, because value means different things to different people. For example, a Finance Person will be interested in a product/solution that can save them money, while an Operations Person will be open to hearing about efficiencies.

What’s your call To Action?

And then you want to incorporate a call to action, such as “I will call you again tomorrow” to let them know that you are serious. That means however, that you will actually have to call them the next day, otherwise you will lose credibility.

All of these areas need time and research to develop. Good emails don’t grow on trees and they are not whipped up in a minute or two.

Remember, people buy from people and if we forget that it’s people who will be reading our correspondence (no matter what format), we shouldn’t be surprised if we don’t get responses.