“Sharpening the Saw When Times Feel Dull” by Jeff Rendel, Certified Speaking Professional
It’s been one month since states began declaring “shelter in place” and “stay at home” instructions for all but essential businesses. While we sell to financial institutions (essential businesses); odds are good that if your product or service doesn’t deal with IT security or office sanitation, you’re not doing much prospecting, presenting, follow up, or closing. Do not take it personally. C-Level executives have not had a day off since mid-March and are just now beginning to think a bit longer term. But, for the time being, every day brings a new test and areas of focus are extremely operational.
So, what’s a sales professional to do when a phone call or email might be overlooked or ignored? What’s a sales leader to do when your call goals for the week (and month) are not feasible, if even appropriate. Spend the month sharpening your saw – on the industry, for your institutions, and as an individual.
Sharpen your industry saw. Read, read, and read. Invest one hour each day reading, not scanning, daily industry email news feeds. Learn how institutions are adjusting and operating. Learn about best practices. Learn about the industry outside of your expertise. If your product is focused on loans, learn about deposits. If your service addresses deposits, discover more about loans. The more you prepare to position yourself as an expert in the industry, the more value you will create as a resource for future business discussions and decisions.
Sharpen your institutional saw. Take your client list and invest one hour in better understanding each client’s operations and results. Visit their websites and mobile apps. Read how operations have changed and how they continue to serve members. Read of new products. Download financial reports from their regulatory agencies but understand that quarter by quarter results will be vastly different. Get a sense of where they stand financially. This allows you to better recognize their stresses, helping you to better present opportunities when the time is more suitable.
Sharpen your individual saw. It’s tough not being able work your sales pipeline. That aspect is on pause, but only temporarily. Take this time to get better as a professional and person. Invest one hour per day building a better you. Brush up on your writing skills. Learn the latest in communications competencies. Read a book on resilience. Take a walk and crank out 20 burpees. Connect with colleagues who help you and create ways to better serve clients when the doors are reopened. Be a better version of you in preparation for getting back to business.
For those of you who have been a part of the “Selling to the C-Level” system, you recall the daily habits that set you apart from others serving financial institutions. Add these sharpening routines to your tool chest. When you focus on clients and a day in their lives, you better understand where you add value. More important, you are recognized as a partner who wants the client to succeed first. When they succeed, you succeed.
© 2020 by Jeff Rendel. All rights reserved.
Jeff Rendel, Certified Speaking Professional and President of Rising Above Enterprises, works with credit unions that want entrepreneurial results in sales, service, and strategy. Each year, he addresses and facilitates for more than 100 credit unions and their business partners.
Contact: jeff@jeffrendel.com; www.jeffrendel.com; 951.340.3770.