Field Sales is DEAD

No this isn't a headline just to get readers to click through. I genuinely believe Field Sales as we know it is dead. Killed off by a lockdown that doesn't look like it will be lifted in full for the remainder of the year. Yes, the regional and UK Governments have indicated they will be lifting some restrictions in April 2021 but why has the Chancellor extended furlough payments to September if the economy is going to open up?

Whilst negotiating the procurement department of a new client I couldn't help but notice the advisory notices on their emails which read in big bold print:

"The health and safety of our people and visitors is our top priority. To help protect everyone, we kindly ask you NOT to come to our sites if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, or has suspected COVID-19 symptoms, and/or if you or someone you live with is considered clinically vulnerable.

When attending our sites, you will be:

asked to complete a health declaration form

• subject to temperature screening
• required to observe social distancing wherever possible
• expected to follow enhanced hygiene & cleaning regimes and be asked to wear a face covering.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during these challenging times." 

Your prospects and buyers are now actively dissuading you from visting them. As a former Field Sales Rep who happily raced up and down the UK motorway network doing 60,000 miles per year, I suddenly realised the life of the Field Sales Rep was over.

You can't blame your prospects and customers for wanting to protect their employees and their business.

We also know from existing clients that did have Field Sales teams, that even when lockdown is lifted, they do not want to return to the previous sales model with Field Sales Teams. At best the numbers of Field Sales people will be dramatically reduced, at worst they will be completely replaced by a new type of inside sales rep that is a hybrid of sales and marketing.

Whilst revenue may have dropped during lockdown for many companies so has expenditure. No more company cars, no more overnight accommodation, no more high fuel bills and no more time wasted commuting between meetings.

The company leaders we speak with are simply not overly keen on returning to this high cost model of selling.

Buyers expectations have changed

As the quoted text above demonstrates, buyers are now actively discouraging visitors to their offices whereas in the old sales world buyers expected salespeople to visit. They wanted that reassurance from the rapport of a physical meeting and the chance to simply get to know, like and trust someone. Lockdown has driven all buyers online and further down the sales process before they engage. When they do engage, they want to speak with SME (Subject Matter Experts) that not only know and understand their problems, but can challenge their preconceptions around the solutions. While product and industry knowledge is great they also want to speak to people with a commercial awareness and understanding of the wider business case for projects. The traditional Sales Development Reps will also need to upskill to meet these new demands.

What you can do

Anyone who has been in sales or marketing long enough knows there have always been challenges in getting a joined up approach from sales and marketing departments. Probably the only benefit of lockdown is that in order for many companies to survive they have had to rapidly change and develop additional skill sets.

In the new sales world the best sales people can market and the best marketers can sell. We're a great advocate of "Growth Pods" where you can group sales and marketing together in small teams who then jointly target specific verticals or key accounts. This grouping creates common goals which immediately helps align everyone and any barriers that were there, quickly disappear.

1. Ensure you are doing everything possible to protect your existing customer base. You must aggressively fight churn.
2. Review your buyer personas and look for new business pains that have arisen from Covid-19/Lockdown.
3. Develop new sales messaging and content that reflects the buyers new world and don't be frightened to challenge their preconceptions.
4. Stop trying to sell to everyone and start trying to help people with your knowledge and insights.
5. Sell Up. If you are in a market charging ￡100 per hour start chasing prospects who are used to paying ￡150 per hour as they are looking to save money.
6. Develop new activity goals around social selling and targeted account selling based on all of the above.

I would also urge you not to "spam" everyone to death on LinkedIn. I for one now no longer accept connections from anyone who's been on a LinkedIn course that told them to customise their job title to include the buyers perceived pain points. I get bombarded with connection requests from people who are "experts" at filling my sales pipeline and just hit delete every time.

If you want to connect with someone your sales orientated LinkedIn profile title is just a turn off to people. Maybe there's a LinkedIn expert with some stats that will prove me wrong.

Survival of the Fittest

Nature can be tough and some salespeople and organisations might be slow to embrace these changes, but the cost of doing nothing is much higher. In some cases people and businesses will not survive. What ever fear of change you have is simply that, F E A R - a Future Event Appearing Real. It's not real unless you let it happen.

Please feel free to comment if you agree or disagree. I would loved to be proved wrong and see traditional field sales survive, but I just can't see it.

Iain Swanston

www.klozers.com