Use Data to Sell with Empathy During these Interesting Times

Below is a link to a recent article from McMillan and Doolittle that uses retail traffic pattern data to show dramatic changes in retail traffic patterns in reaction to the pandemic. Those data led me to think about how to empathize with prospects and customers who may be going through similar changes in behavior.

https://www.mcmillandoolittle.com/changes-in-food-retail-foot-traffic-during-covid-19/

Looking at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in conjunction with these data, you see that people have dropped right to the bottom levels of psychological and safety needs. They are disregarding higher level considerations. Buying the basics.

Borrowing from that connection, I thought about company buying behavior and devised a series of stages companies are likely going through. Then I tried to understand how to best align a sales or marketing message with companies as they work through these stages.

Stages

Reactive – how do I keep my business alive

A lot of companies will find themselves fighting for their survival. If they welcome any sales conversation it will be about how to do more with less. How to get the basics done with less staff, budget, and other resources.

The inclination is to avoid prospects in this stage. After all, they are not active buyers and highly resistant to sales conversations.

If you have a client at this stage, they need help. Reach out and share how the products and services you provide can help them survive by getting more done with less. Help save them now and you save your revenue. You may be one of the few who take the time to try and help.

For prospects, you need to listen and be creative. They are not looking to buy but if what you have will help them survive, they’ll listen. Get creative with a starter package that helps them survive today. When they do you will be who they expand with later. At minimum, let them know you’re there to help when they need it. At this stage, no one wants to hear about growth and greatness. But they don’t want to be forgotten.

Stabilize – understand their new normal

The companies who make it through Reactive stage will be seeking to achieve some level of stability. They won’t be ready to lean in, but they’ll be out of panic mode and trying to sort out what’s left.

Selling at this stage is about bringing order to chaos. There will be more urgency to learn that to act. What have the not done before that they should do now? New thinking based on your experience with other clients will help.

Companies at this stage may take no action but will listen to and use what you share as they regroup and understand their new reality. Be there. Be helpful. Be patient.

Proactive – adjusting to the new normal

After a bit of stability and having grown accustomed to their new size, roles, budgets and marketing conditions, they’ll be ready to take some action. The sales conversation will be somewhere between efficiency and low risk growth. They remain risk averse, but they realize they can’t stand still forever. And they’ve had some time to adjust to the new normal.

A sales conversation on what other companies are doing, have done, or how they can benefit from the changes they made during reactive and stabilize mode should be fruitful opportunity discussion areas. Those who can offer the best guidance will be the ones who win.

Growth

With a few successes from Proactive mode, a renewed sense of confidence and stability will lead to growth mode.

Time to get become more provocative. Challenge them to take action now or lost to those who will.

Lead a conversation on how they can take advantage of this unique situation by acting more quickly, more decisively and more effectively than their competitors to rebuild their business. Offer a specific action with specific outcomes. You’re back to selling.

Dominate

Few will make it to this level. It’s a pyramid that narrows at the top after all. Some will stall by choice. Others will simply not work their way up. You may have to coach some to see this level.

The ones who get here will have a better run organization, fewer competitors, a few successes in the new normal and be positioned to dominate. It’s up to you to find or cultivate companies who have made it to this level.

Ideally, you’ve walked through prior stages with them to get them here. From that experience you should have a very strong relationship, several successes, and be someone they trust to offer game-changing suggestions. Even if you haven’t made the journey with them, this is no time to think small. This is a rare opportunity to help them understand that this is a rare opportunity to capture market share and dominate in a way that would have been near impossible just months ago. Everything has changed. It’s time to take action based on those changes.

This is a lot to extract from data on store foot traffic, but, buyers are people. Why not borrow from how people are reacting to this experience. Understand the stage they are in and empathize with their situation. You’ll be more likely to have the opportunity to help them move up a stage. And from that, you’ll both succeed.

I welcome your comments on how this helped you align and sell during these interesting times.