Crisis periods can be predicted many times, with socio-economic analyzes and studies by professionals. However, in other cases, there are no warnings, such as the example of the coronavirus that, in less than 4 months, changed the reality of many countries, especially in the US.
Right now, everyone’s priority is people’s health and well-being. There is nothing more valuable than life and that is why measures of social isolation must be followed, on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
We need to understand that this scenario also involves the economy and, therefore, the health of many businesses is also at risk.
In this article, we will share some tips on what companies can do to get through this moment and understand how to sell more in the crisis, always remembering to maintain the safety of the employees involved and also the customers.
How to sell more in the crisis?
Looking for solutions right now also means empathizing with people who continue to need products and services.
Many segments have been negatively impacted, such as the tourism sector or even the fashion sector. But, next to that, we also have statistics that point to an increase in the purchasing curve during the crisis. According to BazaarVoice, purchases during the quarantine grew 85%.
Regardless of your segment, we will share tips for selling more in the crisis, so follow along to understand what you can do differently for your business.
If your question is how to sell more in the crisis, some steps are:
- Understand the problem and stay informed
- Face reality and make necessary cuts
- Understand your customers’ pains
- Adapt with flexibility and speed
- Believe in the potential of your company and your employees
- Follow the news and your competitors
- Understand the moment of uncertainty and continue in search of adaptation and so on.
1. Understand the problem and stay informed
In times of crisis, knowledge is essential. Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs need to be fully aware of the situation, analyze data, and stay informed. This is important not only to know what is happening now but to prepare for what is to come.
You will understand in this article that one of the main keys to selling more in the crisis is to remain adaptable in an agile way, and for that, having information is essential.
2. Face reality and make necessary cuts
You don’t have to start cutting people in your company right away to be on your guard, just as you don’t have to stop investing in marketing and other strategies out of fear.
This is the time for you to make necessary cuts, that is, expenses that you can avoid and that are not essential for your operation at the moment. Analyze tools that you can put aside at the moment or even that you can negotiate to lower the contract value.
These small actions already help to change the reality of your cash and prepare you to focus your efforts on what is really important: selling more.
3. Understand your customer’s pains
This is one of the points that need more attention, as it will guide others. Perhaps you have already done a study to find out what the needs of your customers and your potential audience are. However, now you need to redo this analysis.
This is because, in addition to people constantly changing, in a moment of uncertainty, instability, and vulnerability that we are experiencing, people’s needs and pains have changed and need different attention.
Let’s say you sell clothes and approached the concept of style and self-esteem. Now, you may need to change the focus to “sell” protection, that is, pieces that cover the body more to go out on the street and even fabric masks for the face.
You can create educational materials for your audience and work with other actions that go directly to solve people’s new pains.
4. Adapt with flexibility and speed
As already mentioned at the beginning of the article, according to an analysis of other relevant portals such as Forbes Brasil and Infomoney, adaptation is crucial in times of crisis.
If your company is able to have the flexibility to deal with constant market uncertainties and changes in a difficult period, it will possibly be more successful. After all, the solutions you sell will not be obsolete, but they will try to modify themselves to continue serving people.
In this scenario, one of the ways to sell more in times of crisis is to gain speed in this adaptation. You need to study the market, the competitors, and understand more about the possibilities of your own business, but you have to stay focused on acting quickly to gain a competitive advantage.
People will continue to need products and services, but companies that position themselves first and responsibly will get more results.
5. Believe in the potential of your company and your employees
To get through this period, we need to analyze other moments of crisis in the world and understand what has been done. In the past, companies that laid off large numbers of employees just in case also experienced great difficulties in the post-crisis.
We are going through months of a lot of instability, but we have to be aware that, at some point, this will pass and if we not only slow down but step on the brake completely, then it can be much worse.
You must continue to believe in your company and your employees. You need to continue investing in marketing strategies to reach the right customers. This is the time to continue betting on smart stocks so as not to lose sales. The crisis will pass and the public will return to search for products and services on the internet. Will you be ready to absorb this demand?
6. Follow the news and your competitors
Keep checking the news on trusted portals as well as analysis on the economy and marketing. The crisis is not static, it is in constant motion and you need to move ahead strategically.
We have an article on Tribeca’s blog, which is constantly updated, about the impact of coronavirus on the world economy and you can follow!
7. Understand the moment of uncertainty, but take action
As you will be in constant study of the market, analyzing the competition and as you will also be inside the news, you will have the necessary information to act and you will not miss the opportunities because of fear.
Find partners who will help you to draw up a strategic plan for the moment of crisis and work actively in search of results.
8. Don’t stop communicating
According to a Kantar survey, the Barometer Covid-19, consumers expect that brands will not stop investing in advertising in a time of crisis.
For 80% of respondents, companies should not promote their brands with the problem, but, in return, for 88% of people, they should use communication in order to inform how they are facing the situation.
9. Share information about your internal actions
Also for 86% of respondents to the Kantar survey, companies need to notify how the actions they have taken can be useful in people’s daily lives.
We can see that the main thing for brands is to understand how to position themselves in the right way because people are expecting some type of communication.
It is necessary that all communications are made with empathy. Businesses need to continue offering their products and services, but always paying close attention to the context of the crisis, in addition, it is also necessary to find out if they are being faithful to their values and responsibility with the current moment.
10. Create links with the public, meeting their needs
According to a Forrester study carried out with more than four thousand people, the potential of a brand to create value is related to emotional engagement with the public. For people, the more helpful companies are, showing confidence, the more emotional value they will have in their decisions.
The ideal role for brands is one in which they not only seek better results for themselves but to offer assistance to their consumers, helping them with their needs and gaining space in their affective memory.
11. Bet on the recurrence
One of the ways to sell in the crisis and continue to generate profit for your business is to bet on recurrence. That is, make your audience continue to purchase your products and services. Create a sales funnel and, more than that, a sales mat.
Be strategic to know what to offer at the ideal moment of the journey, so you will have a much better chance of getting people to buy more than once and remain loyal to your brand.
12. Think more about solutions than difficulties
The crisis moment is very challenging because, in addition to the main problem, it ends up causing other issues that complicate the day-to-day and the work and sales logistics.
The obvious needs to be said and it is important to try to stay focused on solutions. Analyze each topic with a broad vision, together with a team that values solving problems quickly.
13. Have your sales team aligned
Communication at the time of sale always needs to be aligned with the purpose of the company and the team must follow the same tone of voice.
In a time of crisis, when your business has probably undergone different adaptations – both in internal processes, as well as in products and services – it is necessary for everyone to “speak the same language” with potential customers.
Ensure that everyone on your team, regardless of whether it is big or small, is aligned and communicating the reality of your business to close more deals.
14. Build a well-structured sales funnel
Your job needs to be strategic. This is not the time to count on luck, it is essential to follow a functional method to guarantee a return on your marketing investments.
Set up a well-structured sales funnel and ensure that communication is being directed in the right way for each stage of the buying journey that your audience is going through.
Having a plan will facilitate actions in times of uncertainty and will help to make any changes to the process much faster. This kind of flexibility and agility in the crisis is crucial to obtain a quick response from the public regarding sales.
15. Keep in touch with your customers
Keep connecting with your customers digitally. A purchase never ends at the checkout or on the checkout page.
It is necessary to continue nurturing a relationship with people so that your brand is closer to them, not only to encourage the purchase of your products or services. Through an online relationship, your company will be able to offer relevant content and strengthen ties.
This is one of the biggest secrets of how to sell in the crisis, because the conversion (sale) will happen in a natural way, with the decision taken organically by consumers.
How to sell more on the internet?
To sell more in quarantine or to sell more on the internet after all this is over, you can follow some strategic lines. You can follow both the quickest ways to obtain results, as is the case with media investment, and the least instant, but very functional, such as Inbound Marketing or SEO (Search Engine Optimization – Search Engine Optimization).
Regardless of your choice, it is essential to act and do not neglect the opportunity to grow and sell more in the crisis.
Right now, if we can help you and your company with something within our field of knowledge and digital strategies, count on Tribeca.
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence”
Colin Powell
