The pandemic of COVID 19 has adversely impacted B2B sales. How can business rebound? Here are the 5 best cold calling tips for the success of post pandemic sales.

Nobody could ever quite foresee how the COVID 19 catastrophe would impact business in early 2020. A year later, it not only had a negative impact on revenue and growth, but also brought numerous companies to their knees. As everyone embraces a wait and see attitude, B2B sales have been particularly hard hit.

Fifty percent of B2B buyers are slashing market budgets and trying to hold off on purchases, research shows. At the end of the tunnel, fortunately, there is some light. Businesses must step up their sales methods to survive in a post-pandemic environment with the guarantee of a vaccine and an end to lockdowns in sight.

One way for companies to do this is to double down on prospecting. The logic is that if 50 percent of companies cut budgets, then the other 50 percent don’t. This is particularly true for communication technology and e-commerce companies. By ramping up their smelting efforts using all possible techniques, B2B companies can get a share of the pie. Think of email marketing, social media, advertising with pay-per-click, and cold calling.

In particular, when it comes to generating leads for post-pandemic leads, cold calling can play a basic role. It’s not traditionally the easiest sales method there is. Cold callers have to contend with unaddressed calls and unmotivated prospects for themselves. If tweaked properly, however, cold calling can still be useful, especially at a time like this, in B2B sales.

Additionally, several post-pandemic dynamics have turned the cold calling tables. Research shows that the interactions of B2B sellers have moved from face to face to digital, and both selling and prospecting are served by this model. As more sales communications take place over the phone, this means that it will be simpler to have someone pick up your call with the right preparation.

Here are our The COVID 19 pandemic has affected B2B sales disproportionately. How can business bounce back? Here are 5 best cold calling tips for post pandemic sales success. Post Pandemic Sales Success B2B Cold Calling Tips:

Understand how your perspective has been affected by the pandemic

Similar to scouting before the pandemic, understanding the situation of your prospect before you call is essential. Cold calling a prospect only to hear that the company has closed down or is going through layoffs can quickly get awkward. Check their website and social media accounts for relevant updates before you make the call. Discover out what they are suffering with and as an answer to it, tune your value proposition.

Your prospect’s clients are another essential angle to take into account. How has the pandemic affected them, and how has their purchasing behavior changed? For example, you know that your possibility may not be looking to buy promptly because of lockdowns if you sell restaurant equipment.

Be compassionate and add value

Being empathic with your buyers will go a long way in building lasting connections during these unprecedented times when everyone is looking to survive. Avoid giving them a sales pitch when you get someone on the other side of your phone. Start by finding out how they are doing and how their company has been affected by the pandemic.

Without interrupting, listen attentively and do not be afraid to ask questions that can help you determine how your purchasing process has changed. You can understand what the buyer needs only through empathetic listening. You may mention incentives, discounts, or favorable payment options that you may offer at this point.

Because of the pandemic, B2B sales happen much differently, with the inability to travel or have face-to-face meetings cutting off a lot of the usual back and forth. This means a cold call can turn warm quickly and produce results faster than it would have before. If you have clearly communicated value, when your prospects decide to purchase, you might just jump to the head of the line.

Cold Leads Follow Up

You’ve probably got a list of leads that you haven’t talked to in six or more months. You could even have completely dismissed some of them. It’s time to break the list down and try your luck. The pandemic has caused businesses to suffer so much disruption, forcing them to adapt and change. A purchaser who wasn’t ready to commit six months ago may now be ready.

Most importantly, companies have been negatively affected by the pandemic, and B2B sales teams must remain relevant and connected with buyers. By sending them tailor-made data, sharing relevant marketing opportunities, and addressing their concerns, this can be achieved. It will help design solutions to their needs to understand what clients are having difficulties with, what they are looking for, and how their businesses are going to handle it.

Make capital on referrals

If there was ever a time to go all out to get leads, now is it. This requires taking advantage of past (and happy) clients to refer you in their circles to other potential buyers. Only 2% of the time, a truly cold call results in a sale. Studies show that referrals result in 3-5 times more sales, and a referred client’s lifetime value is 25% higher than that of other clients.

When you are given a referral by a past customer, it creates a level of familiarity that can get you through the door to a meeting immediately. From there, creating a trustworthy relationship by delivering as expected is up to you.

Some B2B companies lose out on getting new customers because they don’t take advantage of referrals. This is where 78 percent of B2B marketers prove that outstanding quality leads are generated by referrals. So, what are you going to wait for? Whip up a list of your happiest customers and ask them to recommend you to their industry contacts who could benefit from your product/service.

Get your script overhauled

Toss it out if you have a reliable cold calling script that has previously brought you great results. To go back a little, for cold calls, a script is crucial. This is because without adding fluff and inappropriate greetings that may take away from your goal, it helps you to remain focused on the conversation at hand. It also increases trust, especially if you are new to cold calls.

However, as it isn’t business as usual, post-pandemic cold calls will need a little more creativity. It may be more difficult to get hold of a decision maker with remote arrangements and work from home. Fortunately, companies are taking a more encompassing approach to business decisions because of the pandemic. As such, it is necessary for your pitch to read as you talk to the decision-maker and not as a bridge to eachother.

Likewise, companies are making consumer choices more carefully. You need to show value in real terms after doing your research and identifying a need. If this is not done in your script, then you are likely to go anywhere in circles.

Conclusion

How business is done has been completely updated by the COVID 19 pandemic. B2B sales have suffered greatly, and to stay afloat, companies have to rethink their sales techniques. This involves going all out on social media prospecting, PPC ads, cold calling, email marketing, and others.

Cold calling can play an important role in getting fresh business leads with a thorough understanding of the client’s situation and a compassionate attitude. This is in addition to capitalizing on the power of referrals, redefining scripts for calling, and cold lead follow-up. The companies that continue drilling with consistency will prosper as a ‘new normal’ sets in.