The new year will see a gradual return to in-person meetings, albeit under more scrutiny from an ROI standpoint, writes All-American Properties Consultants' Bernie Tobin, CPCU, AIC. (Credit: atk work/Shutterstock)
First of all, can we all agree to not use the "Hindsight 2020" reference joke/line? That is one thing most of us will agree is not funny and old.
We will all be looking back at 2020 and wonder what happened: How did we make it through with all the obstacles that were presented to us and how are we going to make 2021 better?
Turning the calendar from December 31, 2020, to January 1, 2021s will not magically make all the challenges 2020 presented go away. In fact, many of the same circumstances will continue through much of the new year. As the vaccines become more accessible and more folks become immunized, we are all hopeful that the constraining restrictions imposed on so many of us can be eased.
In the world of business development, we looked forward to the tradeshow circuit. Q1 was always a busy time of the year. Getting face-to-face with our clients after the holidays, continuing to expand the relationships through various networking events, and planning exciting events throughout the year was commonplace.
We saw all of that quickly crash down in 2020, beginning in March with the cancellation of the national PLRB event in Washington D.C. Soon thereafter, most all other industry events followed suit. We all quickly adapted to remote working, the video conference calls, the zoom happy hours and multiple email attempts to say in touch with our client base.
One thing that 2020 taught me, and that I will carry into the new year, is that relationships matter now more than ever. While most people soon tired of the video conferences, we are all striving for attention. Granted, most of us already worked from home in various stages. However, we always had an office to go to for a distraction. These activities meet the human interaction needs. We found ways to satisfy the "water cooler" conversations with our clients and colleagues. Those feelings compounded as the pandemic grew and will extend well into 2021 as many of those avenues are no longer available.
As we move into 2021 many of the pandemic circumstances remain unchanged, we now have to ask ourselves: how do we remain relevant? How do we keep building relationships? How do we find new customers to serve?
3 tips for 2021
My tips on being relevant and successful in the New Year begin with these three simple recommendations:
1. Be truly considerate
One thing I can say about the pandemic is that it has made everyone more open to conversations; everyone has something in common. Some examples of conversation starters could be: How are you doing in the pandemic? Has it impacted you or your family personally? Has it impacted your business?
Authentic consideration of the experience of others is not only the right thing to do, it will further bind the relationship into a long-term partnership.
2. Get back to basics
Research your prospects, know their business, ask more questions to learn of their pain points and offer suggestions that solve a problem for them. Do what you do best and streamline your activities.
3. Don't be 'salesy'
By that I mean do not turn into "that guy" that is always pitching a service or a product before fully knowing and understanding what the client/prospect needs.
The success of sales lies within the daily routine — making the calls, sending outbound messages — in general, filling the top of the funnel so that opportunities flow out of the bottom. Many have difficulty with this on a consistent basis or lack the patience over the long term. However, the successful ones put in the hours to perfect their trade.
The coming year will continue to bring challenges for our industry. However, with a slow progression, the in-person meetings will gradually return, although highly scrutinized with a measured ROI for justification. In a few years, the clients with whom you helped in these trying times will remember and stay loyal to you.
Stay dedicated and committed. Work the grind and in 2021 you will find your new adaptation of normal.
Bernie Tobin, CPCU, AIC, is the managing director of All-American Property Consultants' boutique business consultancy firm strategically aligned with client partners in their success. He can be reached at Bernie@AllAmericanPropertyConsultants.com or (813) 486-5719.
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