Selling in a Time of Corona – S1E1 – Empathy

Elliot Epstein – intro: So someone ate a bat apparently and the world turned upside down. Hi, I'm Elliot Epstein. And I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life coaching, consulting, training, and speaking about all facets of sales development, pitching, presentations, negotiation, the C-suite sales calls and all of the various components in the sales cycle in between. And now we find ourselves in a world that's very foreign. Welcome to Selling in a Time of Corona.

Elliot Epstein:             In the last 20 years, I've worked with a lot of major corporates around the world. And many of you will have never seen a time like this. In this hopefully very limited series. I'm going to discuss with you what you can do in this crisis, how to navigate the opportunities that will present themselves. And by the way, this is not unprecedented. A word that is so unused. I think the word unprecedented has never been more used than it is right now. We've had the GFC, we've had SARS, ask a parent or a grandparent about the war, Spanish flu that killed over 50 million people. We've had the great depression we've had stock market crashes and all manner of issues in between. All you need to do is ask a refugee, fleeing persecution, what their life was like and how precarious things were. So this is indeed a very challenging time for many of us.

And there are going to be casualties along the way, but there is an opportunity to thrive and keep alive and enjoy what we do and maintain our lifestyle because this will pass. In each of these episodes. I want to discuss with you one of the key elements required to engage clients and to make sure that you have the best possible chance of getting through this with retaining revenues, retaining good relationships and making sure that you stay on top of it. So you come out of it feeling pretty good as well. Even though there are going to be some difficult days ahead. This first episode, we're going to be discussing empathy because whilst this is a different time, you know, we're going to be able to discuss how to engage clients that are working from home. And how do you deal with clients when you're working from home in a time when you don't know how they're feeling.

You're not even sure how you're feeling. It could be excited, scared, fearful. You could have a spouse that's also got anxiety. You're worried about the kids, the mortgage, worried about your job. And so is your client. And that's what this is about. This is about displaying empathy at a time that is most critical. Because if anybody goes into accounts at the moment enforcing legal applications of contracts or trying to stick to strict terms or trying to ram home a sale that you really want to get over the line, because it's going to make you look good, then it's fraught with danger at this particular time. This has always been about the client. I've been talking about authentic selling for a very long time away from all the methodology some of you may be used to, away from the pyramid approach of, you know, opening up a conversation and then presenting your solution, overcoming objections, and then hopefully forecasting and closing a deal.

This is so, so much deeper than that. And now of all times it is the right time to be authentic. Remember the old adage, they don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. And I want to share with you some key elements of empathy when you're engaging these people. For example, if you're on a video conference or on a phone call, because you do have to pick up the phone, you do have to contact all of your clients and prospects. Those you've been speaking with and find out where they're coming from without an agenda, without a preconceived notion of, well, how am I going to get these figures in, or can we even deliver on the solution that we've been talking about. Now is the time to say, so tell me how you're feeling. Tell me what's going on at your end.

Tell me what is most critical for you to achieve right now? And sometimes the answer will be, they don't know because they've never been through this and sometimes, they will have a very good idea. The worst thing I think we can do right now is impose our own ideas on them and say, well, you know, if I were you, I think you should look at this. Or if I were, you I'd run away for a bit because you're clearly don't have any budget right now. Or I can't deliver that in two weeks. So, there's nothing I can do and getting defensive. It's still amazing how many people take this whole sales relationship business far too personally. It is not personal. The coronavirus is not personal. It's not your fault. It's not the client's fault. It's one of the speed bumps in the way. And so if the client behaves a little differently because they're under stress because they're experiencing difficulty, then that's quite normal actually.

And as a result of that, we need to behave in a way that makes them feel that you understand. This is not the time for pity parties. We're not there to spend hours on the phone discussing sympathetically. Oh... that's really bad. I know three of your staff have just gone and 20 more might be going and having a long discussion about that because, it may sound like something you would do with a friend, but we're there to be an advisor and to talk them through what the options are. We're the ones who have to be positive. And the worst-case scenario is there is nothing we can do. Maybe we can't deliver. Maybe they don't have budget. Maybe they've got other priorities, but the least we can do is explore the conversation with them and allow them to be heard, allow them to express themselves.

But let's focus on the human and how they're feeling without getting down and dirty into a pity party. So tell me what's most critical Mr. Client, tell me what you've thought of to get yourself out of this. What's your plan? If any, to resolve some of these issues. You've known us for two, three, four years now, what do you think we can do? If we could do anything at all, as an organization, what would you like us to do? I don't know if I can do it, I'll go and find out, but I need you to tell me what you need most. And then once you've done that exploratory work and understood where they're coming from, then you can make some reasonable decisions. You can say, how about we look into that? Or how about we drag some money out of what you've already spent, and we shift it into another project. How about I get someone to talk to you to resolve that? So, in four weeks’ time, when things might be a little better, we can get a head start on the next project.

Or how about there's a partner of mine that isn't attached to my company. They'd be a better fit for you right now. And I really strongly suggest that you talk to them because I think they will help you more than I can. That's what authenticity is. And that's the opportunity that you have. In uncertain times, there's a saying that stands very true. The finding of a fact outweighs the feeling of a fear. Many of you will be uncertain about making contact with these people. You may be uncertain about yourself on a video conference or self-conscious, or you're not quite sure whether you can pitch, you know, after you've washed your hands 15 times and use more hand sanitizer than there is champagne at the Melbourne Cup. Do you even have the opportunity to pitch on a video conference in a time like this? But there are going to be opportunities to propose solutions because they're in the client's best interest.

And that's the key. So if you find out what the facts are, regardless of the result, whether you can help them or not, whether you have a reduction in business or an increase in business or simply retain business, you will get peace of mind. You'll know where you stand and that's half the battle with this. So, once you do that, you're able to then move forward in some way. Now it may not be at the pace you're used to, and you may not get the answers that you like sometimes, but you will have clarity. And that will give you the positivity and the strength to keep moving forward throughout this.

If you would like to explore this further, I'm offering video-based coaching for all of my clients. I have six clients right now that, that jump on a video conference with me. And they can discuss live deals. We can discuss pitches and opportunities. And again, I'm not a trained counsellor. I don't sit there with crossed legs and a notebook. I talk about real deals and real pitches. So, if you'd like to book in, then simply connect with me on LinkedIn, Elliot Epstein, or email me at elliote@salientcommunication.com.au.

And if you haven't got budget at the moment and things are tight, I'm still happy to help. So, email me and I'll make every endeavour to help you if that's genuinely the case.

Next episode, I'm going to be discussing with you how to maximize your incumbency. You've got accounts at the moment who like you. Some of which might have been going to tender. Some of which might have had a few rocky days with them as you delivered some things they weren't happy with. And now the game's changed. Now is the time potentially to maximize your incumbency again, because it's in the client's best interest.

So stay tuned, more importantly, stay well, stay positive. Be aware, I washed my hands before I touched this microphone. Take care of yourselves, till next time.