Selling in a Time of Corona – S1E5 – Future of Sales with Morris Miselowski

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 this week's episode, we're going to look at the Future of Sales. The future being an interesting word. Is that the future of tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or beyond? We're going to look at all of those scenarios. I'm delighted to introduce you to Morris Miselowski. Morris and I go a long way back. In fact, we both went to school together all those years ago. Since then, Morris has become a leading global futurist, an expert in his field, who's spoken all over the world about what's coming around the corner in business. In addition to which he's an adjunct research fellow at Griffith University and the only futurist and the first Australian to ever be invited to the Einstein 100 Global Think Tank. So, he's well worth listening to. I, of course, went on to become very tall. Here is my chat with Morris Miselowski on the Future of Sales.

Welcome Morris. It's great to have you as part of Selling in a Time of Corona. And I'm sure my listeners and clients are eagerly awaiting what insights you have, because you can share with sales leaders and sales directors and salespeople, what you think is coming around the corner. So, what's top of mind for you right now?

Morris Miselowski:    Thanks for having me on Elliott. Something that I've wanted to do for a very long period of time. You know, there are so many things that we need to talk about that it's really difficult to prioritize. Firstly, let's just get to the elephant in the room. We all know that we're going through difficult times. This is not a broadcast to talk about them. Let's move on from there and talk about the ramifications of it instead. So to me, it really is a matter of trying to understand as always the implications of what we're facing and the, maybe the short, medium and long term ramifications of it and for selling they’re so vital, because we have gone into the Sci-Fi equivalent of a black hole, we've literally gone into a black space that makes no sense to us.

We can't see clearly and like any good Sci-Fi adventure when we come out of it, at the other end, we've come into a brand-new galaxy. And I think we're exactly at that point where we will move forward five and in some industries, 10 years in the short few months that we have been incarcerated in our homes. And there's so much change that you and I need to talk about and our listeners need to take on board.

Elliot Epstein:             So, what do you think are the major changes that are going to occur for people that are selling professional services and products now that wasn't the case say, a couple of months ago?

Morris Miselowski:    Well, firstly, we're about to, we have lost or about to lose about 12% of businesses will never reopen out of this. Some of those were struggling. Anyway, some of them just couldn't stick around and hibernate and some of those will evolve or implode or do whatever, but they will disappear. That's 275,000 businesses. So the first thing we need to do is to understand our own landscape, look at our database, look at our CRM and figure out who is still around, who is it that wants to buy our product, who wants to buy our services? What do those businesses look like when they come out the other side of this and they will come out of it, very, very different just as we will, their needs will be different. Their approach will be different. Their conversations will be different. The evidence that they're looking for from our salespeople will be different. Everything will be different because this period that we are going through has scarred and changed us.

Elliot Epstein:             I think it's interesting in the light of, a lot of the content that I've been discussing with my clients for almost two decades now, which is about the authentic engagement with a client; stop selling, stop the methodology, stop trying to steer people down a path and become an authentic conversationalist with your clients and remove your agenda is probably never been more relevant than now. And the humanity that you're talking about here is exactly on point with what people are going to be facing, coming out of this. So, at what percentage of those 275,000 are in corporate land, which is where my clients live, as opposed to the restaurant or cafe up the road that unfortunately won't open again.

Morris Miselowski:    It's really hard to be specific on that as much as I'm trying to be. And the reason for that is this is a really lumpy bumpy conversation. We'll need to go through it sector by sector industry, by and ask ourselves either than industry or sector or business that can have survived. Is it an industry that can thrive? And we'll come to those in a couple of moments, because there are industries literally that are booming now. And are there industries that we'll need to reinvent, reinvigorate or do something different in order to survive into tomorrow? But to answer your question, I think what about 50-50? I think we're about 50 of corporate and 50 of mainstream. There will be so much wholesale change that we need to consider.

Elliot Epstein:             So, status quo management of accounts and territory management, just as impossible going forward when we come out of this and come out of the cave. So you mentioned the sectors Morris, I'm sure everyone's keen to know what sectors are booming and going to continue to boom, when we look at market opportunities and what should we avoid and be more clinical and ruthless about?

Morris Miselowski:    First thing is. sales should never be status quo or you preached that day in day out. The reality is that each one of these are individuals. Each one of them has a specific circumstances to that time. This notion that we can do one method of selling or have one note in our sales tool makes no sense whatsoever in the past and will make even less sense now. We will need to adapt and change to every circumstance as we always should have, but proven so now. So, the industries really riding high at the moment that are doing well right now in the middle of all this angst for most of us, things like government-funded services because they need to continue. So, we're seeing lots of industries around health and police and defence and welfare, aged care, even though it has its issues and again looking for innovative answers and solutions.

So, they're out there actively looking for those. They have budget in one way or another. I know it's all tight. It's different. The government's impacted. None of this is the pure conversation, but they are still in there. You've got utilities. We of course need our power, our energy, our internet, the water, waste recycling. Those industries have not stopped. In fact, they've only increased if you take something like health and hygiene, which I think will be an interesting thread of conversation in all of our lives after this, it will impact in every industry, but they are the front runners of it, they being, the water, the waste and the recycling. But for you and I just, as an aside, why I think it's an important issue to bring up is because we've been taught in the last couple of weeks to wash our hands, to be careful of whom we speak to, to be careful of how far away we are from an object or to touch something or to do something.

This is going to leave us really sensitive. We're beginning to question whether things are okay, whether they're, to use your words, whether they're authentic, whether they're healthy, whether we should be engaging with them. And that mindset, which is really Maslow's, one of Maslow's lowest hierarchies, I think is going to kick back in very, very quickly when we get back into whatever normal becomes. Meaning, your people will need, obviously not necessarily to talk about hand sanitizers, but to talk about safety and security as being part of working with them as part of the sales process, as part of being a collaborative partner in that process, it will be about health and safety. I will keep you safe. I will keep you informed. These products are Covid-safe, meaning that it is likely we will see situations like this again. So, we can begin to pre-empt by putting products, services, opportunities in place right now, should it happen again. Those really base, human needs are going to be part of a landscape conversation, at least for the first six months after we escape detention.

Elliot Epstein:             That safety point is excellent. And I think all of us in sales are going to need to look at our value propositions and see where the safety and security of our offering jumps up to near the top when it comes to what it is that we're offering clients and what our benefit statements are going to be. In addition to which, I  shared with a client the other day, that this is going to be a bit like marriage counselling, where, clients and suppliers have been together for a while and they go through a rough patch. And then when you come out the other side, you almost have to learn to re-communicate with each other and not take each other for granted so that you can have a better relationship going forward. And I think the one of the biggest risks nowadays, is to treat clients as if this is just a blip and we'll continue along the same merry way with the same budgets and the same products and the same consumption rate as what's been happening in the past.

And it's simply not the case. We have to see things with fresh eyes and have a look at how we're going to reinvigorate that relationship. And one final point on that is that the essence of what we do with clients has to be done with a new set of evidence and tools, because what you said three months ago might not apply now, in addition to which the person to whom you're speaking with may be very different because people have downsized. I imagine out of all of those businesses, you mentioned that are going by the wayside, there are huge numbers of people that simply won’t have a job. So you might have a different decision maker. And all of that has to be reinvigorated again from scratch as if you haven't met them before. What are your thoughts?

Morris Miselowski:    Absolutely. I would say that was ongoing, even before this, we should never take anyone for granted, but never more so than now. We really do have to start from ground zero. But one of the things that I would urge your listeners to do, and I know because I listened to you, they're doing this, but just want to put a line under it, is we need to be building those relationships right now and not from a sales viewpoint, but from a human kindness viewpoint. Go into our clients, go into those businesses. I'm not talking physically, I'm talking digitally and have the conversations with them about how things are going for them now, as individuals, even if they're home, not able to do their work, go back and reconnect because that's what this time is about. It’s great karma, you know, bank points for later on, but it's also a terrific way to understand what their needs and to begin to give each other hope, hope that we will get back to a normal round of activity.

So, absolutely these are very, very much like marriage counselling and the other end of that, that we will come out of this different human beings with different needs. So we must be sure that the landscape is one that we understand. So we have to make sure that we haven't taken for granted that what was before will be after. Because it won't be. The person is going to be vastly different as well. They will have evolved and changed either dramatically or not because of this period of time, the products and services that they want are going to be changed as well. And likely, very likely the budgets that they have will have changed. There are just so many of those variable landscapes, which is why I think it's imperative we start doing that groundwork right now.

Elliot Epstein:             You mentioned budgets, Morris. It's a really good way as a final topic to address how we go forward with our pitches and presentations and our value propositions. So what are your thoughts on what will happen to clients' budgets? Are they going to have the same budget? Are they going to be severely restricted or is it simply a re-model or restructuring change in the way they finance things? Where do you see the whole budget management taking place?

Morris Miselowski:    I think, well, the answer is the same ones I gave before and that's lumpy and bumpy. It'll be different for every industry. Those industries that are going really well. Now, the governments, utilities, construction, infrastructure, technology, software, the essentials like the groceries, the bottle shops, local manufacturing, mining resources. They will have come through this and their war chest will actually have increased. They will have more money than before. And they'll be looking for different kinds of solutions. They will be looking to ensure that they can again, ride through a COVID like activity. And unfortunately I think it is part of a landscape for us moving forward. So they will have a very, very different conversation. That is industries that have been a bit harder to hit, the tourism ones, the ones, where perhaps they had all this social isolation that just didn't work for them. Those sorts of industries, that of course going to have much smaller budgets.

And they're going to be looking for a very different relationship with you. We also need to be looking at the businesses that will start to come out of this because the other thing I would ask your listeners to do is to begin to think about the industries that will evolve once COVID begins to be relaxed. So, once we are told that there are things that we can do that we couldn't do last week. and again, in a couple of weeks, we'll be told that again and again, industries will begin to flourish and each one of those individual pockets as we open. And we need to figure out which ones of our client base is likely to be in which one of those trenches of activity. For instance, for me, I'm fairly sure that we will see, a re-growth as we have already in online stores and online commerce, I would be getting into those sorts of clients immediately having conversations with them. All the clients that you might have that are providing, working from home services in a myriad of ways are well worth contacting now.

Health and pharmaceuticals. We obviously have a healthcare industry now, that's coping with this crisis, but once we get past that, we're going to have to go back. We're going to have to look at all those elective surgeries, all the things that have been put off or the things that we couldn't go out to buy all the cosmetics, et cetera, that industry's going to come back. Again, go through all your industries and kind of figure out what timing you think when in that next set of activities, when we begin to be released slowly and slowly into the wild, when are they like really come back in and have needs.

Elliot Epstein:             Yeah, that's an excellent, small but powerful example of re-looking at your prospect list. And you mentioned the CRM earlier, that this is the time to really dig into your CRM and figure out almost from a selfish point of view. So, we talk about being client centric, but there's a time when you need to be selfish and go, “Right, who needs me right now? Who wants me right now? Who can afford me right now?” And if they can't meet those criteria, then there are other ways of helping them. And I still see companies struggling with scaling clients that aren't the right ones for them. Now, now that might sound harsh. But if we're in survival and growth mode, we need to be clinical about where we spend our time and where we spend our resources. And then that leaves us time to go and help people who really want and need our services because they’re on a different trajectory. And that doesn't mean it's a binary decision where you chuck people out and just grow others. But there are going to be some really important criteria that people set that determines where you spend your time. And I think it becomes a negotiation mindset. And negotiation mindset, as opposed to selling says, where are we going to deliver value for both parties? And when you do that, I think everyone wins in the long run.

Morris Miselowski:    The only thing I would add into that Elliot is, I want our listeners to think broader and wider than they did before. There are opportunities now to engage with our clients in the way that we haven't had the opportunity. Collaborations now are working so well. These COVID collaborations. You look at perhaps the takeaway store or the restaurant that's now selling the flour and the tomatoes and all the ingredients that go into making the food they want sold as a finished product. If you go through your industries, is there an opportunity now to collaborate in ways that you didn't do before? Expand your market. Don't just go back into the narrow ways that you once sold, or you once connected with people. It's a terrific opportunity to look at your business models and your pricing models and begin to ponder. Is there another way that I can engage? Because right now people are so open to suggestion. They're so open to a point of difference. They're so open to look at opportunity. This window may not come again.

Elliot Epstein:             You think minds are blown from this, don't you?

Morris Miselowski:    I do. I absolutely do. And it's only because, if we revert back to a child, we are literally now cowering in a corner. We're unsure of what's happening in the outside world. We kind of believe there is one and there will be one. And I totally believe there will be, but we’re never, sure, every moment brings something different. You and I are literally reading the newspaper or listening to the radio or doing whatever we can in each one of those pieces of information is mildly or significantly changing our life.

Elliot Epstein:             That's true. And you think that the decision makers in the coming 6 to 12 months are going to be more open than ever. So, in the past where people have said, “Oh, we don't have the budget. We're not looking at that for another year. We don't have time to transition to a new system, we’re good with our current supplier.” You think all those things are up for grabs now, don't you?

Morris Miselowski:    I do, except not the 6- or 12-month period. I think it's right now. I truly think it's right now. This is, this is the Aladdin's cave door, slowly opening. We're all looking for solutions. We're all willing to have different conversations. We're willing to be human. And we're also willing to be kind. There are lots of things that are taking us back to that human element within each of us, the reason I’m pushing against six or 12 is that human nature is once we get back on the treadmill again, and this is in our rear vision, as much as we think it is or can be, and it begins to normalize, there is strong chance we will revert back to type. So, I think right now, which is why I suggested we should be making those marketing calls, those contact calls, not necessarily from selling, but just from how's life looking for you. And again, spreading the news, spreading the gossip, which is what, which I also think is part of what a salesperson should do. By gossip, I mean, industry information, not about people, but about trends, about what they're seeing. Start to use that as a way to build a really solid base and relationship. And yes, I think now for the next three months or so, there is a golden opportunity to talk differently.

Elliot Epstein:             They’re some fantastic insights Morris. I really appreciate it. And more importantly, I think my clients and, and listeners will appreciate, such great content and, and things and ideas that they can implement now, not just in the future. So, it's been great to catch up with you again. Can we sing Kumbaya or some kind of encouraging song at the end now?

Morris Miselowski:    Well I'm sitting here tuning up for you.

Elliot Epstein:               Thanks. Get your Sitara and I'll join you in a minute. Morris, it’s been fantastic. Thank you again. And we'll see you soon.

Morris Miselowski:    Be safe, be kind and be well, everybody.

Elliot Epstein:             To get in touch with Morris, his email address, morris@businessfuturist.com. Ask him a question, drop him a line, let him know what you think of with what you've just heard. Morris is conducting workshops all across the world with directors and sales directors, leadership teams talking about their sectors and what's coming around the corner. So he's a good guy to get in touch with. Plus, he has a great head for radio.

I'm still running my workshops on sales development, helping people win pitches. So, get in touch, if you'd like me to work with your team and keep those deals coming in.

Remember your ears are safe, Morris and I both wore masks during this entire podcast. Take care of yourselves, till next time.