THE AFTER COVID EFFECT

Is sales dead? Or taking a power nap?

PART 2 OF 2

I did not hear from ASK (Ashok, Sofia and Kim) for long after that disheartening call. Then, last week, Ashok’s name popped up as a participant during an online brainstorming session. As soon as I could, I called him up. He was happy to receive my call but too rushed to get into details. He promised to gather his two friends and set up a video conference the next day.

As soon as I saw them on the monitor, I was sure that there had been a positive change. Have they all found other jobs? Or did they start something on their own?

“All we did was discover ourselves,” Sofia said. The other two nodded in agreement. I laughed out loud. I asked if the enforced WFH had made them philosophical, even spiritual. No, it had not. But, as they went on to explain, it did change the way they looked at their profession. Grit had replaced glamor.

Announcing the complete sales professional

The first thing they did was have long sessions with some of their Frankfurt colleagues. They gained an insight into the valuable support from the Inside Sales team. It was something they had taken for granted as they flitted from city to city. They used to think they were beyond all the paperwork—quotations, contracts, replies to queries and simple correspondence.

Diligently, they mastered enough technology to figure out where they had left every client. Then they called each one up. Wherever there was some answer or action required from another department or function, one of the ASK trio chased that end and made sure the customer had the answer. “I do not think we ever bothered to connect to the other departments as frequently and as extensively as we do now,” Kim said.

There was no hiding the emotions as they reconnected. They were no longer talking to a “connection” or a “contact”. They were each talking to a fellow human being, who had his or her own family to look after, and who was equally eager to get back to work.

The professionals they spoke to were all happy to hear from an old, trusted ally. The times were too uncertain to make new contacts.

The customers had many questions. They were planning to make changes in their activities. Would ASK be able to support them? They wanted to explore new lines of business. Would ASK help them with some information?

From peddlers to partners

Ashok, Sofia and Kim were no longer salespeople who made a pitch and then walked away with the cheque. They were always trustworthy allies; now they were committed to walk new, unknown paths with their partners.

They became the face of the company for every customer. And, for the company, they were the face of every customer. Whether it was simple troubleshooting or deep domain knowledge, their customers did not have to go beyond ASK.

“We were like youngsters preening before the mirror, too narrow in our thinking and too sure of ourselves. Now, these difficult times have made us grow up. We are responsible for ourselves and our families—professional and personal,” Sofia said. Gone was the gossip, the youthful brashness.

“You know, when you told us back in March that the sales professional would never die, we thought you were simply trying to console us, boost our morale,” Ashok said. “Now we are convinced that you were right. The profession is greater than the professional. It is up to us to recognize that and to grow up to deserve to do the job we do.”

Sales would never die. Nor would professionals like ASK. Now is a great opportunity for a power nap. They will soon be back refreshed, recharged, and revitalized. Because, their mature role as well-rounded sales professional has never been more vital to the entire world economy.