It’s no secret that there has been a lot of upheaval for businesses in the face of current uncertainties.
As we all attempt to adjust and overcome current challenges, stress has been a pervasive sentiment, particularly for those of us in sales. And differentiating opinions regarding how to prospect and sell while working remotely are unavoidably popping up all over LinkedIn.
However, while scrolling through my own LI feed, I came across this popular post by Jeff Rosset that presents a great point:
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to connecting with your desired contacts—even now. All it really takes is incorporating expressions of appreciation in your exchanges.
Here’s how you can leverage gratitude to pivot your sales strategy so that you are still capable of building relationships with both your prospects and clients in the midst of unprecedented business changes:
The Importance of Remaining in the Relationship-Building Mindset
We’re halfway through Q2. It could be the fact that summer is on the horizon. Or, maybe it’s general stress caused from watching Covid-19 complications unfold.
But we’re all sweating a bit more than usual lately, and hitting your quota could be the first (or very last) thing that’s on your mind right now.
Regardless of whether or not your feelings have been fluctuating, when it comes to your sales technique, it’s important not to panic. Instead, try to get back to basics and focus on the relationship that you’re trying to build.
Yeah, I know, you’ve heard it a million times: “sales is all about building relationships.” Most likely, you’re probably wondering how you can remain in the relationship-building mindset, especially now.
Well, it’s as easy as learning to leverage EQ.
5 Ways to Leverage Emotional Intelligence with Prospects and Clients
If you want to remain relevant in the eyes of your potential clients, one method is to leverage emotional intelligence (EQ) through including expressions of gratitude in your messaging.
Everyone’s sharing the same feelings right now—whether it’s sadness, anxiousness, disappointment, or newfound hope—so it should be easier to put yourself in your prospects’ and clients’ shoes.
To ensure that you’re incorporating EQ in your prospect and client communications, here are 5 actionable techniques that you can implement:
Method #1: Start by thanking them
One simple way to quickly make a customer or potential partner’s day a bit brighter? Try thanking them.
By “thanking them” I mean going beyond the scripted “Thank You” that’s included in your email signature. Instead, go out of your way to write them a thank you message that effectively explains how grateful you are for their current or potential business.
If you’re looking for instances where you can initiate this practice, consider thanking them for their time after:
- A phone call.
- A meeting (even if it’s over Zoom or Google Hangouts, since “Zoom fatigue” is becoming increasingly in vogue).
- A lengthy email exchange (because let’s be honest, no one enjoys combing through 37 back-and-forth messages).
You’ll find that their appetite for a sincere thank you is unlimited.
Additionally, thanking your clients and prospects will help you to get their attention, and will shift their impressions of you in a positive direction in the midst of current negative noise.
And you don’t have to put pen to paper with your thank you notes: a study conducted by The New York Times divulges that recipients of emailed expressions of gratitude feel much more “ecstatic” than expected.
Sharing these brief but thoughtful “thank yous” will help to put you a step further as you attempt to grow your relationships with your key connections.
Method #2: Edit or outright ditch your automated outreach
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not not a fan of trying to automate certain processes. But it can be easy to fall into a trap where you set up an automated email workflow and sit back while waiting to receive responses.
It’s widely known that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting a different result. So if your automated messages aren’t eliciting messages from your potential or current partners, it’s likely high time for a refresh
Instead, keep in mind that your prospects and clients are people too and try tweaking your outreach so that it appeals to your recipients.
This can be as simple as:
- Naming your lead or client in the subject line
- Customizing your email snippets to attract your recipients’ attention
Keep in mind that if you aren’t checking and updating your automated outreach, it might end up hurting you by accidentally and unintentionally offending your prospects and clients, which could in turn cost your company.
If you’re concerned about scaring off some of your connections, consider ditching your automated outreach entirely so that their business remains top of mind for you while you craft your messaging.
Method #3: Get social
Did you know: According to ZoomInfo, sales reps that implement social selling are 50% more likely to meet or exceed their quota.
So don’t shy away from commenting on your contacts’ LinkedIn posts or replying to their Tweets.
In fact, expressing this type of appreciation towards your customers and potential buyers can allow you to build loyalty towards your company’s brand as well as your own personal reputation.
Method #4: Ask to feature them or their company in a content piece
Since stay at home orders began taking effect, our content consumption has increased.
A unique approach that you probably haven’t considered taking involves pairing up with your Marketing team and asking your prospects and clients if they (or their company in general) would like to be featured in a piece of content. Examples include:
- Interviewing them for a guest blog post or podcast episode
- Teaming up to host and promote a webinar that’s aligned with goals that both of your organizations share
- Working together on a case study that discusses the ROI of your partnership thus far
This will allow you to learn more about them, their current pain points, and their business’ overarching objectives.
Method #5: Keep it personal by adding a gesture of appreciation
In addition to editing your automated outreach or trading this type of “mass messaging” for more one-on-one emails, try expressing your gratitude by sharing a Thnks with your potential and current partners.
Sending these types of grateful gestures, especially if they’re personalized to your prospects’ and clients’ preferences, will help you stand out and make you more memorable if they’re unable to commit at this time.
A few different ways that you can say Thnks include:
- Sharing a Thank You ‘Berry’ Much Ice Cream Treat with the prospect who sat through your demo while your wifi kept cutting in-and-out.
- Thnking a current customer for his or her ‘LoyalTea‘ after they’ve decided to launch another campaign or add an additional service to their contract.
- Sending an All Wood Cornhole Game to your top client as his or her summer Fridays start taking full effect.
Even though you may think that it will be time consuming to share these expressions of gratitude, setting aside some time in your schedule to share them in the short-term will help you build long-term relationships that lead to greater ROI.
Nurturing Your Connections Despite Ongoing Obstacles
Although it may currently seem difficult to be a sales professional, now’s the perfect time to position your company and yourself as positive entities that will elevate any business’ needs.
And it starts by simply saying Thnks.
Struggling to keep in touch with your prospects or clients during this difficult time? Thnks makes it easier to ensure that you continue building these relationships despite current obstacles. In a matter of seconds, you can search for the perfect gesture, personalize a note, and send it off via SMS or email. Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo!