HOW COVID CONTINUES TO CHANGE THE WORK LANDSCAPE & IMPACT VALUED TALENT MATTERS!!!!

As the owner/operator of a national placement agency, I am convinced that books will

be written about how COVID changed the work landscape and impacted valued talent

for years to come. We are right in the thick of it as of this writing (041521) Fortune 100

companies are already announcing that working at home can now be a permanent

option for their workforce.

There was always a fear or concern in what impact, working from home, would have in

the digital age. COVID answered this question by putting legions of white collar

professionals in their homes learning new skill sets from ZOOM virtual calls to selling

products and new technologies through a computer monitor. The results are in and

this is CAN DO for the economy and many leading global companies.

That said, a POST-COVID workplace will find that those who will rise to the top will be

those professionals who find new ways of being impactful and effective from a virtual

world. Whether it is from a TIC TOK add hawking their products and technologies to

prospecting through the social media platforms from LinkedIn to Facebook, the new

world (business) world has been impacted forever.



It is interesting to note that the LEGACY rep, used to personally delivering the See’s

Candy box of chocolates over the Holidays or taking their favorite clients to lunch, golf

or a mini vacation are now struggling in this new workplace. So much reliance on the

personal touch that comes from being BELLY TO BELLY is now no longer there and

we are now finding out the “range” of skill sets and talent for each selling professional.

Consider this:

 74% of B2B buyers never want to meet a seller in-person in their ideal/post-

pandemic world.

What this means is that let this one sink in for a moment. Market disruption has a way

of separating winners from losers. Sales teams who lean into the challenge of

delivering differentiated sales experiences will thrive.

 The number of sales calls that include the CFO have increased by 91%.

What this means is that the importance of cost savings and financial return mean more

direct involvement by CFOs. Know your buyer and translate the benefits of your

offering into terms that resonates with senior financial decision-makers. How cost

effective is your solution?



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 96% of B2B companies have shifted to a virtual sales model following the onset

of COVID.

What this means is that most sales leaders acted quickly in responding to the new

market dynamics. Investments in new remote sales tools, processes, and skills will

continue.

 65% of sales leaders believe the new virtual model is just as effective.

What this means is that done right, remote selling drives major gains in sales

effectiveness. Sales leaders like what they see. They are pushing harder and faster to

reimagine every aspect of their sales organizations.

 Reps have a 94% higher win rate when they turn their video on.

What this means is that using video in a remote sales call is a new table stake. Reps

who have embraced the camera are seeing dramatic gains in buyer engagement, and

ultimately better close rates.

 Since COVID, the number of post-call buyer requests have increased by 33%

(i.e. Follow-up meetings, demos, more information, etc.)

What this means is that today's reps are doing more to help buyers buy. Each sales

call brings a new set of rep actions to maintain deal momentum.

 Reps experience 49% higher win rates when budget is discussed on the first

virtual call.

What this means is that transparency in discussing price and business value is key.

Winning sales teams know how to confidently position the economic value of their

solution and are not timid in qualifying based on budget.

 38% of buyers say in-person sales meetings have decreased in value…..and the

expectation is that this trend will continue to grow….B2B decision makers report

a 13% increase in the number of meetings and a 14% increase in attendees per

meeting.

What this means is that meeting fatigue is real as executives work to stay connected to

their teams. Do not let your reps contribute to meeting exhaustion by executing poorly

planned buyer interactions.

Hence, COVID continues to change the work landscape & impact valued talent

matters!!!!