As you all know, we are living in unprecedented times and I certainly do not need to tell you how different everything is these days. While the world, as a whole, struggles to deal with our new reality, salespeople are faced with their own set of challenges.

Most salespeople have little to no control right now in terms of when their place of business is open, how business is done if they are open, and other protocols related to the pandemic. However, that does not mean salespeople are completely at the mercy of the situation; there are things you can control.

The biggest area a salesperson should be focusing on right now is customer service, especially those salespeople who have a big repeat customer base. While direct contact with your customers today is challenging at best, it does provide you with more time to reach out to the customers who have been loyal to you over the years.

Take this time to reach out to your repeat customers. You can do so on a variety of platforms depending on your relationship with each customer.

• Phone calls: Give your customer a call just to see how they are doing and if relevant, follow up on any recent purchases they have made. You can also use this opportunity to see if there is anything they need from you and if so, work with them to find the best possible way to get it done. They may not need anything, and the call may be short, but those customers will remember that you thought of them during a difficult time.

• E-mails: Use some of your time that would normally be spent with customers to reach out to them via e-mail when appropriate. It is important that you know your customers and which would prefer a phone call and which would prefer and e-mail. Much like the phone call, ask them if there is anything they need and follow up on any recent purchases.

• Quick notes: You can also go old school and take some time and write notes to each of your customers via mail. It will take a little more time than a phone call or an e-mail but the effort it takes to write a handwritten note and put it in the mail will not go unnoticed.

However, you decide to do it, do not let this time go to waste. It is true that the current situation may not ideal for selling, for others it may be the perfect time to make a selection of your merchandise. Use your time wisely now, it may pay big benefits now or they may come in the future. Let the customer make the choice.

FINAO - Brad Huisken