The global business ecosystem has been shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly every industry taking the hit. Businesses globally are struggling to survive and are either shutting down operations or laying off employees. At a time like this, it is imperative to look beyond the pandemic and discover ways to utilize this catastrophe to its best. Sales enablement during COVID-19, as challenging as it may seem, can actually be simplified and used to derive more significant results.

For sales leaders contemplating how to manage the situation, taking care of their talent and business must be a top priority. Even as they manage that reality, sales leaders must adjust how their organizations craft sales strategies to cater to new customer habits and trying economic times.

In many ways, the changes in customer behavior are an acceleration of digital trends that were in motion before the pandemic hit. With the rapid implementation of emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and cloud into B2B sales enablement, B2B sales will look fundamentally different from what they were before the pandemic.

As we navigate through the pandemic and prepare to facilitate sales enablement during COVID-19, there are several ways that businesses can strategize to make the most out of their situation.

Hyper-target your prospects

We know that even a great product fails when it is pitched to the wrong audience. If your target audience is not exactly the target of your product, chances are it may fail.

In 2021, prospects do not dedicate much time to advertisements or sales calls, so it becomes crucial to approach only those who might be interested in your offer. Hyper-targeting your prospects level-by-level is essential to achieving sales effectiveness.

One can understand their target prospects by segmenting the industry, size, location, products/services offered, and more. A clear segmentation would bring clarity to the sales process and enable the right approach.

Close more deals with Account Intelligence

Account intelligence has been a crucial part of sales enablement and has helped sales teams excel in their numbers. Account intelligence  can be defined as the process of extracting actionable insights by analyzing customer/client information.

This data can comprise anywhere from helpdesk inquiries to buying behavior and more. By analyzing such client data, sales teams get a comprehensive picture of their clients that captures their business intentions and identifies potential pain points. Sales enablement during COVID-19 largely depends on utilizing data to power sales teams with a complete profile about the prospects’ requirements and concerns.

Account intelligence can be acquired both manually and through technology; however, in today’s fast-paced business race, it is always better to rely on technology to save time and effort. Specific sales enablement tools come with in-depth account intelligence and research that lets you dive deep into a prospect and identify their problems while crafting your customized solutions.

Market yourself with the Power of Content

Content marketers often use data gathered from sales operations to create content your sales team can use. Valuable tools like an infographic of a case study can spark a conversation among your audience. This gathered intelligence helps your sales team power their approach and improve lead nurturing, generation, and upselling.

With the right content, you can approach the right audience in the simplest yet most effective manner. For this, sales teams must understand what type of content to focus on by analyzing prospect accounts and developing a path forward, which can be used as a standard for creating the right content.

Let your customers grow your business

Sales enablement during COVID-19 depends not only on internal analysis or strategies but also on your customers. You can leverage your existing customers who are satisfied to showcase the value that you’re providing them. Sharing case studies, customer satisfaction reports, testimonials, and reviews on your website are some of the ways to start with.

When you showcase how your organization has helped customers overcome challenges, it instantly creates an impression that you can also help your current prospect overcome these challenges. By showcasing their satisfaction, it demonstrates that you value your customers.

Track your Competition with peer intelligence

Peer intelligence is about taking a deep dive into how other companies are doing business. If you do not analyze your competition, you may lose your target prospects when they accept competitor offers. It lets you see the industry from your competitor’s eye and understand what they are doing and what they intend to do ahead.

When in sales, It is crucial to ask yourself:

• What is your competition doing?
• What are their capabilities and USP?
• Whom are they targeting?
• What are they offering?

Doing so will help you reach your prospects with competitive offers and pricing, resulting in more deals closed.

Sales enablement platforms like Draup are helping Fortune-500 enterprises scale their sales efforts and power their sales teams with AI-backed insights, account intelligence, peer intelligence, and more.

Draup’s 360-degree view is built using machine learning models and validated by a team of analysts, ensuring data integrity. Its Opportunity Index provides sales teams with concrete, data-backed metrics to check deal feasibility, strategize and pitch to relevant companies.