It’s no doubt that a lot has changed in the past few months. The COVID-19 outbreak has shaken the B2B sales force – with unprecedented speed and scale – across the globe.

However, as with most things,

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

In other words, times of great challenge often create amazing opportunities to transform the way we, as sales leaders, do things. Many within building products and construction would argue that this is exactly what the industry needed to give it a push towards a more digital future.

One example of how we’re adapting is the new dynamics that virtual selling has brought to the table – in the form of video interactions.

But, more specifically,

How is the COVID-19 crisis changing the future of sales within building products and construction as we know it?

Today we’ll be exploring two ways that this pandemic has accelerated the future of sales within the industry. Read on to find out more…

1: Selling Solo

Being an old-skool salesman I thought I knew it all. Results were powered solely by my own hands and my own way of thinking. My way had always worked, hitting the phone as hard as I could, sniffing out buying signals in order to get that next sale. I didn’t need anyone apart from my own desire, and I had bucket loads of that.

As an experienced Salesperson, I had my own methods and philosophy which worked and had made me a success in the past. I had been a top biller for many previous employers, and the notion that one book could change my thought process was unthinkable.

I remember the first time my CEO introduced me to Keenan’s “Gap Selling”. At first, I had my doubts: yet another sales guy trying to tell me that his way is the best.

My Dublin visit to the HubSpot head offices was over. My brain felt comfortably loaded with the wealth of knowledge and training that I had undertaken.

Dan Tire, ‘The Boom Man’ as he is so affectionately known, had excelled himself. It had been a pleasure to be in the company of the individuals I admire most within the sales world.

As I sat in the window seat of Ryanair’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft, I wondered if this was how Bruce Lee felt when he first met IP Man.

It was fun. We worked hard.

But I knew the hard work had only just begun.

It was Autumn 2016. I was sat outside my CEO’s office awaiting the annual meeting to discuss next year’s targets.

All these thoughts were running through my head:

“Will we have new products?”

“Will I be able to hire the two new guys needed for my Sales team?”

“Have we achieved enough this financial year?”