Physical handshakes might be an archaic act in Colorado tech. But AdCellerant, Mersive, Adswerve and Trustpilot are relying on more than in-person interactions to close deals.
Digital advertising company AdCellerant is framing its sales pitch around how their existing partners are seeing success in spite of the market. The team just rolled out 20 category strategies on topics including how to pivot business models based on COVID-19 and potential offers that would entice consumers to spend money.
Mersive has taken a different approach, focusing more on educational opportunities. They have offered their partners the opportunity to earn industry certifications by attending formal, virtual trainings, for example.
Now, more than ever, local tech companies are reassessing the kinds of conversations their employees are having, both internally and externally. But the overarching goal remains the same: to provide value where it’s most needed.
How have you adapted your sales pitch in light of the recent coronavirus outbreak?
COVID-19 has required everyone to rethink how they go to market. For current partners, we have created more than 20 categorical strategies for businesses that are still advertising. These category strategies include how to message, how to pivot the company’s business model based on COVID-19, sample creative and potential offers that would entice consumers to spend money.
For prospective partners, we’re focused on how we’re helping companies navigate the unprecedented market. We’re targeting our sales pitch around how our existing partners are seeing successes in spite of the market, how they’re restoring revenue and how we’re helping them save money. All of those factors add up to increase cash flow for a potential partner during a cash-draining market event.
COVID-19 has required everyone to rethink how they go to market.’’
What’s one change you’ve made to your overall workflow since switching to remote work and why?
We’re focused on shorter meetings with strategic agendas. If those meetings result in follow-ups, those are taken offline with a smaller group.
We’ve implemented Slack as a company-wide tool, which previously had limited adoption. Recently, it’s been crucial for us as we quickly share successes, ask questions or make announcements. Video chats and calls are keeping us more connected. Our teams hold morning huddle meetings to make sure the team has what they need to tackle the day. Sharing success stories nightly has allowed us to over-communicate, resulting in fewer long meetings but quicker gatherings focused on strategic efforts tied to driving our mission.
How are you collaborating with other departments to communicate the changing needs of your customers?
In the past, our normal meeting cadence would have driven efficient and effective knowledge-transfer across departments. Today’s COVID-19 market is moving faster than anything anyone has ever seen. To make sure we’re nimble enough to keep up with the market, our executive team, which includes someone from every department, meets virtually via video conference every day for 45 minutes at the end of the day. We discuss daily successes, challenges and opportunities. We then boil down and disseminate this information to the entire company to make sure everyone is immediately aware of what’s working and what isn’t.
In times like these, communication can be success’s best friend. AdCellerant has always had an open, highly communicative and entrepreneurial environment. We’re focused on mining those attributes as much as possible to reduce the turbulence created by COVID-19.
How have you adapted your sales pitch in light of the recent coronavirus outbreak?
For starters, we’re doing less “pitching” these days and more training and education with our partners and prospects. Everyone is working from home and project timelines are shifting. Some are accelerating, some have been pushed back and others have been outright cancelled. All in all, it’s a pretty fluid environment. That said, this doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of activity. We’re experiencing quite the opposite.
Rather than doing in-person demonstrations, which are the lifeblood of a visual collaboration product like Solstice, we’re converting all of our meetings to online webinar format. We’re using RingCentral and getting the same results without the handshake. And to be honest, we’re finding that our at-home partners and customers are thirsting for product knowledge.
A few of our engagement models right now include all-hands webinars, one-on-one video calls, educational recordings and social hours. At social hours, our sales teams engage our end users on a less formal basis. Online happy hours and poker have been a big hit.
For starters, we’re doing more training and education with our partners and prospects.’’
What’s one change you’ve made to your overall workflow since switching to remote work?
Workflow across the sales org hasn’t changed much absent the in-person meetings. That said, we do spend additional time on the forecast to ensure proper qualification and timing across projects. And on the back end, the sales team is getting involved in collections.
How are you collaborating with other departments to communicate the changing needs of your customers?
Mersive is a highly-collaborative environment to begin with, so multiple cross-functional meetings are already in place to ensure ongoing alignment. Specifically, we have weekly meetings covering sales forecast, go-to-market strategy, support, product strategy and other areas. All participants are acutely aware of the current sales environment and are pitching in to support our conversion to our new at-home selling strategy.
How have you adapted your sales pitch in light of the recent coronavirus outbreak?
During these uncertain times, I think everyone is a bit uneasy regardless of the company or approach. With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, it’s vital to be a good listener when talking to prospects. I have been dedicating time on every call to asking them about the impact the coronavirus is having on their business and their industry as a whole and asking if they see certain risks or opportunities as a result.
I also have been a lot more understanding due to the current climate, which has worked in my favor.
What’s one change you’ve made to your overall workflow since switching to remote work?
Working remotely can be difficult for everyone. Some strategies that have helped me stay productive throughout the day include getting dressed for work as if I’m going into the office and sitting at a desk as opposed to lounging on a couch with a laptop.
In addition, I structure my day exactly as I would at the office, following my calendar religiously and taking lunch breaks around the same time I normally would. I get online at the same time every morning and log off at the same time every evening. I also set up my workspace in a similar fashion. Lastly, I try my best to do something physical every day to stay sane.
Collaborating with other departments and maintaining communication is important.’’
How are you collaborating with other departments to communicate the changing needs of your customers?
Collaborating with other departments and maintaining communication is important, especially now that we are remote. Unfortunately, we can no longer walk over to someone in a different department to ask pressing questions. I have been using Zoom, Google Hangouts and Slack to stay connected. It’s always better to over-communicate in my opinion than not communicate enough. Ironically since working remotely, I have interacted with our New York office more than ever.
How have you adapted your sales pitch in light of the recent coronavirus outbreak?
Right now, we have to be sensitive to the context of every new prospect’s situation. It’s important that we are aware of what each industry is going through. We need to be more prepared than ever to recognize hurdles they are encountering and be able to frame a solution that best addresses their needs, while also thinking ahead. I would also say that we have to get more creative with our proposals, taking financial considerations into account.
Right now, we have to be sensitive to the context of every new prospect’s situation.’’
What’s one change you’ve made to your overall workflow since switching to remote work?
Working from home can feel very isolating at times. It’s important to make sure I check in with members of my team daily, whether that’s over a quick video conference, Slack or even on a phone call. More frequent check-ins have been important since we no longer have face-to-face meetings.
How are you collaborating with other departments to communicate the changing needs of your customers?
We’re in the process of rolling out our client portal called Adswerve Connect to provide our clients with product information, account management resources, product updates, contract details, and billing information. This offering represents an effort to make work more efficient for our clients so they don’t have to reach out across multiple departments.
