The pandemic changed the way we sell. Or even how do we sell? Using LinkedIn as a resource for BDRs and SDRs to make sales, even during COVID-19, can help lead you to success. Today on The Sales Evangelist Donald is joined by Amanda Staffon and Jason Behnke, former business development representatives at BlueGrace Logistics, to learn how they used LinkedIn throughout the pandemic as a tool to supplement and advance their sales process. Selling in a difficult time While the pandemic threw a wrench in everyone’s professional lives, an opportunity was created: to help those in need. Amanda and Jason found themselves focusing even more on building relationships and being available for their prospects. With COVID-19, the necessary questions have shifted from understanding company strategies to understanding if their basic needs are being met as an organization. Prospecting today Now that the end of COVID is in sight, salespeople are running at high speeds to make up for the lull of 2020. Rotating between phone calls, email, and LinkedIn outreach help ensure your prospects receive your message. Plus, it’s helpful to use multiple platforms in our newly-found virtual economy. People are no longer as receptive to a direct approach. However, authenticity and patience are high in demand - prospects want a conversation, but at a slower pace. The upside? Salespeople can learn more about their prospects’ goals and needs. AKA, you can guide them to the product that best suits their needs. Now more than ever, it’s essential for empathy to drive the communication between the seller and the prospect. Develop casual conversations Because people are spending more time at home, prospects might be open to phone calls during odd hours. And with the sudden shift to virtual work, sales reps have opportunities to hold more casual conversations, thus developing their relationship. The omnichannel approach (providing great customer service across multiple platforms and channels) is more important than ever. Face the objection No matter what you do, some people just don’t want to be sold to. When a prospect has this objection, Amanda encourages honesty: tell your client you want to know how the pandemic affected their company to help ease their challenges. Empathy and authenticity are two important traits a salesperson can develop, especially on LinkedIn. Take advantage of LinkedIn features like voicemail messaging to demonstrate authenticity to your prospect. Commenting on other peoples’ content is a good strategy for LinkedIn; interacting with their posts and other commenters can begin a great conversation. “How BDRS and SDR Should Use LinkedIn During COVID19!” episode resources You can reach both Amanda and Jason via their LinkedIn accounts. Go ahead and connect with them! If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald about it. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people...

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