Your sales department is the lifeblood of your company; without the business and revenue it brings in, nothing else your company does will matter. With that in mind, I’d like to offer you a handful of tips for leading your sales force through the change and economic uncertainty that’s hanging over us right now. None of these strategies is going to make things easy, but each of them can help you shift the focus away from recent problems and back where it belongs – on the customer. And doing that is always the key for opening accounts, regardless of what’s on the front page of the business section.

1. Have Your Salespeople Put on Their Customer’s Shoes:

As the economy has faltered, many of our producers have stopped thinking about the people and companies they sell to, and started worrying about their own problems instead.

Those customers are facing tough situations too, however, and trying to sell them the same products and solutions, in the same ways as before, isn’t bound to get us very far. Get the men and women on your sales staff to start thinking about what their best clients need right now – not what they’d like to be selling – and have them customize their approach with that insight. You’ll be surprised at the enormous difference it can make.

2. Think Solutions, Not Products:

In the same way, recognize that few of your customers are looking for new equipment, a better insurance plan, or any other standard “product.” In this market, they don’t need any of those things. But what they’re dying for is a way to lower their costs, sell more of whatever they make, and otherwise remain competitive in the face of extreme bottom-line pressures.

There’s never been a better time for return on investment selling. On the one hand, it gets your salespeople speaking to their prospects and customers in their own language. But more than that, it gets them thinking about what really matters to the person who has to sign the order slip or invoice, and how they can better explain those benefits at a critical time.

3. Get Past Prices:

If your salespeople are telling you that price is the biggest obstacle to closing new business, then it’s a sure sign that they aren’t strong enough in the sales process. That’s because, time and again in every economic climate, the very best salespeople find a way to sell quality products without giving in to easy discounts. Whatever reason your customers have for choosing you as a vendor, it probably doesn’t begin and end with the dollars and cents on your invoice.

Still, weaker salespeople will nearly always get hung up on prices, either because they lack the confidence to stick to their guns, or because they don’t understand the sales process well enough to keep building value after the first objection. In either case, it’s your job as the manager to set them straight. Constantly cutting into your prices will make sales come faster – but it will put you out of business at the same time.

4. Think Long Term:

While the focus of this article is on how to keep the orders coming in, that doesn’t mean that you always have to tell your sales staff to try to make the biggest sale right now. In fact, sometimes the smart move is to try to sell a smaller product – which requires a lower investment or commitment, and might open the door for future business.

Again, this gets to understanding exactly where your clients are right now, and what solutions can best serve their needs. Don’t let your producers prioritize this month’s commission check over a client relationship that could last for years. Help them to craft proposals that don’t just win business, but gain partnerships that will last a lot longer than the current downturn.

5. Give Them The Right Tools:

It’s ironic that so many sales managers skimp on training, technology, and other tools for their sales teams at the exact moment when they need them most. Instead of shying away from the task of leading your team, stick up for them by making sure they have the necessary resources at hand. While all of the tactics I’ve outlined in this article are useful, none of them are easy to learn or master, so invest in whatever you need to send your sales force out ready to find business.

Sales Management Points:

This might not be an easy time to sell, but as the manager, you need to be a leader to the producers on your staff. Follow these 5 tips and show them that, instead of hiding from the world, they can get out there and close new accounts.

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