Leading Through the Pandemic Crisis

Nobody expected the COVID-19 pandemic to turn our lives and businesses upside down so quickly. The impact on public health, jobs and businesses has been enormous. Companies, big and small, are struggling to stay afloat while finding new ways to operate.

What worked yesterday may no longer work today. And nobody knows for sure what lies ahead.

During this crisis, leaders and managers are having to adapt to unfamiliar situations. Some are taking a more directive approach, especially when quick decisions are needed. Others are involving their teams in finding solutions and giving people more room to think and make decisions.

Both approaches have their place. The challenge is knowing when to give clear direction and when to involve people in working out the best way forward.

1. Understand What Is Changing

There is no ready-made formula for getting through this pandemic. Businesses need to understand their customers’ changing needs while helping their people develop the skills and confidence to work differently.

The fourth edition of Salesforce’s State of Sales Report 2020 highlights an important challenge. It reports that 59% of customers feel they are dealing with separate departments rather than one company, while 78% expect consistent interactions across departments.

These findings remind us that customers don’t see sales, operations and customer service as separate businesses. They expect everyone to work together, especially when they are facing difficulties themselves. For sales leaders, understanding what’s changing in the market and what customers need is becoming more important than ever.

2. Help Your People Adapt to Change

LinkedIn’s State of Sales 2020 survey also highlights the importance of leadership during change. In Singapore, 76% of sales managers surveyed agreed that a manager’s ability to navigate change is more important now than it was five years ago.

For sales leaders, this means looking beyond today’s sales targets. We need to understand how our people’s roles are changing, where they are struggling and what new skills they may need to serve customers effectively.

Some salespeople may find it difficult to engage customers remotely. Others may struggle with changing customer priorities or new ways of working. Rather than assuming everyone can adapt on their own, managers need to identify where their people need guidance, support or opportunities to learn.

3. Listen More and Involve Your People

During uncertain times, it’s tempting for managers to take control and provide all the answers. But we may not always have the best solutions ourselves. Our salespeople are speaking with customers, dealing with objections and facing challenges every day. Their experiences can help us understand what’s really happening on the ground.

Start by having more meaningful conversations with your people, customers and colleagues across departments. Instead of always giving instructions, take time to listen and ask:

• What are our customers most concerned about right now?
• What’s making your job difficult?
• What can we do differently to help our customers?
• What support do you need from me?

We may not have all the answers, but we can work together to find better ways forward.

4. Coach and Support Your People Through Uncertainty

As managers, our ability to coach and develop people becomes even more important during uncertain times. Coaching helps people think through challenges, explore different options and take greater responsibility for their decisions. It also helps build trust, stronger working relationships and team confidence when everyone is trying to adjust to unfamiliar circumstances.

Of course, there will be situations where managers need to give clear instructions and make quick decisions. Coaching doesn’t mean leaving people to figure everything out themselves. It’s about knowing when to give direction, when to offer support and when to help people find their own solutions.

We cannot control everything that’s happening around us. But we can influence how we lead, support and develop our people through this crisis. What are you doing differently to lead your sales team during this pandemic?