Let’s take a moment to reflect on all that we’ve experienced since March 2020. While we did see plenty of event pros find success with newfound time and ideas, we know the journey wasn’t an easy one by any means. Chances are you’ve had to make some of the hardest decisions in your tenure as a business owner. You’ve had to start those difficult conversations with clients, employees, creative partners, and maybe even your bank — conversations you never thought you’d have to consider.
In the past 22 months, many event businesses have had to furlough, lay off, or even terminate most (if not all) of their staff. If you’ve had to help your dependable team members through the unemployment process, you’re not alone. Plenty of companies are now operating with a skeleton crew. But, hopefully, not for long.
As we see the light ahead of us, it’s time to think about rebuilding and restructuring your team to develop a high-performance sales conversion machine that generates results. An effective, profit-driven sales team is more important now than ever before, with most companies in dire need of recouping the losses from 2020/21
Take a moment to picture what your life would look like if:
Your business hit its sales goals every single month. without complicated, unreliable systems.
You knew every member of your sales team was trained with consistent protocols.
You could go into every meeting with confidence in what your team would report.
You could increase your booking ratio to the point where growing your team was a natural solution.
Simply put, what would you do if your salespeople paid for themselves? How would that change the way you do business and approach life?
A steady stream of revenue is one of the most coveted assets in business and the pandemic has made us hyper-aware of this fact. Building a motivated team that actively prospects and sells your brand will be the single most important factor in your success into 2022 and beyond.
Here’s what you need to consider as you build back stronger and more resilient than ever before.
Revisit your goals.
Before hiring anyone, you need to evaluate your personal and professional goals as they should direct every decision you make in your company. There’s a good chance they have shifted since the start of the pandemic, so take stock of where you currently stand and where you’re headed. Maybe your 2021 goal is simply to break even. Perhaps your new big-picture goal is to grow a new side hustle that was born out of a pandemic pivot. You must find clarity on your future path so you can make sure you’re hiring the right people to accompany you.
Shift accountability to your team.
A lot can be said about feeling like you “own” your work. If your employees don’t feel empowered in your business, they’ll become nothing more than passive order-takers who drop more failures on you than successes. A great leader is one that can delegate work, set expectations, step back, and hold their team members accountable. It’s your responsibility to create a culture where your employees know that they are equally responsible for their successes and failures! Once you do this, your team will be more engaged and you will have more time to actually grow your business.
Revise your compensation plans.
The pandemic left an indelible mark on everyone’s finances, from large and small businesses to individuals and families. Some found more profit in the opportunities presented whereas many others faced unparalleled hardships. Be mindful that your company isn’t the only one facing the repercussions; your employees (or prospective employees) have also likely taken a financial hit in their personal lives, which may influence their reentry into the workforce.
Leave behind those tired sales procedures.
Nothing is the same as it was in early 2020 and that includes your sales strategies! The market has been changed indefinitely and your ideal clients’ priorities have shifted along with their budgets. The sales pitches that closed every time are likely not so effective anymore. You need to adopt new, modern selling tactics that hit home in a post-pandemic landscape so your team can win over the clients that are still reeling from their 2020 experience.
Of course, all of these steps towards a healthy, dependable sales team are built on a foundation of hiring techniques that will ensure you have the right people in place. Intentional leadership is about hand-selecting a crew of motivated individuals that you know will immerse themselves in your company culture and become a passionate brand ambassador for your business.
Hiring is not easy and it’s usually not enjoyable. But, it’s an essential part of growth so a smart business owner recognizes it as a necessary step in the journey. I’ve faced hiring challenges of my own and, over time, developed my own set of techniques that ensure all of our team members are committed to success (I actually cover ALL of this in the Triangle Method!).
Too many business owners see the hiring process and their role as leaders as transactional relationships, but in reality, building long-term relationships with your sales team is one of the most important things you can do as a business owner! Replace “transactional” with “transformational” and you’ve got the recipe for a successful, motivated team.
