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    Here's why I’m excited to greet the New Year

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    There’s no question 2020 has been a year for the history books, and not necessarily in a good way. The impact of the pandemic + political uncertainty and upheaval has taken its toll.

    But it hasn’t been all bad, and I believe some of the consequences of 2020 will show up in positive ways in 2021. Here are 6 positive outcomes of 2020’s upheaval, and why I’m excited about their impact in the New Year.

    1. We got better at using technology

    Being forced to stay home had a huge impact on salespeople, especially in complex b2b environments. I look forward to the day when travel for sales is safe and appropriate again on a regular basis. There are some types of selling where an in-person connection is vital for building trust and relationships.

    But being forced to stay home did have one positive outcome: We got better at using technology. We got better at discerning when a Zoom meeting or a phone call can do the job just as well as a site visit. We learned that we don’t always have to jump on a plane to close a deal.

    And we learned better techniques for virtual engagement. In my recent conversation with Dave Shaby, co-author of Virtual Selling, he outlined techniques for even better online engagement. I look forward to seeing these techniques used more and more headed into 2021 to improve online engagement. In addition, I look forward to the positive environmental impacts of less travel.

    2. Companies have been forced to spend more time with existing clients

    As global markets responded to the pandemic, companies all over the world scrambled to get in touch with existing clients and do everything in their power to keep them on the books. Then, as new pipelines dried up, many turned to their existing client pools to look for new opportunities in old places.

    It’s no secret that it’s cheaper and easier to win more business with existing accounts than to bring in new logos. Yet historically, sales teams tend to over-invest in new leads and under-invest in growing (not just retaining) existing business. I’m glad the pandemic forced many companies to switch tactics and get comfortable with growing existing accounts.

    I hope to see this trend continue into 2021, and I’d especially like to see a mindset shift from “mining existing accounts for new business” to “growing business in partnership with our best customers.”

    3. We might see a catch-up effect

    The pandemic has certainly had some negative impacts on the economy, but it hasn’t been as stark as some economists predicted. I suspect that a lot of demand is being held in check due to uncertainty.

    As vaccines roll out, political cycles come to resolution (nudge, nudge, United States and Great Britain) and stability increases globally (let us hope,) I suspect that the pent-up demand will lead to a boom. My hope is that we as an industry can use everything we’ve learned in 2020 to take advantage of this boom in a positive way.

    4. Companies have had to get innovative in combining services and technology

    As buyers get more discerning in their buying process, sellers have had to get more innovative in their selling process. In many cases, this means that buyers are cutting anything they can’t demonstrate clear ROI on, and looking for holistic solutions that give them what they need without having to go to multiple vendors.

    As buyers get more discerning in their buying process, sellers have had to get more innovative.

     

    I believe we’re going to see more tech-enabled services launching and growing in 2021. Buyers of consulting services are going to want consultants to provide a complete package including the technology to implement and execute on strategies. And buyers of technology are going to want effective consulting to help them get the results they expect.

    Sellers who can provide a complete, holistic, tech-enabled service that fully serves the customer’s needs will win out over more fragmented service-separate-from-tech sellers.

    5. Forward-thinking tech companies will roll out new and exciting options

    Forward-thinking tech companies have used 2020 as an opportunity to revisit their offerings and tailor them to better serve their buyers. Simultaneously, these companies have been investing in stabilizing and streamlining their core platforms. Expect to see the fruit of this work rolling out throughout 2021.

    At Membrain, for instance, we’re continuing to stabilize, simplify, and improve our platform, and that work continues into 2021. At the same time, we’ll be rolling out free trials for all of our workflows (currently, the account growth workflow is available as a free trial). We have a few other big things up our sleeves as well, that we’ll be announcing throughout the year.

    6. There will be more upheaval, bringing more opportunities

    Although we all hope it will be more stable than 2020, I don’t expect the next year to magically become simple and normal “like old times.” There will be more upheaval, including accelerating acquisitions and mergers. Counter to that, lawsuits and legislation might break some of the giants down into smaller chunks.

    All of this upheaval will create challenges, but as always, it will also open up opportunities. Companies that can stay nimble and alert will find new ways to optimize their performance and grow through the changes.

    None of us expected 2020 to be such a year of enormous change and challenges. But here we are, looking back at a year that will be remembered in the history books. My hope is that 2021 will bring you and all of yours happiness and opportunities to compensate for all the struggles of 2020.

    Happy New Year!

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    George Brontén
    Published December 30, 2020
    By George Brontén

    George is the founder & CEO of Membrain, the Sales Enablement CRM that makes it easy to execute your sales strategy. A life-long entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the software space and a passion for sales and marketing. With the life motto "Don't settle for mainstream", he is always looking for new ways to achieve improved business results using innovative software, skills, and processes. George is also the author of the book Stop Killing Deals and the host of the Stop Killing Deals webinar and podcast series.

    Find out more about George Brontén on LinkedIn