There’s been a lot of change in my world as well as the world of AV over the past 18 months. I’ve become a Dad for the second time and I’ve have to adapt my working day during a pandemic to home office life, when I’d usually be out walking distribution sales floors, meeting colleagues and customers and attending tradeshows and events. Virtual working has its many benefits but, for me, I’m a people person and I thrive on the personal interaction. Some of my colleagues nicknamed me ‘Tigger’ for my unrelenting enthusiasm and energy. It’s far harder to express and maintain the personal touch on an online platform; I’ve noticed some virtual meetings don’t tend to start with the same pleasantries as there would normally be at the start of face-to-face meetings. It’s also far harder to catch people at the right time when they’re free and at their desks using virtual platforms. When on the sales floor, you have an easy ‘in’ ; you can see when they’re free to chat. With virtual, you have to time it just right or keep persisting. And that’s the nature of sales calls, but it’s just harder now.
So I’ve adapted….and I’ll share what’s working well for me.
What excites me about my role at Peerless-AV is the opportunity to win over the hearts and minds of existing and potential new customers. I start my parental duties typically at 4.30am and then spend my days on calls and conducting regular follow ups, listening to customer needs and feedback then providing advise and offering a solution. There’s nothing worse than speaking to someone on video as they lose interest and start checking their emails. Start with a personal touch, like asking how their weekend was, hold their attention to keep them ‘in the moment’, keep it brief and, when presenting, really maximise that half hour slot – be dynamic, interesting and, most importantly, be clear in your communication. Win them over with a big personality that would normally shine out when meeting in-person.
This is why Peerless-AV are number 1. Our customers buy our brand because it means quality and peace of mind, saves decision-making time and makes a difference in a project while adding value. But customers also buy our brand because of who we are, the individuals behind the brand, the brand ambassadors. The salesperson to the customer service rep to the purchasing manager, and everyone involved behind the scenes delivering a support service, are just as important as the product the customer is buying.
But even for the most passionate salespeople, there can be motivational ups and downs when sitting in front of a PC all day. It’s important to boost energy levels and stay in peak performance. If you stare at a screen all day without regular breaks or fresh air, it isn’t healthy for well-being or productivity so I find time to go out for a quick run and then I can come back refreshed and ready for more calls. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of this, and I’m lucky to have a strong support network of friends, colleagues and mentors to pick me up when I need it, talk through how I’m feeling, offer good advice and give me a kick start to get on and be my best self. My mentors, both in business and personal life, know who they are and I thank them for all their support.
I hope to see you all very soon in person, whether at our
Peerless-AV showcase and networking event in September or ISE Barcelona next
February. In the meantime, see you online!
Written by Matt Nixon, Distribution Channel Sales Manager, UK
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