Contingency Planning in an Ever-Changing World

Contingency Planning in an Ever-Changing World

To say that the business world was turned on its head in March 2020 is an understatement, but what people don’t seem to speak about is the ongoing ripples through global supply chains that are still impacting businesses. We have some clients who are still having delivery issues, others who face weekly price increases without warning, and some whose clients stop orders with only one hour of notice. 

For this newsletter, we’re sending it to you from Sydney where we’re thrilled to be delivering our world-class Persuasive Selling Process to a major international client having beat one of the US’s best sales training companies for the contract. However, we’re meant to fly to Melbourne this weekend to train their team down there next week and Melbourne just introduced covid restrictions for 10 days! So, it’s back to the drawing board. Within 2 hours, Jo and I have offered the client 3 options to deliver the workshop in the most engaging ways possible including using technology to run one on one role plays that we’ve tailored for their specific industry. The client is delighted to have such options with us, especially as another trainer they have doesn’t have anything else to offer. 

So what about you? What are you doing for your clients to be proactive with change? How are you responding MORE QUICKLY than your opposition? How are you educating your clients on how you can be there for them in this ever-changing world? What happens if…?

To me there are 2 approaches to contingency planning:

1. Pre-planned contingency planning
2. Adaptive contingency planning

Both are important as both can position your brand and business in a way that generates immense client loyalty. 

Pre-planned contingency planning involves sitting down with your team and working through all the “what if” scenarios that you face as a business. Then it involves educating your clients ongoing about what will happen if those things do happen. That way the client has some comfort in advance about disruptions. 

Adaptive contingency planning skills are usually honed over years of practice, in the same way that salespeople develop resilience through time on the job. This is about having an adaptive mindset that can do clear critical thinking (problem-solving), under pressure. This involves the ability to quickly focus on what the situation really is, without emotion, and to work quickly through the impact of any of the options that come to you. It then involves you pitching the best ideas to your clients to resolve the issue with your client IN PARTNERSHIP with them. This last step is the key, in partnership. This is where the opportunity lies: deepening your relationships because of the changes you both face. 

I strongly encourage you to discuss both sides of contingency planning above, with your whole team, as it's part of the present-day world that we’re likely to find ourselves in for at least the next 12 months. Enjoy the excitement ahead!

Warm regards

Ambrose and the Sales Mastery Company team