Six Tips to Help Enterprise Tech Sales in a Bear Market

Jim Lampert, Vice President of Service Provider, OpsRamp

Carving of a bear statue

The job of the tech salesperson has suddenly become a lot harder, despite a great recent run of healthy demand and innovation. 

Life’s been pretty good for the past few years, as the Brookings Institute reported in 2019 that the digital economy is worth $11.5 trillion globally and has grown two-and-a-half times faster than global GDP over the past 15 years. In a very short time, the lens has changed dramatically. Forrester has adjusted its projections for U.S. and global tech market growth, predicting it will slow to around two percent in 2020, while S&P Global predicts global IT spending will decline three percent year over year.

I’ve had a long career in this business – selling hardware, software, and services through downturns and bull markets, with even a few successful exits along the way. I’ve been thinking about how to get through this unprecedented phase through the lens of opportunity. Many enterprise tech sales are understandably being put on hold to better support spending on essential activities for remote workers and business continuity. 

Yet, before we know it, businesses will re-open and quarantines will end. IT leaders should continue having discussions now around IT modernization and digital initiatives; otherwise, they won’t be prepared to ramp back up quickly and meaningfully when the economy restarts. Don’t be afraid to take an assertive stance with your target audience. Being proactive now can deliver competitive advantage and financial health to your organization while others are still spinning their wheels.

Here are my suggestions for selling and relationship building during times of uncertainty and thereafter.

1. Adjust your outreach for COVID-19.

Every brand is producing COVID-19 messaging right now and, frankly, it’s not all great. Most marketing and public relations experts are recommending using empathy and avoiding capitalizing on the pandemic or what’s often referred to as “ambulance chasing.” As sellers, we can do our research by monitoring the news closely – especially local news, where your prospect lives – and tie communications into whatever he or she might be experiencing at the moment. But don’t try to force-fit your solution into every challenge right now; seek the touchpoints that are relevant to your solution(s). Above all, don’t be self serving by asking for a demo. You might simply send out a personalized email to prospects with a simple message: “Hi, how are you? How’s your family doing? What are you working on right now, and can I help in any way?” 

2. Adjust your outreach for COVID-19.

Every brand is producing COVID-19 messaging right now and, frankly, it’s not all great. Most marketing and public relations experts are recommending using empathy and avoiding capitalizing on the pandemic or what’s often referred to as “ambulance chasing.” As sellers, we can do our research by monitoring the news closely – especially local news, where your prospect lives – and tie communications into whatever he or she might be experiencing at the moment. But don’t try to force-fit your solution into every challenge right now; seek the touchpoints that are relevant to your solution(s). Above all, don’t be self serving by asking for a demo. You might simply send out a personalized email to prospects with a simple message: “Hi, how are you? How’s your family doing? What are you working on right now, and can I help in any way?” 

3. Adjust your outreach for COVID-19.

Every brand is producing COVID-19 messaging right now and, frankly, it’s not all great. Most marketing and public relations experts are recommending using empathy and avoiding capitalizing on the pandemic or what’s often referred to as “ambulance chasing.” As sellers, we can do our research by monitoring the news closely – especially local news, where your prospect lives – and tie communications into whatever he or she might be experiencing at the moment. But don’t try to force-fit your solution into every challenge right now; seek the touchpoints that are relevant to your solution(s). Above all, don’t be self serving by asking for a demo. You might simply send out a personalized email to prospects with a simple message: “Hi, how are you? How’s your family doing? What are you working on right now, and can I help in any way?” 

4. Adjust your outreach for COVID-19.

Every brand is producing COVID-19 messaging right now and, frankly, it’s not all great. Most marketing and public relations experts are recommending using empathy and avoiding capitalizing on the pandemic or what’s often referred to as “ambulance chasing.” As sellers, we can do our research by monitoring the news closely – especially local news, where your prospect lives – and tie communications into whatever he or she might be experiencing at the moment. But don’t try to force-fit your solution into every challenge right now; seek the touchpoints that are relevant to your solution(s). Above all, don’t be self serving by asking for a demo. You might simply send out a personalized email to prospects with a simple message: “Hi, how are you? How’s your family doing? What are you working on right now, and can I help in any way?” 

5. Adjust your outreach for COVID-19.

Every brand is producing COVID-19 messaging right now and, frankly, it’s not all great. Most marketing and public relations experts are recommending using empathy and avoiding capitalizing on the pandemic or what’s often referred to as “ambulance chasing.” As sellers, we can do our research by monitoring the news closely – especially local news, where your prospect lives – and tie communications into whatever he or she might be experiencing at the moment. But don’t try to force-fit your solution into every challenge right now; seek the touchpoints that are relevant to your solution(s). Above all, don’t be self serving by asking for a demo. You might simply send out a personalized email to prospects with a simple message: “Hi, how are you? How’s your family doing? What are you working on right now, and can I help in any way?” 

6. Adjust your outreach for COVID-19.

Every brand is producing COVID-19 messaging right now and, frankly, it’s not all great. Most marketing and public relations experts are recommending using empathy and avoiding capitalizing on the pandemic or what’s often referred to as “ambulance chasing.” As sellers, we can do our research by monitoring the news closely – especially local news, where your prospect lives – and tie communications into whatever he or she might be experiencing at the moment. But don’t try to force-fit your solution into every challenge right now; seek the touchpoints that are relevant to your solution(s). Above all, don’t be self serving by asking for a demo. You might simply send out a personalized email to prospects with a simple message: “Hi, how are you? How’s your family doing? What are you working on right now, and can I help in any way?” 

Even in uncertain times like a global pandemic and lockdown, I still love this job. There is a short distance between your deal and their direct top and bottom line. If you’re selling the right product, you can have a powerful impact on an organization and how they run their business – cutting costs and speeding their time to market. Always strive to develop a unique value proposition for your customers, one worthy of discussion during both challenging and booming market conditions.

Headshot of Jim Lampert

Jim Lampert is vice president of service provider sales at OpsRamp.