The Covid-19 crisis has had its impact on the economy in general, and on most businesses. Everyone has experienced a sudden and abrupt change, and companies have changed the way they work as well as their strategy.
Companies that were hit became more cautious, freezing their budgets and putting projects on hold. And even companies that felt less impact still put on the brakes. As a result, the way of doing sales also had to change in the short term. And those who have made this adjustment will see the positive results of this in the long run.
Instead of stopping Sales completely, we at M18 have continued to maintain relationships with our clients and prospects. Calling clients (new or old) just to hear how they are doing, how they are experiencing the situation and if there is anything we can do for them. This could range from a personal interview to starting a new search process. It is especially important that you shift your focus in these conversations a really engage in a conversation, listen and join in thinking about a possible solution.
Because of this shift, in addition to providing additional help and advice, we also started looking for potential partners to build a network or ecosystem.
“An ecosystem????” Yes! The official definition: cycle in which the various elements ensure that the system continues to function and balance. “So what exactly does that look like Frauke?”. We actually started looking for these different elements in the form of companies whose services closely match ours yet are just different, complementarity is key.
That way, when we hear a problem with a client that we don’t have a specialized solution for ourselves, we can suggest one of our partners. This ensures that we can still help a client or prospect, while also deepening the relationship with the partner, thus maintaining the ecosystem.
Do you also like to build an ecosystem and want some tips? Or do you think your company could be a great addition to our ecosystem? If so, be sure to contact us!
We are already looking forward to your feedback and possible interesting conversations around this topic!
