Why Investing In Tech Solutions During The Pandemic Is The Smart Play

“May you live in interesting times.”

This apocryphal phrase has no official origins. Eastern mystics are said to have expressed it thousands of years ago, but no documentation verifies it.

English speaking countries typically use this phrase ironically. It may sound like a blessing at first blush when someone says it, but the reality is, interesting times are often code for chaos. Uninteresting times are peace and tranquility.

It’s 2020. The pandemic is here. Which one is your business experiencing right now?

For many sales teams, there’s a lot of fear out there. You don’t know if your job is going to be around. You don’t know if your company is going to be around. You don’t know what’s coming down the pike. And you’re not living as free of a professional life as you probably were this time last year.

As such, you’re probably hesitant about doing something different. At best, investing in technology solutions to combat the chaos sounds risky. At worst, idiotic.

D’wayne Tanner, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at N-Hance Wood Refinishing, disagrees. He’s a veteran in the franchise space and longtime FranFunnel user. He recently sat down with us to talk about the business impacts of the global pandemic this and next year (video featured below). And as a leader for the company N-Hance Wood Refinishing, it would be an understatement to say his business is living in interesting times.

With millions of people stuck at home right now, many homeowners are using that extra time to finally restore all the wear and tear on their homes. His industry is one of the verticals (unlike travel, restaurants, fitness, etc) that have been thriving during the pandemic. In fact, the shelter in place order has worked to his advantage.

“Given the crazy times that we're in, people have been spending a lot more time at home, and spending a lot more time on their phone as well. But this pandemic is going to lead to what I believe to be an abundance of opportunities for folks like me. And today is the day brands should begin putting in place the systems, the processes, and other sales structures so they can reach out to prospective franchisees in a timely manner.”

What technology solution are you still afraid of trying? Can you still expect to close deals with the same sales strategy you’ve been using for years?

Consider the millions of salespeople who are still texting leads manually with their own personal mobile phones.

It’s not scalable. It’s not instant. It’s not efficient. And it’s not fun. Especially when a lead comes in at night or on the weekend.

Or consider the millions of salespeople who are still calling leads with their own personal mobile phones.

It’s outdated. Customers don’t pick up the phone if they don’t recognize the number. Even if they do know you, they still probably won’t pick up the phone. Because they don’t want to be sold.

Truth is, not only do you live in interesting times, but you live in different times.

Which means your response to the chaos has to be different as well.

If you want to start connecting with your leads in a fast, personable, scalable way, it’s time to invest in a technology solution that will set you up for success.

Scott Ginsberg is Head of Content at FranFunnel. The tech solution he invested during the pandemic was a new pair of Airpods, after his dog chewed through the old ones.