About This Episode

It may seem like the understatement of the century, but 2020 has been a rough year for everybody. From canceled plans to upended vacations to stay-at-home orders, this year has taken its toll on us all. 

But rather than wallow in the bummer that was 2020, let’s try and find the silver lining of the past 12 months. Is there good that has come from it? Have we learned anything new? 

The answer to both of those questions is a resounding “yes” and that’s why we’re thrilled to have Meyer Prinsloo on the Sales Engagement podcast. Meyer is the Chief Marketing Officer at Essenesys, a software company providing a custom solution for flexible workspaces. 

It’s probably safe to say that a company that exists to help flexible workspaces is ending 2020 with a unique perspective. The highlight of the conversation was Meyer’s three key things he’s learned as a CMO in the past year. 

It All Comes Down to Your Team

That old saying really is true. We’re only as strong as the people we surround ourselves with. It’s true in life, and it’s true in business as well. Your team is going to be your greatest asset, no matter what virus or pandemic the world might throw at you. 

Allow your team to do new things. Let them try things they’ve never done before. Let them experiment, and let them fail. We’re far too concerned with avoiding failure, when we should be concerned with learning from the failures that we will inevitably experience. 

Let your team push the envelope moving forward. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the playbook is written in pencil, and sometimes a huge risk just might pay off. 

Face Time is Irreplaceable

It’s no secret that we’re all tired of Zoom calls.  But until we can actually meet with prospects face to face again, in person, it’s going to mean learning and embracing new ways of doing things. 

The problem is that not having that face time with your prospects requires a different skill set and approach, and along with those comes a very different set of expectations. 

While you might have been able to charm your way into a deal before, it’s much harder to demonstrate body language and use those skills virtually. The relational element is very different in person than it is over the computer, so you really have to learn to be multi-channel when engaging with prospects. 

The bottom line? You’ve got to meet them on their terms, on their turf. 

Communication is Everything

If it wasn’t obvious before, it’s obvious now. Communication is at the heart of everything we do, and at no time in history has that been more true than in the past 12 months. 

It’s impossible to over communicate. While it may seem like you’re repeating yourself or harping on a point that you’ve already made or rehashing information you already gave, nobody is going to fault you for over communicating. 

In fact, everybody is yearning for more and more communication from everybody involved in their lives. 

So send the extra email, or the extra text, or the extra LinkedIn message, because communication is everything. 

Helping Flexible Workspaces

In addition to the three things he’s learned as a CMO this year, Meyer and his team have been incredibly successful in helping remote and flexible workspaces become more efficient. 

How? 

By understanding that the office is now effectively competing with what happens at home. In the past year, we’ve all gotten very comfortable and used to certain things in our work-from-home worlds, and the office is competing with that. 

As people return back to offices, they want to feel safe, effective, and just as productive as they would in their own homes. Understanding this and allowing for the smoothest possible transition from home to office will mean more efficiency and productivity for everyone involved.