The Power of Community Energy (Clone)

I like to think I am a glass half full person and pretty optimistic (most of the time), but to be honest this month has felt challenging. Another lockdown and things seem to be a bit flat. Talking to customers and contacts they seem to be feeling the same way. It doesn’t mean that any of us are any less busy but last week particularly felt a bit boring! Although mentioning this on a zoom call to a contact based in the US last week was met with very little sympathy, it goes without saying we are luckier than most!

People in the sales industry are likely to be more affected by lockdowns than many. Why? Because the reason we got into sales was probably because we like communicating with others, we like being around people and often that is how we receive energy. We usually have a form of community around us in an office environment or with clients face to face.

Community comes in many forms, it has many meanings and changes over time. We can be part of multiple communities in life, and may not even realise the effect they have on us, until we are no longer an active part of them. Work community – as it turns out – is a big one for me. I would include everyone in our team, our office, clients, suppliers and everyone that attends our events in that. This community adds immense energy to me.

The underlying foundation of the Indicator Sales Syndicate and Sales Academy programmes is to create a community of like-minded salespeople and sales leaders, it is these connections and the events around them that create a sense of energy for our members. The last year has bought some fairly significant change to all of us and this has given us the opportunity to bring online and offline communities together like we have never done before. When this sh*t storm all started, we immediately thought, let’s put Sales Syndicate on hold, however it quickly became apparent that this community still needed and benefited from coming together online as a group. Moving to online forums was met with positive feedback and I think the key is the mix moving forward, where we plan for in person events and enhance with online.

Here are some tips I have been using to lift the flatness and connect with the communities that are important to me.

• Appreciate your communities and energy sources, it's so cliche to be talking about gratefulness but we are all so lucky for the communities and energy sources we already have, and leaning into them now more than ever can be hugely beneficial.
  
  
• For me a phone call is a monster energy source (no 1 energy tool to me)
  Instant messaging platforms, such as Slack, WhatsApp make for quick, convenient communication channels for information sharing etc
  
  
• If you’re feeling unconnected – another Zoom call might not help! Face to face is much easier to gauge another person’s demeanour, reactions and thoughts. What do they say? Communication is only 7% verbal, the other 93% is through body language.
  
  
• Keep planning – keep booking meetings, signing up to events, organising catch ups, drinks etc, yes they may be cancelled, but imagine if they’re not - they will be hugely beneficial.
  
  
• Over communicate – make more phone calls, ask more questions and listen more. Online, follow people who lift you up.
  
  
• Call on your network – There’s always more to learn and the easiest and most efficient way to do this is ask a peer who can tell you how they would approach — or have approached — the issue you’re dealing with. It’s a win win, the advisor feels great to be able to help and may call on you in the future with their question.

In the meantime Indicator is taking our own advice and booking more events! We know our community is so beneficial to all involved and we will strive to hold in person as well as online opportunities to get you all together.