Attention Small Businesses in Alberta!
There have been some significant changes that will help small business to access resources they need to navigate this changing economic landscape in Alberta. Over the past year many businesses have struggled with a variety of issues due to the pandemic.
In talking with our clients the main challenges have been:
- Finding high quality leads
- Lead quality was one of biggest priorities this year and one of the toughest challenges.
- Low call connect ratios with decision makers
- Gatekeepers are on high alert, as well decision makers were not on site making it more difficult to contact.
- Not getting enough responses from prospects
- Cutting through the noise whether that is by phone, emails, social platforms to get a response has been challenging.
- Not getting enough appointments
- Could be zoom fatigue, could be prospects not wanting to meet with you.
- Objection Handling
- Self doubt, increased stress and eventual burnout from not being able to handle the current business paradigm.
- Low sales efficiency
- Increasing sales productivity was the toughest hurdle in 2020. How much time are you spending actually selling vs all the other tasks they are mandated to do?
- Differentiating from your competitors
- The ability to have conversations that revolve around value and not price.
- Long decision-making cycles
- Has the sales cycle ballooned with virtual meetings and frozen budgets?
- Transitioning from belly to belly sales to a virtual environment
- Has your old guard been unable to pivot to the current selling environment?
These challenges have made organizations look for outside solutions to help solve these issues and others. The problem up to now is these issues are expensive to solve and take an investment of time and money. For the local small business owner who is responsible for revenue, the money problem has been too big to overcome.
I come bearing good news for all of you who have worked so hard to build a good business and capture market share up to this point. The Alberta Job Grant has been providing large companies funding to help support their training efforts. Meaning corporations have been able to get up to $10,000 per employee for training to solve the above listed problems.
Up until now this was not available for the small independent business owner.
The Alberta Job Grant has made a temporary change to the grant that allows access for small business owners and relatives who are employees to be eligible for training. Meaning you will also be eligible to access up to $10,000 in training to help solve revenue growth challenges.
Since this is a temporary provision to the job grant, do not wait to get the skills needed to hold on to your market share and even turn the tables on the crisis. Take market share from your competitors who are hunkering down instead of doubling down!!!
Ask us how before it's gone. Call 780.449.4906 or email us at chad.banman@sandler.com.
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