I have been getting more direct solicitation online from salespeople lately and I find that this can be helpful for strategic planning.

Salespeople can be useful to educate you about new technologies and services that can strengthen your business, especially for online sales and marketing.

Since the COVID 19 pandemic has caused major business disruption, online marketing, communication and selling has become crucial for businesses to survive and thrive. Those that have been well-equipped have seized the opportunity to grow their sales online. Amazon has seen a huge surge in sales and their stock price as well.

Zoom is becoming a trade name for online meetings and presentations. Yet the company is fairly young compared to competitors like Webex, GoToMeetings and Skype. This shows that an incumbent can enter a crowed market dominated by giants and still make a name for itself and take over the market.

Strategic planning has always been an essential activity for business owners and directors and more so now than ever due to the opportunities and threats created by the rapid changes occurring in technologies, business, environment and health. Salespeople can help you evaluate what can help you seize opportunities and avoid disasters.

Often business owners would shield themselves from salespeople for fear of wasting time and being sold something they really do not need. But now more than ever is a good time to selectively listen to those that your gut says you can learn from and perhaps profit from their solutions.