Growing Sales During COVID-19 – Part 3: Future Opportunity Growth

New sales will be slow. Traditional sales cycles are disrupted as companies adjust their cash flow, reallocate budgets, and rethink priorities. However, as we discussed in Part 1 and Part 2, that doesn’t mean growth is impossible.

Recap of the Series:
✔️ Part 1: How to maximize existing client relationships.
✔️ Part 2: How to close outstanding deals in a time of uncertainty.
✔️ Part 3 (This Post): How to identify and pursue new opportunities in a shifting market.

💡 Key insight: The businesses that thrive in uncertainty are those that anticipate where the market is heading—not just where it is today.

So, where should you focus your efforts? Let’s dive in.

The CFO Dilemma: Why New Business is Harder to Predict

To build a strong future pipeline, you need to understand how your buyers are thinking right now.

Recently, in two different virtual meetings, 30 CFOs from global companies shared a common concern:

📌 The biggest challenge they face isn’t cutting costs—it’s the inability to forecast.

Chief Financial Officers live in a world of precise calculations, projections, and risk mitigation. But with the massive economic halt caused by COVID-19, even the most experienced finance leaders are struggling to predict:
✔️ How consumer behavior is changing
✔️ Which business models will remain sustainable
✔️ What investments are worth making

📢 Sales Insight: If CFOs are struggling to predict the future, it means businesses will be cautious, slow-moving, and risk-averse. To win new business, you must eliminate unknowns, reduce perceived risk, and position yourself where the market is heading.

Play Like Gretzky: Where Will the Puck Be? 🏒

Wayne Gretzky famously said:
💬 “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

The same applies to sales in a disrupted market. Instead of chasing fading opportunities, focus on where demand is increasing.

Example: The Shift in Beverage Sales 🍺➡️🏠

During the same CFO meeting, a finance executive from a global beverage company shared an interesting insight:

📉 Restaurant and pub sales had plummeted.
📈 At-home alcohol sales were surging.
🔥 One U.S. delivery service saw a 500%+ increase in demand.

Consumer buying habits didn’t disappear—they shifted.

🔹 People are shopping less, but when they do, they buy in bulk.
🔹 They prefer trusted, established brands over craft or unknown products.
🔹 Home delivery is growing at an unprecedented rate.

📢 Sales Insight: If you sell into industries impacted by these trends, ask yourself:
✔️ How can I reposition my offering to match these shifts?
✔️ Can my product/service support growing markets rather than declining ones?
✔️ What companies are thriving right now, and how do I get in front of them?

How to Identify Future Sales Opportunities

The key to pipeline growth in uncertain times is to follow the demand.

Ask Yourself These Five Questions:

1️⃣ Who is benefiting from the current situation?
2️⃣ What new needs have emerged?
3️⃣ How does my product solve these needs?
4️⃣ What unique value can I bring to this market?
5️⃣ When should I engage with them? (Answer: NOW. Always now.)

💡 Your goal isn’t to rebuild your old pipeline—it’s to create a new one based on where the market is moving.

Sales Feels Different, But It’s Not Impossible

If you’re struggling to identify where to focus, think of it this way:

📌 Your current sales strategy falls into one of four quadrants.

🔹 Quad 1: Selling to the same audience, with the same offer (business as usual). (Rare right now.)
🔹 Quad 2: Selling to the same audience, but adjusting the offer. (Most common approach.)
🔹 Quad 3: Selling a familiar product/service but targeting a new audience. (This is where most companies should focus now.)
🔹 Quad 4: Reinventing everything—new product, new audience. (High risk, but could pay off for some.)

Most businesses will find success in Quad 3—identifying new industries or buyers who need what you already offer.

📢 Sales Insight: You don’t need to completely reinvent your business. You just need to reposition yourself where the demand is.

Industries & Companies Thriving Right Now 🚀

To help you get started, here are industries and companies that are booming despite the crisis:

📈 Growth Industries:

✔️ Pharmacies & Healthcare
✔️ Grocery & Home Essentials
✔️ Teleworking Software & Remote Tools
✔️ Cybersecurity & Tech Support
✔️ Home Delivery & Logistics

🔥 Fast-Growing Companies:

✔️ JM Smucker Co. (consumer packaged goods)
✔️ Citrix (remote work solutions)
✔️ Clorox (sanitation & cleaning supplies)
✔️ Amazon (e-commerce & logistics)
✔️ Netflix (digital entertainment)
✔️ Regeneron Pharma (biotech & healthcare)

📢 Sales Insight: You don’t need to sell to these specific companies—but you should be targeting industries that are expanding rather than contracting.

Final Thoughts: Sales is About Movement, Not Waiting

🚀 No successful business was ever built on waiting.

There are always industries that grow as others decline. Your job isn’t to hope things go back to normal—it’s to position yourself for what comes next.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Understand the buyer mindset—risk aversion is high, and CFOs are focused on stability.
✅ Follow demand—some industries are booming while others struggle.
✅ Adjust your target audience—focus on sectors that are growing.
✅ Persistence beats uncertainty—the businesses that keep selling will be the ones that survive and thrive.

📢 Bottom line: Find open lanes, adjust your approach, and start selling. There’s no secret—just persistence.

🚀 This concludes our three-part series on growing sales during COVID-19! Which insight resonated with you the most? Drop a comment below!