Virtual Selling

Even though conducting a virtual sales call is second to face-to-face selling, at times, it is necessary. Adjusting to our customer's changing needs is key to winning the sale. Virtual selling will help with most of these challenges by offering a different option in which meetings can occur based on the customer’s meeting preference. As our customer’s needs and work restrictions change, the sales rep must be able to adjust to the new way of collaborating with customers.  

 

For each virtual meeting to be effective, it should be interactive with the majority of the meeting focusing on the key pain points of the prospect. Moreover, the sales rep should listen intently, anticipate questions and objections, and pay close attention to body language. 

 

The biggest difference between face-to-face selling and virtual selling is that you cannot resolve customer concerns simply by using your positive, energetic, inspiring personality.  Your personality will not come across as well in a virtual environment.  Described another way, it is far more difficult for a customer to kick you out of his/her office or home than it is for the customer to click the computer mouse to end the virtual meeting. In virtual selling, you resolve customer concerns with facts, features, benefits and data.   

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Best Practices Around Using Virtual Selling​

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• Send your prospect a short video inviting them to your Virtual Meeting. Vidyard has a built-in teleprompter that helps organize your content.  This will reduce your customer “no show” rate, and highlight your personality.

• Pick your platform for your meetings - ZOOM, GoToMeeting, Google Meet, Teams, etc.

• Send a follow-up video after your meeting thanking them for their time. 

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​Tips for Conducting a Virtual Meeting​

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• Log in 5 minutes early to make sure the software, camera, and microphone are working

• Start on time and end on time.

• Face a light source. Reduce glare from backlighting and overhead lighting.

• Sit up straight or stand.

• Choose clothing that will contrast with your background.

• Close all other browsers.

• Disable notifications.

• State the purpose of your meeting following a few minutes of small talk. 

• Keep small talk to just 1-2 minutes.

• Keep in mind that some people will not engage in any small talk. Don’t let this throw you off. 

• Stay in control of the meeting.

• Practice your setup ahead of time (technology can fool you sometimes).

• Limit the text on your screen and share your screen with your audience.

• Get all of the participants’ names and titles before your meeting so that you can call on them directly.

• Turn your camera on and ask your audience to do the same.

• Practice your pitch many times before your meeting.

• Be prepared to overcome objections.

• Pause every couple of minutes to answer questions and read body language.

• Include animation and videos in your presentation.

• Encourage your prospect(s) to participate in a poll. 

• Remember to close the call with a call-to-action and confirm the next steps and subsequent meetings.

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Now that you are familiar with how to conduct a virtual meeting, the only thing left to do is to start using these tools to better connect with your prospects & customers. 

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Homework Assignment:

 

Create a virtual presentation for your manager including at least one screen share.

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