4 Tips for Virtual Sales Success

Sales professionals have always had to adopt new strategies and ways of selling to reach their customers effectively, an ability that has been put to the ultimate test during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Not surprisingly, Salesforce reported video conferencing was the No. 1 most valuable sales tool in 2020, and many in the industry believe virtual sales is here to stay as a core tactic for sales professionals going forward. 

“We will never return to ‘business as usual,’” said business coach Anna Frandsen. “While the pandemic has brought challenges, many businesses have shifted and thrived using virtual tools like Zoom for sales.”

Even when we can safely get together again, leveraging video conferencing will help you build trust, faith, and confidence by getting “in front” of your customers during the entire sales process. Set yourself up for virtual sales success with these tips:

In a remote work environment, it’s easy to pack your schedule with back-to-back meetings, but a lack of transition time can leave you flustered and scrambling to get into the right mindset.

“Investing your time in getting mentally and physically ready for the call just like you would in person gives you a big return in your confidence and conversion,” Frandsen said. 

Use a scheduling integration like Calendly to simplify scheduling Zoom meetings. Include ample buffer time between appointments to read through your notes and focus on what you’ll say to your next customer or prospect. 

As part of your pre-meeting prep, optimize your settings and lighting so you can feel confident that you look and sound your best. 

• Open your settings in the Zoom client. 
• Click Video to test your video settings. Adjust your lighting as needed, making sure your light source is coming from behind your camera. Use Touch up my appearance and Adjust for low light, if you prefer.
• Check out your video preview and clear any clutter in camera view, or make sure you have an appropriate virtual background selected (and that you don't have a cat filter on!). For a personal touch, use your prospect’s brand in the background.
• Under Audio, test your speaker and microphone and use the “Suppress background noise” feature. Frandsen also suggests using an external microphone that blocks out background noise.

You don’t have to do all of the presenting! “The best sales conversations are collaborative and filled with your potential clients sharing their story and their vision,” Frandsen said. What better way to do that than by screen sharing? 

Have your prospective customer walk you through their business website, share materials, or give a quick product demo that allows you to learn more about their needs. Share your screen to present graphics, stats, demos, and other information to discuss how you can help them. You can also share your slides as a virtual background to make your presentation more dynamic.

Don’t forget to stop screen sharing once you’re done so you can go back to speaker or gallery view for a more natural face-to-face conversation.

Although many focus on the lack of being able to read the room or shake a hand, a virtual meeting can have major benefits to your sales process. If a customer has a question or objection, it just takes one click to invite a manager or subject matter expert into your meeting to address their concern and keep the process moving in the right direction. You can also incorporate your prospect’s real-time feedback into your proposal and see if you can get them to sign on the call.

Want more tips? Check out our blog on rethinking the customer experience in the video age.