12 Tips for Selling in a Virtual World

How important is in-person contact to selling? Is someone more likely to buy from you if you shake their hand? Look into their eyes? Share a cup of coffee … or lunch?

Selling in a virtual world is testing our long-held sales beliefs about how relationships are built and how sales are made. And virtual meetings are assuming an increasingly prominent role in the sales process.

A few years ago, I worked in advertising sales for a trade publisher. We didn’t own any of the magazines I sold for, but instead got a cut of sales from the trade associations who owned these titles. Our margins were thin. And our owner firmly believed big-ticket sales could be made over the phone.

And he was right. With no face-to-face contact EVER (not even video), we sold $15,000 advertising contracts, $50,000 sponsorships to fortune 500 companies and ad agencies across the country. I remember first meeting some of my customers face-to-face only after two or three years of doing business with them. We hugged and laughed and honestly, it felt a little awkward when the voice didn’t match the face. But we had built the relationship and the trust needed to get deals done.
 

Take advantage of the opportunities virtual selling offers

Today, videoconferencing tools abound. And while we’re still missing that “contact,” we do have the ability to see one another as we speak.

What are some things you can do to make selling in today’s virtual world work better for you?

1. Embrace virtual. Get excited about videoconferencing! Consider the benefits it offers and think about how you can use it to it’s fullest. Your enthusiasm is a key to your success.
2. Develop an agenda for each meeting. Work closely with your primary contact to plan what you’ll include in your discussion; then share it with everyone who’ll be attending.
3. Consider introducing yourself in a separate video. The day before your meeting, create a short video and send it to all participants. Tell them who you are, what you’ll be talking about and how excited you are to be joining them.
4. OR … Send an email reminder the day before the meeting with the time and link. This will give participants a chance to download apps and review the agenda.
5. Create slides that are simple, visual and encourage conversation. Boring your participants with pages of data and text will cause your audience to become distracted. Instead, choose interesting images and questions. Build in slides that get people talking and involved. Listening well is still the most important part of selling.
6. Build in time for small talk and introductions. One of the things we miss in a video conference, is the chatter that happens as we walk to someone’s office or wait for everyone to get settled at the conference table. Find ways to allow for this small talk, rather than getting down to business  immediately.
7. Make the most of the videoconference on meeting day. Consider your lighting, your background, what you’re wearing, your body language (More here). Control interruptions and distractions such as people around you, computer notifications or messy desktops. Be completely comfortable with the technology. Be energetic.
8. Be prepared with a backup plan. Be ready with a conference call if something goes wrong with your video meeting. Could you send you slides as an email prior to the meeting and suggest your prospect print them?
9. Take copious notes or record the meeting. Following up with your customer is much easier if you have notes on what they said, how they felt, what seemed most important to them, what they didn’t seem interested in, mistakes you made. Write it all down.
10. Finish your videoconference meeting by talking about next steps. If another meeting is needed, set it up. Offer variations to meet their stated needs and ask about their timelines. Are they ready to look at a proposal? Make sure your prospect understands your offer and give him or her plenty of opportunities to say “yes.”
11. Follow up with a “thank you.” Handwritten notes, thank you emails, or a thank you video — choose a way to stand out. Don’t make your thank you generic, instead refer to the conversation from your meeting.
12. Nurture the relationship by staying in touch. “I’ve been thinking further about our conversation ….”  “I read this article and wanted to pass it along, especially the fourth paragraph about ….” “Saw this recipe and I remember you said you loved homemade biegnets ….”  Connect on social media.
     

Refine your sales skills when you sign up for: Sales Training Boot Camp.

Virtual selling offers new opportunities. By embracing the technology, you can begin to take advantage of all it offers … and set yourself apart.