Corona has made in person sales a relic of the past. Even post Corona some industries will likely maintain their current sales protocols and operate via video conferencing. Firstly it cuts costs in terms of travels and obviously saves a lot of time. Also, it may take a while for some people to truly feel safe traveling again.
Yes there are some drawbacks such as lack of personalization and the difficulty in building a relationship via video conferencing but those are certainly things a good salesperson can overcome!
How to sell effectively via video conferencing?
- Check your visuals! Even if you have to call your spouse, parent, boss, or sworn enemy, make sure you are working with a professional looking environment. Million dollar deals are rarely made with dirty laundry visible, poor lighting, or someone hanging out a window to get better internet service. Have a mock call with a few people who can give out pointers to help you create the most effective space possible. Maybe that weird art projects your teenager drew hanging on the wall is distracting? Maybe there is a glare you don’t see. Whatever it might be, check your visuals first!
- Ask permission to go on video. Not everyone likes to be seen on screen and sometimes people feel more comfortable starting with audio only. So start off with audio only and then ask if they’d like to switch to video format.
- Remember, you aren’t doing a monologue. Some people turn into robot’s when asked to present on Zoom. They share a screen and start running through slides as if the point of the entire exercise is simply to finish the deck. One suggestion is to build stoplights into your presentation so you know to take a breath and let the other person ask questions or simply talk. They can be literal stoplights which could even be mildly amusing or simply personal cues built into the deck where you know to take a breather.
- Ask questions. Like any good sale pitch you aren’t just trying to convince them to buy your products or service you are trying to get them to understand what problem your product or service will help them solve. In order to that effectively get them talking about what their biggest obstacles are and then interject with how you can help. (But do it subtly or you come off looking a bit like a pompous jerk!)
- Watch their body language. When we do a sales meeting in person most people will be polite enough not to be surfing the web or sending WhatsApps on their phone. But over a video conferencing tool, all bets are off! It’s up to you to keep an eye on them and make sure they are engaged. If not, it’s time to get back to the drawing board and change your tactics. It’s perfectly ok to say, “I see this isn’t resonating with you, what else can I tell you about?”
- BONUS TIP! Before any sales call, be sure to look at the enriched business insights Calendar.AI provides for every meeting! You’ll see background information, work history, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages, and all the other information you need to turn this sales call into a successful one!
