Everybody’s ready to get back to doing business face-to-face. But you can still be effective selling in a virtual setting. Here are three ways to set your online sales interactions apart.
Get Physical First
Send something physical aead of your meeting. If you’re going to be talking with five people, send it to all five. It could be something as simple as an agenda or a short questionnaire. It could be a book or something else from you.
Whatever you send, consider how it might start the process of establishing your expertise. Does it match the image you hope to convey? Does it offer some value? Does it suggest how you might work with this prospect in the future?
Maybe it’s just a conversation starter. Whatever it is, people remember a physical item much more clearly than something they saw on a screen. Take advantage of that.
Background Check
Be sure the setting in which you’re seen is professional. When you’re meeting virtually with someone you know well, you can afford to have your cat walk across your desk. But not when it’s your first impression.
Dress the way you’d dress if you were meeting in person. Make sure your background is tidied up. Test your lighting to see how it looks. It all adds up to an impression of you and your company. Make it a strong one.
Especially if it’s a first meeting, resist the temptation to use a digital background. The way they fade in and out at the edges can be distracting, and there’s a growing consensus that they can seem amateurish.
Finally, do a sound check. All computer microphones are not created equal. Some rooms echo more than others. Do a test with someone on the other end to see how you sound. And mute yourself when you’re not speaking.
Prepare to Lead
Have all your questions ready ahead of time. People like to talk more than they like to listen. Zoom amplifies that. Sitting and listening to someone talk virtually is harder than listening to them in person.
Lead the conversation and get the prospect talking. Don’t ask about things you should already know. That’s your homework, and they’ll expect it to be done already.
Instead, ask probing questions about where they’re headed, what it will take to get them there and what they’re going to need from a company like yours. When you do talk, tell them something they don’t know, or haven’t considered.
Here to Stay
While we’re going to get back to in-person meetings one day, the world has shifted on its axis. Virtual meetings are going to be part of life going forward. Master virtual selling now and get a head start on the future.