4 virtual selling best practices for digital sales teams
In 2017, sixty-eight percent of the B2B buying population said they preferred to make purchasing decisions without interacting with a salesperson. A Forrester study found that when they do interact with a salesperson, B2B buyers want that interaction to be consultative and focused on solving their problems. But digital sales still plays a critical role in the customer acquisition process.
Gartner research suggests that customer experience is essential and that prospects are looking to make real connections with the businesses they engage with. They want to work with companies they know and trust, and that requires extra work in the context of virtual selling.
It can be challenging to develop relationships with prospects with a remote sales process, so you need to make the most of every interaction. To that end, this article will cover four best practices for digital sales success.
1. Use video
Research shows that a lack of visual cues makes it harder to build trust and avoid miscommunication. Video can help with that.
And, while you can’t make your prospect turn their video on, they’ll be more likely to do so if you start the call with your video on. People act differently when they’re being watched, so a face-to-face interaction might keep your prospect focused on the call instead of their phone.
Since you’ll be on screen, it’s important to look professional. That doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit, but you shouldn’t look like you just woke up either. “Professional” attire depends on your profession and your company.
Pajamas aren’t a good choice, but depending on your company’s brand, a t-shirt may be fine.
The quality of your video is also important. Whatever you wear, make sure your face is well lit. You can do this by moving some lamps around, taking advantage of natural light from a window, or investing in some lighting.
One last thing to remember is to prepare your workspace. Remove anything that might distract from the conversation (unless it might serve as an icebreaker), straighten up, and consider putting something with your company’s brand in the background.
2. Engage your prospects
Avoid long slideshows, and spend more time talking to your prospects instead of at them.
If you’ve ever sat through a demo where the salesperson talks for thirty minutes while you don’t say a word, you know how boring that is. Ask your prospects questions and let their needs guide the conversation.
If you’re walking them through online content like a product demo, consider making the meeting interactive with co-browsing software. That way, you can give them control when it makes sense.
For example, if it’s a product demo, let them drive. Give your prospect control of the browser while you walk them through the product. You can take control when needed to point them in the right direction.
3. Act fast
When someone is looking for a solution online, they have more options. They can usually buy from any company wherever they may be. That means that you have more competition.
Research shows that contacting a prospect within an hour increases the probability of qualifying that lead by 700 percent when compared to companies who contacted them in the second hour.
The faster you follow-up with your prospect, the greater the chance that you’re the first one to reach them.
One way to do this is to give prospects the opportunity to engage with you via voice or video chat directly from your website. If you want to be more proactive about it, trigger a pop-up for your website visitors based on their lead score or the page they’re viewing.
4. Use the right technology
To be effective, digital sales teams need the right digital tools. Obviously, you’ll need a CRM and video chat software, but those aren’t the only solutions that improve virtual sales performance.
Most remote sales teams will also benefit from live meeting transcription and a co-browsing tool.
Meeting transcription software integrates with your video conferencing platform to record and transcribe the meeting. That allows you to focus on what your prospect is saying. Instead of taking notes, you can engage in active listening.
Co-browsing software, which we mentioned earlier, is not only beneficial for getting your prospect engaged but also enables you to upload and e-sign a document, so that, when the time is right, you can close the sale then and there instead of waiting to send the document as a follow up. You can just walk your prospect through the contract and give them control when it’s time to sign.
Increase Digital Sales Performance by Making Real Connections
Effective selling relies on building relationships. This is true even in a digital sales environment. The only difference is that it’s harder to do online. But with the right tools and the right approach, remote sales can be as effective as in-person sales. These best practices will put you on the right track.