In under two years, the entire culture of sales, globally, has shifted. There's no denying that in-person sales meetings are the favoured means to win sway, but virtual sales skills have risen quickly as an essential, should the worst happen once more.
Although many are excitedly getting back out on the road and into their client's offices, the need to keep up virtual sales skills should not be going anywhere. COVID is still very much around us. Some clients will have at-risk family members, and some will just simply want to keep things virtual for their convenience.
Those used to in-person sales will need to adapt hybrid skills, and managers will need to learn how to hire for or develop skills internally for masterful virtual selling.
Understand that sales cycles are longer
Unfortunately, the combined effect of COVID making businesses nervous about spending and doing business over the phone or Zoom has meant that sales cycles have extended. This will be a shock to an in-person sales extraordinaire used to closing deals quickly. It will also be an adjustment for organisations to accept.
To master the art of virtual selling, companies will have to give sales staff a bit of breathing room to work the longer cycle, and those staff will need to learn how to navigate these extra steps to build rapport and confidence. Below are tips for doing just that.
Raise the elephant in the room
Virtual meetings are awkward. There is not the same ability to read body language, and internet connections can make for disjointed communication. That smooth interaction honed by in-person salespeople is going to be tested, and there will be plenty of scenarios that feel frustrating due to the lack of control of the situation.
The best way to address this and release a little pressure in the interaction is to acknowledge the awkwardness of doing business this way. Working from home has humanised everyone. It's a common challenge everyone has faced, and acknowledging those challenges helps to build more honest relationships, which will be essential in the longer sales cycle.
Understand their buying process
The first step to adaptation is to know the situation. In some cases, new stakeholders will have been introduced for extra control of the budgets. Most organisations will have had staff changes and role changes. There will likely be extra steps to get sales across the line.
All clients should be treated as new clients, understanding the latest lay of the organisation to map out the steps required and strategies on how to move through them most efficiently. Aligning to their new buying process will make their life easier, making you a dream to work with.
Meet increased expectations
Most organisations will have had to make concessions during the COVID period, which is likely to continue moving forward. Clients get used to situations quickly, and expectations go up as a result.
While monetary concessions can't be thrown around too liberally, most of the increased expectations are more likely to be regarding the longer sales cycle and really having to work to win the deals. More virtual meetings than you would have had in-person meetings. More stakeholders to get onboard. More effort to clinch the deal.
Empower virtual efforts
Whether at home or in the office, staff making virtual sales should have the equipment necessary to present and communicate to the best ability online interactions can provide. More than just the computer, check for good lighting, backgrounds, microphones, earphones, etc.
Virtual selling is a different skill set, and it requires new knowledge at every step from the first interaction to presentations, negotiations and signing contracts. Tech literacy is essential. Training should be held for virtual presentation skills, online presentation building, and supporting software tools that enable online structuring and signing of documents.
To help secure those deals and build a fierce virtual salesforce, get in touch with Sandler Training. We work with organisations to them navigate the changing sales landscape and thrive in the virtual and physical sales world.
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