Down,” you think better on your feet – and you present better too. According to the article, students focus better and longer when they stand. This insight goes for salespeople too. Even though you may not be physically in the room with your customer, standing to present changes your physiol- ogy, mindset, and posture. Turn on your camera before the call (more on this later) and look at yourself. Practice smiling. Smiling is a choice; it’s contagious, and it demonstrates interest and energy. Look at yourself in the mirror (Web cam) and ask whether you look engaging and like somebody you’d buy something from.
• More than ever, it’s vital to get a good night’s rest, hydrate, and eat regularly. Primarily, when such a large number of sales pro- fessionals now work from home, it’s easy to work too much and forget to take care of yourself. Your routine is crucial to remain focused and energized.
#2: ENGAGEMENT Engaging a customer or prospect in a virtual meeting poses unique challenges. People’s tendency to multitask and get distracted makes it particularly challenging to keep the discussion focused – especially when you can’t always read the audience. Whenever possible, turn on your video camera – and encourage cus- tomers to do the same. Of course, they may decline to do so, but our experience is that, if you turn your camera on, customers will do the same (most of the time). The good news is that people are much more comfortable in virtual meetings and on video than they were even a few months ago. Having an open dialogue on a two-way video call is the next best thing to being there in person.
Once you’ve got your video camera turned on, ensure you know where your camera lens is on your computer. Looking into the camera gives the per-
son on the other end the impression that you’re looking directly at them. On the other hand, looking at your second monitor or even looking at the thumbnail image of the person you’re talking to may make it appear you’re distracted or not paying attention to them. Turn your camera on before the meeting, in the meeting application, or by typing “Web cam” into your start menu. This way, you can test your camera, lighting, background, and overall image before engaging with your customer. The basics still ap- ply: Join the meeting on time (ideally, if you’re hosting, log in early) and be prepared. Making a great first impres- sion is as essential in a virtual world as it is in person.
In a virtual world, you need to work even harder to create meaningful engagement opportunities with your customer. Asking open-ended ques- tions helps assess whether you are meeting the mark.
Instead of asking typical closed- ended check-in questions like, “Does that make sense?” or, “Do you have any questions?” you should spend even more time planning open-ended questions that invite dialogue and solicit feedback. “How do you see that working in your environment?” or, “What challenges do you see that presenting during implementation?” If you have a larger audience, con- sider using a poll or chat feature to encourage everyone’s participation. Don’t be afraid to call on participants by name and ask for their opinion. For example, “So, Bill, what additional questions or concerns does that bring up for you?”
#3: EMPATHY
Making a point to build a more personal relationship with a customer or prospect, even over a virtual call, is extremely important. Understand- ing where the person is coming from – literally and figuratively – can help you make that connection. Spending time before a meeting to familiarize yourself with their background, their company, and their potential chal-
lenges and opportunities can go a long way toward helping you connect more deeply. Empathy is about trying to see
things from the other person’s perspective. How has the pandemic affected their company and them personally? Can you ascertain how they’ve been impacted by the loss of access to customers or the shutdown of certain areas of the economy? The pandemic affects people and com- panies very differently. Having some perspective of their unique position can improve how you show up, ask questions, and listen, and how sensi- tive you are to their situation. How have their needs changed
from before the pandemic? What can you do to meet those needs? Looking them in the eye, asking
questions, practicing active listen- ing, and attempting to understand their perspective will help you build a relationship with that individual and ultimately put you in a better position to help them in the future. Selling in a virtual world presents some new challenges, but the skills highlighted above – while applicable in the current world – will also apply to the post-COVID-19 world. Just like improving your selling skills should remain a continuous goal, you should commit to learning and maximizing your virtual expertise. The virtual world is continuously changing, and there are new tech- niques and technologies to leverage all the time. It’s difficult to predict how the sales landscape will change over the coming months and years, but showing up with energy, engaging your customer, and demonstrating empathy will serve you well and never go out of style.
Ray Makela is an author, speaker, and business executive with 25 years of man- agement, consulting, and sales experi- ence. At Sales Readiness Group (SRG), Ray oversees all client engagements and the delivery of sales and sales manage- ment training programs. Connect with Ray on LinkedIn.
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