The majority of salespeople would probably prefer to meet their prospects in person as much as possible. The energy and commitment that we demonstrate face-to-face simply cannot be replicated via videoconference, at least not yet. When we need to get one person on board or brainstorm tough decisions with people halfway around the world, things happen so much faster and more naturally when people are in the same place. room. But in reality, we have to admit that we will be living in a hybrid world in the future, and it has already started. In the future, any business meeting will have one person joining them through a screen.
For salespeople, it is undeniably vital to connect with the leaders of client companies and build strong relationships, as this is what leads to trust and partnership between their companies. Unfortunately, this trust is not established directly in videoconferencing. It is built by observing each other in the intermediate moments, when our guard is down. This is when we get to know each other as human beings, and not just as colleagues or clients. And these moments don’t just happen during formal, highly structured Zoom calls.
But this problem is not insoluble. In today’s virtual world, a few rules should be applied to build trust and create lasting partnerships.
Capitalize on your advantages
While remote interviewing has its downsides, there are also many things that can work to your advantage.
First, you are playing at home and so is your prospect. Thus, the two parties start the meeting more relaxed (no traffic jams or health concerns for example). From an organizational standpoint, your resources and notes are right at your fingertips. Some plug-ins even allow you to have a teleprompter to unroll your watermarked pitch over your screen, so you just have to unroll it in order to read your notes while watching your interlocutor. In addition, you can record your conversation to watch it cold after your exchange.
Finally, virtual meetings allow you to maximize the number of interviews you can organize in a week and thus maximize your sales potential.
Heal your first impression
It’s obvious that just like in real life, the first impression is crucial on screen too. It is therefore necessary to take care of your posture, your voice and your appearance.
First, avoid keeping your computer on your knees which will guarantee you an unflattering low-angle effect. Conversely, prefer to put your computer a little higher (on a stack of books or a box of shoes for example), which will give the impression to your interlocutor that you are both speaking at the same height.
Please also take care of your voice. Indeed, using the sound of your computer as a speaker will give it a cold and robotic appearance. Instead, prefer to use headphones or an external microphone, which will make your voice much warmer and more welcoming.
Finally, do not hesitate to do several framing and brightness tests, and maybe even add a virtual background to immediately give the impression that you want to convey to your prospect.
Position yourself as a resource
To be a resource, you first need to understand the other person’s goals and the obstacles that stand in their way. To do this, you need to start by asking questions. Indeed, the best salespeople never give a speech. They discover the customer’s challenges and relate them to the product or service they are selling. Likewise, the job of a business owner is as much about listening as it is talking.
When you act as a resource, especially uninvited, the other person feels listened to and valued.
Just because you’re virtual doesn’t mean you can’t collaborate to understand each other better. As Napoleon said, “a good sketch is always better than a bad speech”. So, do not hesitate to use the “drawing” functions of the collaboration tools to be sure that you mutually understand your thought paths.
Remove the obstacles
Then, on the strength of this understanding, it is advisable to proactively offer to help remove obstacles. It can be as simple as noticing that one of your team members is struggling to advance their career and sitting down with them to clarify their goals and what they need to do differently to achieve them. Or even put in relation two clients whose activities could benefit from a partnership.
Finally, you have to be realistic. It is not just a matter of not throwing dust in the eyes. Be upfront about what you can and cannot do as a business or as a manager. Be open about the reasons for a decision or action that the other person finds disappointing. Recognizing that things are not perfect is a sign of strength. And you will appear even stronger if you can show that you are constantly striving to improve yourself.
Being real also means bringing all of your energy into the relationship, not just your professional personality. As much as you feel comfortable, give the other person a window into your world by talking about your hobbies, your hopes, and everything that is happening outside of work.
Connect, even behind a screen
We tend to think of virtual meetings as a disadvantage for sales reps. But on the contrary, the virtual has a real advantage: the mystery. Indeed, not seeing yourself contributes to the desire to see yourself for real if the interview is successful. Your power of attraction and interest is based on mystery and your ability to cultivate it. Thus, if this first virtual meeting goes well in substance, in form, there will be a higher probability that your prospect wants to meet you in real life during a second date.
As a mnemonic, remember that the success of a virtual meeting is based on the acronym VIBRE: Variety, Intensity, Beauty, Rhythm and Emotion. So keep this in mind to build your presentation as much in substance as in form.
Some executives are hoping to see the Covid go away so that everyone returns to the office in the near future, but we need to think more broadly. Even though we work in an office, the way we work is virtual. Of course, long distance relationships are difficult to form, but fostering healthy working relationships from a distance is no longer optional. It is a skill that allows us to be efficient in our work, no matter what the future holds.