Virtual selling is here to stay. Even if and when we do return to the office, buyer behaviors have changed for good. According to McKinsey Research, up to 80% of B2B buyers would rather interact remotely when purchasing. Virtual selling isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, it’s the new standard.
But is your virtual selling strategy up to snuff? In this slide guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about virtual selling.
You can get more in-depth guidance over on our blog: https://bit.ly/3uDbn3Z
2. Virtual selling is here to stay.
Even after COVID, buyer behaviors have changed for good.
Up to 80% of B2B buyers would rather interact remotely when purchasing1.
Virtual selling isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, it’s the new standard.
But is your virtual selling strategy up to snuff?
In this slide guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about virtual selling.
1 According to McKinsey research.
3. PART 1
4 Questions to Redesign
Your Sales Process
for Virtual Selling
PART 2
7 Virtual Selling Techniques
You Should Be Using
PART 3
Virtual Selling Tools
That Help You Succeed
Table of Contents
5. Question #1:
Does your virtual selling
process need work?
Is your process built for virtual selling?
Don’t use a selling process designed
for in-person sales…
or a piecemeal virtual process you
threw together in a hurry.
Sit down with your team and hash out
a virtual selling process that’s built
for purpose.
6. Question #2:
Is your virtual selling
process codified?
Is your process written down?
Does your team regularly brush up on it?
If your process isn’t codified,
you may as well not have one at all.
Your sales process is the lighthouse that
guides your team. Make sure everyone
knows it, understands it, and can refer to it
when necessary.
Virtual Sales Training Resources
7. Question #3:
Are you setting the right
virtual sales goals?
Maybe you had trouble meeting your
goals in the early days of virtual selling.
But now that buyers are used to virtual
selling, it’s time to scale up your goals.
Examine your sales goals.
Are they still accurate in today’s
climate?
Assess and update your goals regularly.
8. Question #4:
How do you want your
virtual selling process to
look in the future?
How are you selling virtually right now?
How do you want to be selling virtually
in the future?
What changes will your team have to
make to move from A to B?
Start deciding (and executing) on those
plans today.
10. #1: Get the Basics Down
When selling virtually, solid sales fundamentals are more important than ever.
● Be Prepared. Do your research, know your buyer, and be ready as soon as the call starts.
● Anticipate Questions. Buyers’ questions may have changed with virtual selling.
Use every question (and objection) to further prove your value prop.
● Listen Actively. You can’t rely on body language. Instead, pay attention to the words used
and the flow of conversation for insight into the buyer’s mental state.
● Value Time. Your buyers probably have another call right after this one. Stay on task
and present useful information and resources. Respect your buyer’s time.
11. #2: Explore New Ways to Prospect
How do you break in with prospects when you can’t make in-person connections?
● Look in the Right Places. LinkedIn? Virtual events? Go where your prospects hang out.
● Be Memorable. Find ways to make a personal, engaging impression to be more than just
words in an email.
● Demonstrate Value. Get to the point of your contact quickly.
Don’t waste your prospects’ time.
12. #3: Make Buyers Feel Comfortable
The more comfortable buyers are with the process, the more likely they are to make the
purchase.
● Educate on the Virtual Sales Process. Buying virtually is a whole new world.
Explain the process to your buyers to put them at ease with this new style of sales.
● Respect Buyer Burn-out. Chart out when you need to schedule a call, and when it
can just be an asynchronous communication.
● Build a Genuine Relationship. Be more than text on a screen.
Show buyers your face; engage with them one-on-one; be authentic, genuine, and real.
13. #4: Make Sales Calls Interesting
48 hours after a virtual call, buyers only retain 10% of what you talked about2.
Make sure the core of your message gets through.
● Engage. Pepper your presentation with visuals, demos, questions, polls, etc.
Make your slides editable so buyers can collaborate and make the presentation their own.
● Pre-Share Materials. Buyers can familiarize themselves with the material and follow
along. It’s also a great backup if you run into tech issues.
● Mediate. Keep the call focused. Know when (and how) to get the conversation back on
track.
14. #5: Multiply Touch Points
When you can’t drop in to grab a coffee and shake hands, help buyers remember you exist.
● Connect. Use emails, texts, voicemails, video messages, “thought you might find this
useful” document sends—anything that keeps engagement going (in a buyer-controllable
way).
● Get Creative. Look for ways to bake follow-up right into your buyer communications so
you can capture them when they’re most engaged.
15. #6: Track Metrics
Data is knowledge, and knowledge is power. Sales analytics are a window into buyer behavior.
Turn individual data points into trackable trends that can show you what works in your
process.
Here are some great metrics to get started with:
● How long is your sales cycle?
● How many opportunities make it to close?
● How close are you to hitting your quota?
● How much revenue does each new customer bring in?
16. #7: Align with Your Other Teams
Sales doesn’t exist in a vacuum, especially when you’ve gone virtual.
Stay up to date with your other business teams. Success is a full-org effort!
Set aside time to find out what’s coming down the pipe and how it can help your sales team.
When you work closely with your marketing team, you can:
● Make sure leads are approaching the sales team with the right expectations.
● Refine your lead generation and handoff strategy to better suit virtual selling.
● Create a unified revenue team with a direct stake in the marketing and selling process.
20. Video is your secret weapon
for virtual selling.
It’s the best replacement for being there in person.
Snag buyers’ attention with a quick, thoughtful video
and swiftly establish those crucial personal connections.
A simple video takes just minutes to record,
but it can have a huge impact on your bottom line.
21. Asynchronous Video
Record and send videos to watch
when they have time.
Great for prospecting, follow-up,
and check-ins.
Synchronous Video
Both parties are on the call
at the same time.
Great for flowing conversations,
like sales calls.
Video comes in two flavors...
22. Which type of video is better?
“Sync” and “async” video fill different niches in your virtual sales toolkit.
Synchronous video is great for in-person presentations
and calls where you need to work out the details together.
But ever heard of “Zoom fatigue?” Buyers (and sellers) suffer from it.
Overloaded calendars…
Tuned-out buyers…
Lost sales opps!
23. That’s the beauty of async video.
Just record, send, and sit back.
Your buyer can watch the video on their own time.
Plus, they get the benefit of “meeting” you on
screen.
Personal connection created!
(Certain async video tools also notify you when
a video gets viewed so you can follow up right away.)
Learn how you can solve Zoom fatigue with async video.
24. 2 tips for virtual selling with video:
● Make sure your whole team is up to speed with your video selling standards,
whether you’re using sync or async video.
● Master your tools so you know how to conquer issues that can come up
during a video session.
25. ...plus 5 more video tips:
● Invest in a good-quality camera, sound, and lighting setup.
● Check your camera angle, background, and backlighting before recording.
● Dress well for extra on-camera confidence.
● Minimize distractions. Turn off notifications and remove kids/pets from the
room.
● When recording, make eye contact with the camera to speak right to the
viewer.
26. Get started with video selling!
● Video Sales Prospecting 101
● 10 Video Scripts and Email
Templates for Virtual Selling
● Tips for Getting Comfortable on Video