As hybrid work settles in, video calls have become a must in sales. So much so that 77% of B2B professionals now prefer video calls to phone calls.
That’s actually good news for you. Compared to phone calls, video callers benefit from increased engagement and productivity.
But these new sales communication technologies also bring significant challenges. Behind your screen, you still want to show your prospect your most human and professional side.
Firm believers in the benefits of remote selling, we provide you with the best tips to close more deals from video.
While sales reps have been forced to adopt video calls during the COVID pandemic, they are now using them as a value-generating communication tool.
Through video conferences, you reduce the friction of physical meetings and make it more interactive than a traditional call. No wonder B2B professionals have widely endorsed them for their flexibility and convenience. It doesn’t get easier than that!
Here’s why you should make video calls:
Do you want to upgrade your remote selling processes? Keep on reading!
Compared to physical customer meetings, video calls have technical constraints that you can turn to your advantage.
Here's how you can better connect with your prospect virtually:
The first step - setting up a joint meeting - is often one of the most time-consuming. For good reason: it can take up to 7 or 8 email exchanges to find an available time with your prospect. But there are ways to make this process more efficient.
Many automated calendar tools already exist on the market (Calendly, Doodle...). You can share your virtual calendar link with your prospect so that he can take the most-fitting time, or book it on his own calendar. If you own the clock, you might choose the schedule that put your prospect in the best conditions.
According to an analysis by leadmanagement.org, Wednesday and Thursday are for example the two days with the highest chance of leading to a decision. Fridays may also seem like a good option, but your prospects usually have a harder time making a decision before the weekend. The most convenient time is usually in the evening, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., when everyone has completed their daily tasks.
At these moments, the odds are on your side!
The way you present yourself to your prospect can either support or undermine your selling pitch. Fortunately, only you are in control of your call’s video and audio settings.
To ensure your credibility, you can follow these best practices:
It's up to you to manage your video equipment like a pro.
You've already experienced it yourself: Zoom, Google Meet, or Team meetings are hardly genuine and natural interactions. It's hard to be yourself in front of a screen...
You can implement these small adjustments to spice up your exchange:
A sales call doesn't have to be a serious and boring exchange, it's a discussion like any other!
One great thing about video calls is that you can display visual background materials throughout the conversation. You can add more information to the conversation and make the interaction more dynamic. For example :
Catching your prospect's eye is a persuasion job chewed up in half!
As you already know, successful sales reps let their prospects talk about their underlying issues and needs. By letting them speak, you make sure you understand their problem, and you show that you are listening to them. On top of that, you save time and avoid misunderstandings.
Yet, you still have an important role to play. You need to lead them through carefully prepared questions and address their personal situation:
What are your company's priorities regarding this topic? Why or why not? What are the daily difficulties you face in fulfilling this mission? Which solutions have you already used to address this issue? What are your expectations for a new vendor?
A well-asked question can move a matter forward much more than a statement ever would.
Your job as a salesperson doesn't end when you leave the video call. As soon as you're done with the meeting, you can retrieve the recording and the notes you've collected. You can then send a follow-up email to your prospect to share the minutes and input from the discussion.
This will also give you the opportunity to remind him/her of the next steps and deadlines. If you don’t like manual note-taking, there are tools that allow you to transcribe and take notes automatically. Feel free to use them!
Customer data is no longer the domain of technical experts. It fuels the daily work of your sales representatives. And it all starts with your phone or video call’s voice data.
Behind every word, intonation, and phrasing of your prospects are essential details about their state of mind. You can get a lot of valuable insights about their level of interest and receptivity to your message.
Analyzing this data helps you go beyond your subjective perception and measure the real performance of your call. It also allows you to deliver personalized feedback and coach and train your sales team.
There are numerous sales intelligence tools on the market to support remote sales processes.
As conversation intelligence experts, we have designed a tool that helps you make the best impression in a video call. It provides several features tailored to your sales goals :
Do you want to supercharge the performance of your remote sales team? Try Noota for free.