3 Sales Habits for the Virtual Selling World

There is always light at the end of the tunnel. And we can today say with a good degree of optimism that the worst of this pandemic is over. It is about now for us to challenge the realities. It has left us with and grabbed the opportunities it has opened for us. Let’s discuss virtual selling.

The sales profession has probably seen the most significant changes with the pandemic forcing us to meet only virtually. We have of course made sure that we don’t let become any showstopper in the growth of the businesses. Most of the reviving economies & businesses have accepted the virtual selling challenge and making sure they convert that into more opportunities. The world becoming further flat!

As sales professionals, we have a learning curve on our hands to learn new tricks of the sales trade which will be more suited for the virtual selling world. And the best way to do this as always is by picking up a habit or two which is specifically for the virtual context. We here highlight three habits that may be more suited and can give great results in the virtual world.

Here Are 3 Habits for the Virtual Selling World

1. Keep researching & knowing your prospects more & more

Building a relationship in a “virtual call” environment is much tougher. And one of the best ways you can make that happen is by connecting with the customer more empathetically. This can happen if you know your prospect as close as possible.

There are enough information sources today available to find out what your prospects’ interests & needs are. Researching the sector of your prospects’ business will give you more insights into what are the kind of challenges they are facing. Making this a habit of sorts will make you feel more connected to them. As a result, when you talk to them you’re more likely to establish a rapport with them.

During your virtual selling conversations as well, not just focus on selling your product, but pay attention. Being more inquisitive about your prospect will enable you to relate to their problem statements and accordingly make your pitch tailored to their needs.

2. Maneuver your sales pitches to have a more solution oriented discussion

In today’s scenario, business economics & models are changing rapidly. Even customers sometimes do not know what exactly they need and how best they should approach it.

In a virtual call environment and with more research time on their hands, this gives an opportunity to the salesperson to extend their hands further and make sure they help the customer solve some of their own puzzles. Salespeople with a more “solution mindset” that is realistic and customer-focused plow seeds of building long-term relationships with their prospects. 

Good relationships are based on trust and reciprocity. As a salesperson, you must also understand that there is no such thing as a “one-time sale”. And you should never be afraid to talk about future products or even any unrelated products and use your experience to educate their prospects on how they can be used in their businesses.

3. Being in touch with your prospect more often

A virtual selling environment may not establish the same level of presence in a prospect’s mind as in a physical meeting over a handshake. Also with the significant increase in the number of people prospect meets today for making their purchase decision, it would be extremely difficult for him to recollect you if you have not followed up, especially in longer sales cycles.

Hence, making a habit of reflecting through your past week or month’s meetings and reaching out to them to maybe just say a ‘hi’ will be quite helpful. Also, you need to use all channels of communication available to you to keep yourself up on your prospect’s mind.

Sending a thank-you email or minutes of the meeting can sometimes make a big difference. Following up immediately on the action points from your side is also a great way to establish your credentials further. Further, using social media channels to connect informally with your prospect will give you that additional space in his mind over your closest competition.

Conclusion 

So, which one do you like the most? Pick the one which appeals to you and follow it diligently by keeping a reminder on your laptop or mobile. You will very soon realize it becoming a habit. And for sure turn out to be one of your biggest sales strengths in this virtual selling world.

Times are changing, we need to get more prepared. But we know how to do this, let’s go for it. Happy Virtual Selling!