Now that remote work is becoming more and more normalized, virtual selling is taking over the sales realm. At face value, this technique may seem less personal than traditional selling methods, but it’s allowing sales teams to drive business and meet quotas like never before.
In this guide we’re going to explore the tips and skills it takes to be a virtual sales professional.
What Is Virtual Sales?
Virtual sales is the process of using technology to complete tasks, research prospects, and engage with customers remotely. Now, phone calls, video chats, emails, text messages and other forms of digital communication are used daily to build successful seller-buyer relationships.
Over the years, advancements in technology have ultimately led to the rise of virtual sales. Even before COVID-19, many businesses began the transition to virtual sales for reasons such as convenience, reduced costs and increased productivity.
Virtual Sales Stats
- 2% of sales reps claim that their phone is the most effective tool for performing their jobs.
- 75% of buyers prefer not to meet face-to-face.
- CRM technology usage in the sales industry has grown by 113% since 2016.
- 70% of sales professionals say they are active on LinkedIn for business purposes.
- 62% of millennial salespeople anticipate spending more time using sales technology in the upcoming year.
- More than 60% of salespeople find it harder to get in front of prospects than it was five years ago.
According to these stats from 99Firms, it seems like technology makes all the difference in today’s sales environment. Virtual selling can be a major asset to your sales team, but it’s not for everyone. Let’s explore a few challenges of virtual sales.
Main Challenges with Virtual Selling
Virtual sales can offer solutions for some of the difficulties that traditional inside and outside sales reps face, such as connecting with prospects, staying in touch with team members, and spending too much time on administrative tasks.
However, digital selling does come with its own share of struggles. A virtual salesperson may encounter the following challenges:
- Gaining buyers’ attention and keeping them engaged virtually can be a struggle. Communicating over the phone or through a screen can make it difficult to read body language or express your personality.
- Unexpected technology problems can interfere with the flow of the sales process. Bad internet connection or even the smallest glitch can put you behind schedule if you’re not tech-savvy enough to problem solve.
- It can be difficult to develop relationships with buyers virtually. Some sales professionals believe it is easier to build rapport with clients face-to-face.
- Virtual sales meetings may not be as productive if your team members are distracted. Some sales leaders are comfortable managing their team virtually, while others find in-person meetings more efficient.
4 Tips for a Successful Virtual Sales Process
Despite the challenges, virtual sales can still be highly beneficial for you and your sales team. Let’s explore some digital selling tips that will help overcome these obstacles and teach you how to sell working remotely.
1. Have the Right Sales Tools
One of the highest priorities of a sales team leader is to get access to the best tools. Every sales department has their own unique variations and strategies, but most can benefit from the additional resources.
When it comes to virtual sales, there is no shortage of useful technologies and platforms. Here are a few helpful and accessible sales tools worth looking into:
2. Do the Prep Work
With virtual sales, you can never be too prepared for a client meeting. Before starting a conversation, practice your baseline script, have all materials and information easily accessible, and ensure your technology of choice is ready to go.
Being organized will help you not to waste your client’s time as well as your own.
3. Share Presentation Materials in Advance
Virtual sales calls can be stressful, especially if tech issues arise. If a call drops or a meeting is cut short, it’s beneficial to have given the information to your prospect ahead of time.
It’s important to share valuable and educational materials beforehand so that the client can follow along and do further research on their end. This will prepare both parties for the call and facilitate the presentation process.
4. Use the Right Methodologies
It’s also important to utilize top sales methodologies such as the Customer-Centric Selling Methodology, Inbound Selling, and the SELLect Sales Methodology.
How to Build a Virtual Sales Team
Building a successful team starts with training your virtual sales team. Educating your reps with virtual selling skills will benefit you in the long run.
Maximize effectiveness by teaching your team how to sell over the phone, tips for tracking key sales performance metrics, and how to utilize top sales strategy development tips for improved performance.
SELLect Is Your Single-Source for Sales Training & Development
These tips and strategies will put you on the right path to the world of virtual sales.
Ready to take the next step in your career with digital selling? Allow our experts to help with customized corporate sales training and sales management programs to address your specific needs.
With SELLect Sales and Development, you’ll get access to 50+ training videos, webinars, and interactive tools to help you find prospects, qualify opportunities and close deals. Our sales training consultants and systems can help you evolve your sales process in no time!
Contact us today to get started with our online sales training program!
Tags: sales, sales methodology, sales training, virtual sales Posted by