No ifs, no buts, it’s a challenge – and it’s one that’s here to stay. How does your Sales team stand out in the post-lockdown, digitally-crowded world? How do you enable them to cut through the ‘noise’ and secure the best online opportunities, with virtual selling now the new norm?
Ensuring they are tech-savvy is one answer. That’s obvious. Yet so is honing their approach so they can excel in this space. Mastering the skills to actively build the trust that generates real-world business through online connection – driving your commercial success.
It’s 2020: muddling through or doing ‘OK’ simply won’t cut it and will leave opportunities unfulfilled. Can you genuinely say your Sales team are fit for the challenge and ready to excel in our digitally enabled virtual world?
Wilson Learning’s ‘Virtual Selling Readiness Health Check’ spotlights the key strengths every salesperson needs to create an impact – and the pitfalls they’ll want to avoid…
1: The average attention span is now just eight seconds
The online environment is uniquely challenging with its endless distractions and alluring ‘rabbit-holes’ – but it’s also, potentially, very lucrative for sales. How does your team differentiate between face-to-face and virtual meetings: do they understand how to make the most of what’s the same?
2: Research shows only 24% of sales emails are opened – 48% get binned the day they’re received
The first step to any sale is getting your foot in the (virtual) door. The next is holding your clients’ attention, despite the siren call of their email and other workplace demands. How does your team not just gain, but crucially maintain, your clients’ engagement? How are they heard above the noise?
3: Creating a trusting relationship requires both a mindset and a set of actions
It’s important to make your audience feel valued and welcome. Becoming a trusted advisor doesn’t just happen: it’s a relationship passionate sellers know they have to earn. Does your team communicate effectively and establish trust from the word ‘go’? How else could they build the collaboration that leads to sales?
4: Top-tier sales people are up to 10 times more likely to use collaborative words such as ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘together’, than their less successful, lower-performing peers
Preparation and practice are game-changers when it comes to feeling confident, as is demonstrating credibility and competence, both before and during virtual meetings and presentations. How confident do your people feel selling online?
Want to discover more about the eight skills needed to excel at selling from a distance? Download our full ‘Virtual Selling Readiness Health Check’ here, for free.
