Today's customers simply don’t need salespeople the way they did before the internet. Customers often come into a business meeting with an idea of what they are interested in purchasing or contracting. They no longer need a salesperson's guidance in selecting a product or service.
The Harvard Business Review examined a study of over 1,400 customers and found that they completed nearly 60% of purchasing decisions themselves; this includes researching solutions, ranking options, setting requirements, and pricing.
All of this prioritization and research was done before working with a salesperson. In this “independent” and internet-savvy world, salespeople can often be more of an annoyance rather than an asset. That's why it's essential to use technology to your advantage, helping instead of hindering customers and their decision-making processes. Using modern technology like video calls can make the buying process more efficient and casual, so you become an ally to your potential customers and not a nuisance. Below, we go over effective ways to do so.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Investing in a video call platform or conferencing equipment allows your business to be face-to-face with customers, contractors, employees working remotely, or other potential collaborators or partners. For sales calls, it can shorten the sales cycle and enable you to craft stronger relationships with potential and existing customers.
#1. Set the Stage
Ensure you are in the best environment to conduct a business-related video call. The background should look professional. Your customers will (even subconsciously) form opinions based on appearance alone. There are three major factors to consider when setting the stage for a professional video call:
- Light: Assess whether the room is too bright or too dark; either may cause you to appear washed out. Make necessary adjustments like the angle of the screen or add additional lighting where needed.
- Sound: Make sure there is little to no background noise from other equipment, devices, or other employees.
- Clutter: Your workspace should be clean; this means no coffee cups in the background, no junk spread amongst your space in the customer’s view, distracting artwork on the walls, etc. It should be incredibly professional.
#2. Establish Trust
Trust is essential for turning a prospect into a customer for life. To build relationships and sell products, you must instill trust. Customers love businesses that are authentic, honest, and have a good reputation.
Video calls are an excellent way to build trust and relationships with prospects and customers. It can feel far more authentic to customers than written content or pre-written scripts over a phone call. It allows customers to physically put their eyes on the salesperson and choose whether or not to trust them.
Your sales team members can share helpful insights and information, forming connections with prospects and customers. Video calls allow sales representatives to showcase their knowledge on the spot, live, with potential customers, engaging and building trust with your business.
#3. Demo Products
A live demo over a video call can be incredibly valuable. It can persuade a customer much more than a written description and allows your customer to see the product in real-time.
If your product is well equipped for a demo, you can also share presentations, photos, and videos during a video call and answer any questions live. It is an excellent way to provide customers with an interactive and engaging experience with your product and business.
Minimizing the length of a sales cycle can generate more revenue, and video conferencing is a great way to keep sales on track, win and reach more customers. Questions are answered quickly, and opportunities are ever-present. This live demo can be far more beneficial than emailing back and forth between parties.
#4. Be Creative When Crafting Your Message
Time is a crucial aspect of a salesperson’s day. They want to craft the proper introduction without wasting the customer's time. Salespeople often get asked the same questions by different potential customers. When answering those questions, you need your answer not to be rigid or scripted. You can even craft video responses to frequently asked questions and send them out before client meetings.
This can save you time for answering those questions or writing out duplicate emails to multiple customers every day. Video responses can also become more personal because they see your face and listen to your voice before your video chat.
#5. Add Personal Touches
Businesses that allow employees to add personal touches to their sales processes can see great results. Adding videos to sales funnels can effectively communicate value in outreach techniques. Personalizing videos can help your business stand out from the competition and draw in specific customers when needed.
In our modern, internet-dependent world, we are constantly flooded with different messages and notifications each day. For sales representatives, it is vital to stand out, reach prospective customers, and form connections. It's essential to treat each prospect and customer as a person, not just a “sale,” and adding personal touches to videos and video calls can help you connect even more. Personalization requires some planning. You can’t and shouldn’t personalize everything, but definitely, several aspects are key. Likewise, the more personalized, the more effective your sales pitches will be.
#6. Add Human Elements to this Technological Process
Video calls are a great, modern way to reach customers safely and conveniently. Videos and calls are another way to add a human aspect to traditionally text-heavy methods. Video calling allows you to speak freely and tell stories. These stories help you connect with prospective, new, and existing customers and inform them about your company. A good story helps encourage people to think about what has been communicated.
Talk about what you know best, add personal elements, and talk about the company, offerings, and why they are the best choice. The necessary human factors come from being natural, showcasing your personality, and being knowledgeable about selling. Be confident, watch your expressions and body language, and be engaging.
You should not directly follow scripts on sales calls either. Viewers can tell if you follow a script, which can ruin the video call’s human aspect. Having key points is fine, but practice to make sure you come off as confident and natural, not like a robot following a corporate sales pitch. Be creative, be engaging, tell a story, and make your customers feel valued.
It's only the beginning of a digital and technological revolution. We are quickly moving well beyond traditional customer service methods and forming customer relationships. Introducing video calls to your sales processes can be incredibly beneficial at any stage. From meeting new prospects or leads to answering current customers’ questions to collaborating with other departments, video calls are a good choice. Sales representatives need to add personal touches. Once you begin using video calls as a sales method, it will become more accessible, and your entire business will get better at it and close even more deals.
