How to Be the Sherlock Holmes of Virtual Selling: 3 Key Skills

Selling has undergone a dramatic shift in the last two years. While virtual selling has been an essential part of the sales process for years, it became the only process during much of the pandemic. That shift is a challenge for some sellers who are still struggling to succeed at virtual sales.

On a recent Sales Hacker Panel: Mastering Virtual Selling, three virtual sales experts discussed why virtual selling is a skill, one that needs to be taught as part of an organization’s sales training.

In this blog post, we share ideas and perspectives from our panelists: Matt Davis, sales director at virtual events platform TouchCast; virtual selling coach Nick Capozzi; and Bob Basilieri, sales vice president for account management at Allego.

Read what this experienced panel said about the importance of virtual sales training–and how to build virtual selling skills.

Challenges of Virtual Selling

Unlike other aspects of selling, virtual selling is not a regular part of how most salespeople gained their selling experience. The pandemic revealed that whatever industry you work in, everyone needs virtual sales training.

“Virtual selling skills are new skills,” says Bob Basilieri. “People who are holding on to doing the same thing, but just doing it on Zoom, will be left behind if they don’t get the training they need to adapt to a virtual sales world.”

That training needs to go beyond using videoconferencing and to helping sellers understand how to cultivate effective relationships virtually.

For example, Matt Davis says many salespeople don’t prepare as much for virtual calls as they do for in-person meetings. “Virtual events need just as much preparation as in-person events–maybe even more. The problem is that many salespeople wing it when the meeting is held virtually.”

He recommends virtual sellers prepare in the same way that Sherlock Holmes would: looking for clues, piecing them together, eliminating suspects, and seeing things others can’t see. Says Davis, “That’s the level of ongoing preparation, discovery, and qualification needed in virtual selling.”

Engagement is also a challenge in virtual sales. “I was caught off guard by the lack of rapport building in B2B sales conversations,” says Nick Capozzi. “Today, we’re still talking to people in their personal space, in their homes. So how do we make people feel less vulnerable? How can you make them feel as comfortable as possible?”

Capozzi researches his prospects on LinkedIn before he gets on the call with them. There, he finds information that can help him build a relationship, such as where the buyer lives, what college they went to, even mutual connections that they have in common.

Basilieri notes that sellers can learn from their own kickoff sales events. “Over the last two years, many companies were able to hold virtual kickoff meetings that were experiential and culturally rich,” Basilieri notes. “Salespeople need to create that same type of experience for their buyers every day. That comes down to preparation, engagement, post-meeting follow-up, and information sharing.”

Communication Is Key to Virtual Sales Success

Our panel recommends using video as a critical resource for creating connections and engagement with buyers in today’s hybrid world.

For inspiration, Davis wants you to imagine your favorite TV show. “Think about how TV uses different camera angles and different visuals to create a feeling of togetherness, like you are in the room and part of the action,” he says. “Creating engagement for virtual selling is the same thing. Think of which of these video elements you can include to create excitement and keep your buyer connected.”

The good news is that technology makes it easier than ever to produce and share these kinds of interactive videos. Allego, for example, offers virtual sales technology that lets sellers create bite-sized videos they can add to virtual sales presentations.

Say you are a seller who has scheduled a meeting with five people. To start, you create and send a short video ahead of the meeting that says you’re looking forward to the discussion, and what you will cover. The video can include a video of the seller, a shot of the agenda, then back to the seller.

After the meeting, the seller can provide a video wrap-up of what was discussed and share it with the buyer, who in turn can share that video internally in their organization.

Basilieri also notes the increased use of digital sales rooms as a central place for meeting and sharing content. These are secure online spaces that can accommodate groups of up to 50 people. The group can attend a presentation, chat, and ask questions within the room.

The digital sales room also provides a central repository for all content, proposals, and historical meeting records. Buyers and sellers find it easier to collaborate when everything related to the sale is in one place rather than in a series of emails.

Engaging Buyers at Each Stage of the Sales Process

Video can be used to add a human element at each stage of the selling process. Sellers just need to make sure that whenever they use it, the video is thoughtful, relevant, and can move the sale forward.

For an introduction video, Capozzi recommends a quick 18- to 20-second video that includes a hook, a quick story, and an offer. When sharing the video, including [personal video] in the email subject line helps the buyer understand this video is just for them. Any follow-up videos should be no longer than 45 seconds–any longer and you’ll lose your viewer.

One of Capozzi’s favorite ways to use video is to supplement the PDF of a proposal with a video summary of the proposal. Not only will that video capture the buyer’s attention, but the buyer can also share it with other stakeholders in their organization. And by using technology such as Allego, you can track who has viewed the video, how many times it has been viewed, and use that data to re-engage the prospect.

Dos and Don’ts of Virtual Selling

While we have all learned a lot about web conferencing, there is still room for improvement in virtual selling. Here are the panel’s dos and don’ts.

To start, Capozzi says lighting is critical: “The biggest thing you can do to boost your confidence is to light yourself well. Using lightboxes and a good webcam ensures you look your best and creates more confidence.”

Davis adds that all the details sellers paid attention to when meeting in person apply to virtual selling. “Be sure to check your internet, your demo, the camera. And be sure you know what platform your buyer uses for video calls. Not everyone is on Zoom, and you need to be sure you know how to navigate whatever technology they have,” he says.

Talk from a place of knowledge. If you need to, use a script until you know your content, then use bullet points.

Finally, when making a video to share with a customer, Capozzi says to remember that video is just the medium; the real technique is your engagement skills. So don’t worry about the umms and ahs; they are part of a natural way of speaking. Just be sure your video is helpful, relevant, and provides a clear takeaway that prompts the buyer to take action.

Learn More

To learn how to engage B2B buyers with virtual selling skills, watch our webinar on-demand: Mastering Virtual Selling–The Skills Your Team Needs for Success Today.