What are remote sales best practices?
The world of sales has shifted dramatically, with remote selling becoming an increasingly important skill set. Here are some key remote sales best practices to keep you ahead of the curve:
1. Building strong relationships virtually
- Master video conferencing: Since in-person meetings are limited, proficiency in video conferencing platforms is essential. Ensure a professional background, clear lighting, and good audio quality.
- Embrace virtual tools: Utilize breakout rooms, screen sharing, and collaborative features on video conferencing platforms to keep interactions engaging and productive.
- Focus on building rapport: Invest time in building rapport with remote prospects. Use virtual coffee chats or casual check-ins to connect on a personal level.
2. Communication and time management
- Clear and concise communication: Be mindful of potential communication delays in remote interactions. Emphasize clarity and conciseness in your emails and calls.
- Respect for time zones: Be aware of and respectful of prospect time zones. Schedule calls at convenient times and stick to appointment times.
- Over-communicate: With remote communication, it's better to over-communicate than under-communicate. Provide regular updates, confirm details in writing, and be readily available for questions.
3. Embrace technology and tools
- CRM mastery: Become a master of your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Log call notes, track interactions, and leverage features for effective lead management.
- Sales automation tools: Explore and utilize sales automation tools for tasks like email scheduling, proposal generation, and follow-up sequences.
- Remote prospecting tools: Utilize online tools for lead generation, research, and social selling to find and connect with qualified prospects online.
4. Effective calls and presentations
- Engaging presentations: Design visually appealing and informative presentations for remote delivery. Keep them concise and leverage screen sharing effectively.
- Interactive demos: Tailor demos for the virtual environment, using screen sharing and narration to showcase your product or service's functionalities.
- Active listening and virtual body language: Since physical cues are limited, actively listen and respond verbally to demonstrate attentiveness. Maintain good posture and eye contact while on camera.
5. Setting expectations and maintaining focus
- Virtual workspace boundaries: Create a dedicated workspace to minimize distractions and establish clear boundaries between work and personal life while working remotely.
- Meeting agendas and goals: Set clear agendas and goals for each call with remote prospects. This keeps the conversation focused and ensures productive interactions.
- Time management for productivity: Schedule your day effectively, allocate time for focused work, calls, and follow-up activities to stay on top of your remote sales pipeline.