5 Common Mistakes While Selling Virtually

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Virtual selling is here to stay folks!

Of course in the future when COVID-19 is behind us we’ll go back to doing MOST of our selling face-to-face.

But there’s no question about it… right now we’re building skills and habits that we’re going to carry forward even after these restrictions are lifted.

And when all is said and done, virtual selling will continue to be an important part of our sales repertoire.

So let’s master it! And that starts by learning what NOT to do…

Here’s a recap of everything in this episode of 5 Minute Sales Training:

It’s time for a checkup on your virtual selling technique.

Virtual selling is something we’re doing now, and I believe we will continue to be doing long after the coronavirus goes away.

Let’s use the opportunity to up our game.

To do that, I want to share with you five common virtual selling mistakes.

1. Winging It

If you don’t have a clear agenda for this virtual call, you are doing your customer a huge disservice.

Winging it doesn’t work.

You need to own the agenda. And not only that, you need to make that agenda clear to your customer.

You can say something like, “So on this call, I want to ask you about this, and then I’ll show you about that. And then if everything is to your liking, you can decide if you want to move forward with a purchase decision today.”

By doing this, I have normalized the very idea of buying as a part of this call.

Before you begin, jot down just three bullet points for what you want to accomplish, and then share those with your prospect early in the conversation.

2. Poor Technical Setting

First impressions count.

Just record yourself for five seconds with audio and immediately play it back.

Now, imagine if you were a buyer, and the buyer was making first impressions based on what you just recorded.

If you really want to do this properly, seek help.

Ask a friend or a family member to evaluate your technical settings.

The fact is that first impressions are lasting impressions. Make them strong.

3. Low Emotional Altitude

Your customer will take their energy cue from you.

You set the pace. You set the emotional tone.

You have to own the setting and the maintaining of the emotional altitude.

The reality is that we do this all the time in our face-to-face sales presentations.

We just do it subconsciously.

You need to be aware that when the energy dips down, you lose the customer’s interest, and eventually, you lose the sale.

That’s true because customers make their decisions based primarily on emotion.

Consider writing down on a sticky note, “Emotional Altitude,” and slap it on the front of your device so that when you’re on a virtual call, you are reminded to bring strong energy and a bright facial posture.

You drive the emotional altitude.

4. One-sided Conversation

The problem here is that there are attention span issues. People can only listen for so long.

But when they can interact, they listen more attentively.

So, here’s my suggestion for you.

It’s called the traffic light rule.

You have 30 seconds without interaction, you’ve got a green light.

You can talk for 30 seconds.

30 to 60 seconds without interaction, watch out. Yellow light.

But 60 seconds or more, that’s a red light.

They stop listening.

5. Failing to Ask for the Sale

You need to begin your conversation with the idea that you will end the conversation by asking for a sale.

This concept should guide the entire call.

Make it clear at the beginning.

We begin with a plan in place and a part of that plan is to say, “And if everything is to your liking, we can show you how to purchase today.”

You want to put your best foot forward.

And it just takes a little bit of prep work on your part.

Go over this list of five things with one of your peers and coach each other.

This is an opportunity for iron to sharpen iron, so that we are all stronger by the time that we are done.

Virtual selling is here to stay.

Let’s be the best that we can be.

And until next time, learn more to earn more.


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About the Author: Jeff Shore

Jeff Shore is the Founder and CEO of Shore Consulting, Inc. a company specializing in psychology-based sales training programs. Using these modern, game-changing techniques, Jeff Shore’s clients delivered over 145,000 new homes generating $54 billion in revenue last year.