Before we share our 6 tips for online selling, we need to first provide some context.
More and more B2B companies deliberately increase the number of their inhouse sales teams and decrease the classical “sales foot soldiers” that visit on customers.
Most salespeople conduct more than half of their sales in a non-face-to-face environment.
But how effective is cold calling?
In a fierce B2B sales environment, complexities constantly contribute to the efficacy of a sales call.
- Dynamic decision-making processes
- Competitive product ranges
- Price orientated competitors
- Supply chain management
- Business intelligence
- Technology
- Economic fluctuations
Are only a few factors that will gouge the value of a successful sales call.
It’s time realize and accept that the sales call has evolved…
The importance of the delivery of a message is as crucial as the content being shared in a selling scenario.
We see more of this today where large companies invest millions in artificial intelligent tools and business practices to increase the quality of the conversations with their customers.
So, what are the top tips for online selling?
Tip 1. Urgency – Act Immediately
As they say, “The early bird catches the worm.”
A quick realization and a behavior that every salesperson must adapt immediately.
A prompt response to incoming sales leads is what sets winners apart from losers.
Customers’ retention and an overload of options can easily distract or deter a customer’s attention span.
Companies face the very real risk of losing frustrated customers to their competition when waiting for a response that takes too long.
When we are made to wait, our loyalties as customers are tested (along with our patience).
In fact, 66% of us will consider switching to a competitor after waiting longer than anticipated.
Here’s a fact not to be ignored…
82% of us expect sales calls to be answered in less than 15 minutes
Furthermore, when placed on hold 60% of us just hang up.
That alone should be enough to strike fear in businesses, but not as much as the fact that of those who end the call, 30% will never call back.
Another tip for selling online…
Tip 2. Active customer participation
Ask prospects and customers to grab a piece of paper and pen and hand draw certain concepts described by the seller that help illustrate your core message – moving them from passive observer to active participant.
Tip 3. Visual storytelling
There is a misplaced confidence in salespeople who believe they do a good job at tailoring their message for a phone or a web call.
According to studies done only 12% of salespeople use interactive visual storytelling techniques as opposed to 42% keeping a conversation verbal only and not using any visual aids.
A case study reveals…
In a company that sells a $10,000 coaching product to marketing and sales leaders, a group of salespeople were asked to use a 45 minute verbal script where they only relied on Robert Cialdinis’s research (The Six Principles of Persuasion form his book, Influence).
The company was adamant that no visual aids were to be used to convey the message as they believed it would cause too much buyer friction.
Not only were they asked to share the visual, but they also had to ask prospects to draw the visual themselves during the conversation, adding maximum “friction” potential to the interaction.
Turns out, the new visual story requiring the prospect to draw had an immediate positive impact relative to their previous verbal-only approach, increasing their sales by more than 24% the very next month.
Tip 4. Mount your expectation for predictability
The way most organisations sell, and forecast is overly subjective.
As most salespeople spend at least 2 and half hours per week forecasting, sadly only 46% of those deals close as originally forecasted.
To reverse engineer this trend, use human judgement with data and science to unlock predictable revenue.
Tip 5. Invest in a coach
Yes, everyone needs a coach, even the best of the best of salespeople look for feedback on areas where they can improve and to replicate successes. Find your sales coach.
Tip 6. Measure your sales pipeline effectively
Having a full pipeline is not always healthy.
By using predictive analytics that can show you which deals are more profitable and worth your efforts as opposed to pipeline blockers.
They say that history repeats itself, which is not necessarily true – try to analyze your data by applying the knowledge and insights that you have learnt from past experiences to drive your future growth.
Capture change.
Most companies review pipeline changes on a weekly call by relying on endless excel spreadsheets.
By using modern technologies and business intelligence tools, you can have an updated dashboard in real time, all the time.
As more businesses are turning to business intelligence (BI) tools, the market of BI tools is continually expanding and has been expected to grow at 7.1% through to the year 2025.
With BI software Sisense and Zoho Analytics, businesses and companies can collect, analyze and view data to devise strategic plans and make sound business decisions.
By applying these tips for online selling you are on a fast track to mastering the art of online selling.
For more information visit The Academy For Sales Excellence to learn more about virtual strategic selling.
Written by Executive Sales Coach
Munene Nel
