Virtual sales floors are basically digitalized online versions of physical sales floors where reps and managers can call, coach and collaborate in real time. And the benefits are many. Here’s a rundown of the main ones:
Real-time coaching
By listening to both sides of the call, SDR managers can get ahead of problems instead of just being reactive. Did the rep pitch too early? Was their tone off? Did they talk more than they listened? Nip these problems in the bud early before they’re ingrained and harder to fix. Here’s the key, though: address ONE issue at a time per coaching session — maybe two if the rep is more experienced. Any more than that is overload and won’t be as effective.
Showing vs. telling
SDR managers are managers for a reason: they were good SDRs. With a virtual office, they can do some dialing themselves and show reps how it’s done instead of merely telling them. Besides the education factor, there’s nothing like seeing the boss get his or her hands dirty to inspire the crew.
Quicker ramping for new reps
Reps learn faster from each other than on their own. That goes for ramping, too. Put new reps next to more experienced ones in your virtual office and watch them get oriented, acclimated and start selling way earlier than they would have otherwise. Quicker ramping gives them a head start on hitting quota.
Calling together during power hours
Cold calling can be super lonely and isolating. Putting reps together for regularly scheduled virtual power hours lets them listen to each other’s calls, celebrate wins together, figure out how to turn losses into wins and keep each other amped up. When they go back to calling solo, as all SDRs must, they’ll feel part of a team and know they’re not alone.
Birdseye view
SDRs managers need to know where their reps are, and what they’re doing throughout the day. Are they dialing? Prospecting? Calling? Doing demos? Are they even working? In a virtual office, team leaders can see all of that and more. If someone just closed a deal, walk over to congratulate them. If someone’s struggling, head over for a live coaching session. Whatever the case may be, it’s easy to stay in the action and keep tabs on who’s doing what, when.
Quicker Closing
The biggest advantage of a virtual sales floor during the closing process has to do with internal communication with your team rather than external communication with the client. A far more effective substitute for sluggish email exchanges, it allows sales teams — SDRs, AEs, sales ops and managers — to discuss things like pricing and objection handling in real time before sending out quotes to prospective clients. In other words, it’s just like being in a physical office.
