According to LinkedIn’s most recent State of Sales report, buyers are more enthusiastic than ever about conducting business virtually.
That’s great news for virtual salespeople.
Especially for those that are new to it, however, selling virtually takes a while to get right because it requires different tools and techniques than in-person selling.
Here are some ways to make sure your virtual sales team is always on top of their game.
Use the right tech
It's important to use the right technology when you're building your prospecting strategy. Here are some pointers on what you should use, and why:
- Prospecting tools. You'll need a software solution that helps you find leads and engage with them efficiently, like Salesforce or LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
- Customer relationship management tools (CRMs). There are several options here, including Monday.com, Pipedrive and Zendesk, but they all allow you to manage your contacts so that you can follow up quickly and effectively.
- Lead prioritization tools. A CRM/sales pipeline management tool (again, there are many options) will help with this process by allowing you to tag sales opportunities based on their potential for revenue growth, revenue potential, complexity level, likelihood of success/failure, etc.
- Messaging management solution. This allows for segmentation based on persona-specific data about each customer; it also ensures consistency in messaging across channels.
- Virtual sales floor. A platform like Teamflow lets SDRs cold call together using integrated dialers, learn by osmosis and get coached by their managers in real time.
Build relationships
When you build relationships with your prospects, they're more likely to trust you, which will make them more likely to buy what you're selling. Your prospect is more likely to get in touch with you and less likely to forget about your company when it's time for the sale.
While the first step might seem obvious—you should be attentive and friendly when speaking on the phone—it's important not only for building trust but also for helping your prospect overcome objections. You'll need this information if you want your conversations with customers to go smoothly; knowing where their concerns lie will allow you to develop an effective sales strategy that addresses each one of these potential problems head-on.
If a customer hesitates at all during their first conversation, you can help them open up by asking open-ended questions such as, "How long have you been working here?" It’s a good way to warm up people who aren't used to talking on the phone and give them time to adjust before diving into specifics about their job titles or responsibilities. Some SDRs even advocate being boldly upfront about why they’re calling or emailing: “I’m reaching out to sell you something.”
Find the right prospect
Finding the right prospect is an essential part of the sales process. When you find the right person or company, everything else falls into place. It's important to ask yourself:
- Where do I want to sell my product?
- Who is in need of my product?
- Who would be interested in buying what I’m selling? Is there a market for my product?
- How much money does this prospect make/spend/have access to?
Prioritize and organize your time efficiently
With a sales team spread out across the country and around the world, you need to make sure that everyone is on the same page at all times. Spending too much time in meetings will result in missed opportunities for your salespeople, so it's important to prioritize which meetings are most important and how much time should be spent on each one.
With this in mind, we recommend creating a calendar system that includes both scheduled tasks and unplanned events (such as client calls or staff meetings). This will allow you to plan for things like vacations and other professional development activities, but also identify potential roadblocks before they occur.
You should also consider using a simple productivity app such as Todoist or Google Calendar if you're not already doing so, as these tools can help organize your day-to-day tasks with ease.
Master your messaging
In order to master your messaging, it’s important to use a CRM to track your sales activity. A CRM will help you organize your leads and contact information in one place, so that you can easily manage every aspect of the selling process. A good one allows you to:
- Manage tasks and projects across teams
- Assign tasks to team members with due dates and follow-up reminders
- Create reports based on data collected throughout the campaign lifecycle
As you surely know if you’re reading this article, virtual sales is a burgeoning field that offers massive potential for business growth. With the right tactics and tools, you can level-up your game, contribute more effectively to your team’s success and crush quota time after time.
